THE LOST BILLIONAIRE SON

Chapter nine

James sat in the dimly lit office of his downtown Manhattan penthouse, staring at the contract laid out in front of him. Victor stood by the window, his arms crossed, watching the cityscape that glittered under the night sky.

James had been toying with this moment for weeks now. The Smith family business was about to enter a deal with his own conglomerate, and Robert Smith had no idea how much his world was about to shift.

"Everything's set?" James asked, his voice low and calculated.

Victor nodded without turning, his eyes still fixed on the view. "The contract's ready. Once Robert signs, it'll give you full control of the major distribution rights in the northeast. It'll cripple his operations."

James leaned back in his chair, his fingers drumming lightly on the desk. "It's not just about business, Victor. It’s personal." His lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. "Smith needs to realize that I'm the one who decides who succeeds, and who falls."

Victor finally turned around, his expression a mix of admiration and apprehension. "I get it. But remember, Robert’s not as weak as you think. He’s got connections you don’t—"

James's smile faded, his eyes darkening with a cold edge. "I’m not worried about connections. I’m worried about breaking his pride. Once I do that, everything else will follow."

Victor studied James, sensing the depth of his obsession. "We’ll handle it. Just say the word."

James stood up, walking over to the window, his gaze sweeping across the skyline. "Tomorrow, we meet with Robert. If he signs, it’ll be the beginning of the end for him."

Meanwhile, Jenna sat in a luxurious café overlooking Central Park, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup absentmindedly. She had always been careful with how she presented herself, but lately, things felt different. It wasn’t just the engagement ring on her finger, or the whispers that seemed to follow her wherever she went. It was the weight of the role she was now expected to play in James’s world.

She could feel the eyes on her as she walked into any room, the way people glanced at her with that mixture of curiosity and envy. Being James’s fiancée meant she was no longer just a woman; she was a symbol. A trophy. And everyone seemed to want a piece of her, but in the most calculating, careful way.

Jenna sighed, staring out the window, her reflection staring back at her. The world around her felt like it was shifting, and she wasn’t sure if she was in control of it—or if she ever had been.

A server approached her table, offering a smile, but Jenna’s attention was elsewhere. She wondered how long this façade could last. How long would she be able to maintain the perfect image of the supportive fiancée while everything inside her was beginning to feel hollow?

Emma sat in the living room of her Brooklyn townhouse, her eyes fixed on the screen of her laptop, but she wasn’t really seeing it. Her mind was elsewhere, constantly circling back to James. To what he was planning. To what he was doing with Jenna.

The fact that he had moved on so quickly, gotten engaged to her best friend, still cut deeper than Emma cared to admit. She had tried to distract herself—work, family, even Mark—but every time she closed her eyes, she saw James.

Not as the man she once loved, but as the cold, calculating figure who seemed intent on taking everything from her. And now, with Jenna by his side, she was losing the one person who had meant everything to her. Or at least, the one person who she thought she could trust.

It wasn’t just the engagement that was bothering her—it was the feeling that James was always three steps ahead. That she had never truly understood him, even after everything they’d been through. And now, she couldn’t shake the sense that James was playing a game she didn’t fully comprehend.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was a message from Mark. “We need to talk. Something’s not right.”

She frowned. Mark had been distant lately, always suspicious of her connection with James. He didn’t understand, couldn’t possibly understand, what was going on inside her. But Emma knew that she couldn’t afford to keep hiding her feelings from him forever. Not if she wanted to keep her marriage intact.

With a heavy sigh, she closed her laptop and stood, heading for the bedroom. She needed to figure out what was going on with James before it consumed her. But deep down, she knew that if she didn’t act soon, it might already be too late.

Mark sat at his desk in the study, the papers in front of him blurring together. His mind was elsewhere, on Emma and the growing unease he felt about her behavior. He knew something wasn’t right. The way she spoke about James. The long, lingering glances when she thought he wasn’t watching. It was clear to him that there was still something between them, something Emma wasn’t telling him.

He ran his hands through his hair, frustration building in his chest. How had he missed this? How had he allowed her to slip so far away without even noticing? The signs had been there, he realized—small things, moments where Emma would freeze, her eyes clouding with something he couldn’t quite place. And now, with James engaged to Jenna, the distance between them had only grown wider.

Mark's mind raced. The more he thought about it, the more certain he became: James was up to something. It wasn’t just about the engagement. It wasn’t even about Emma. It was about power. Control. The kind of control James had always craved, and Mark couldn’t help but wonder if he was just another pawn in James’s game.

He had to know more. He had to uncover what James was planning before it destroyed everything. And Emma… she had to choose. Him or James.

The thought made his chest tighten, but there was no time to waste. Mark stood up, determination setting in. If Emma wouldn’t tell him the truth, he’d have to dig for it himself.

Back in James’s penthouse, the planning continued. Tomorrow was the day he would meet with Robert. He would make sure the contract was signed, and that Robert knew exactly who had the power in this situation. James was done playing games—he was going to crush Robert Smith, and with him, the rest of the Smith family.

The revenge he’d been plotting for years was finally taking shape. It wasn’t just about Robert. It was about everything that had been taken from him. And with Jenna by his side, the last piece of his puzzle was in place.

James turned to Victor, a cold smile on his lips. "Tomorrow, we take the first step. And after that, nothing will be the same."

Victor didn’t respond immediately, his gaze flicking to the window once more. He could see the storm that James had unleashed, and he wondered if even James knew just how dangerous it was becoming.

But there was no turning back now. The pieces were in motion, and nothing was going to stop them.

As the night wore on, the tension in New York grew thicker. Tomorrow would be the day everything changed. For James. For Robert. And for everyone else caught in the crossfire.