The Billionaire Son-in-law

3. Take Back What Is Yours.

There was a light shade of blue-gray along with clean-lined furniture made for a polished backdrop while the woven chairs, light wood side table, and tree stump coffee table ensured a laid-back atmosphere. It was the living room inside the mansion, the perfect balance of approachable and formal.

The architect applied hardwood floors in a Hungarian point pattern wood panels to the wall for an extra surge of warmth.

The whole area was sparkling neat and clean, all around its vicinity scenting with a soft essence of jasmine. Lucas suddenly had a flash memory that he always loved jasmine flowers. 

"You used to love the jasmine air freshener," said the old man who'd pronounced himself as his butler. It was as if he'd been hearing Lucas's mind. He chuckled. 

Lucas asked, straightening his posture. "Who are you exactly?" 

He was certain he had no ver met the man before. He had Viking-gold hair and bristly eyebrows. "I don't think I know you." Lucas added. 

The older man was happy to reunite with his young master again. Finally! His heart was filled with immense joy. 

His mariner-blue eyes were orb round and darted constantly, a-gleam with delight and the vigor of youth. They were soft, Irish eyes and swam with joy. They shone brightly, like two sapphires dipped in milky pools. He remembered when everyone used to comment on his vivacious character and his gentle nature sometime in the past. 

"Sire, it's me, Grover. You really have forgotten, haven't you?" The old man said, then when he got no reply from him, he continued to say. "I used to be the butler of this household years ago, before the unfortunate incident that happened with your late parent."

Lucas did not hear him clearly. "You knew my parents?" He asked with widened eyes, and Grover confirmed with a slight but firm nod. "So you're telling me that I used to be part of this whole household?" His hands pointed to the large vast space. 

"You used to be the young master of this entire household, son of the late Williams." He bowed his head in pity. "May their gentle souls rest in peace." 

Lucas was shocked. He silently muttered a quiet, 'amen,' then waited for Grover to continue. 

Grover thought carefully on how to continue. "There was a forlorn accident that took place, and you lost all your family. But soon, I was able to locate you again and now, it is time to--" 

"Wait wait, so I was the son of the owner of this entire household?" Lucas asked again, unable to contain his joy. He could ask and ask over and over again, and seeing that he might just receive the same positive answer made him even more happy. 

Grover nodded a reply. 

It took a moment for all the words to sink in but eventually, it started to make little sense to him. "If what you're saying is true, why am I here now?" 

"The Mochi family are not good people." 

Lucas couldn't seem to agree more. But then, how did Grover know? "Wait, you know them?" He asked and his eyes widened. 

"Yes I do. They worked for your father, and were nothing more than his mere followers. Your family helped the Mochi and saved them from so many financial problems and one could even say that they became their savior. But after the betrayal that led to your parents death, they adopted you and ran off. And I never heard from them again."

"But now they're back." Said Lucas, quite shocked that his family in law had ever known his parents and had even worked for them before. Why would they keep that a secret! 

"Apparently, they'd kept you hidden. When I even approached your mother in law now, your foster mother, years ago, she claimed she knew not where you were. She denied having you with her. I had feared that something terrible had happened to you, but I didn't relent in my search for you."

The Mochi had lied to him all those years. They never said much about his real parents, and had claimed that they did him a huge favor by adopting him. Something wasn't right. "But why would they lie about my identity? Isn't that just pure evil? They should have explained to you all along that I was alive and hale!" Anger was starting to overwhelm him as he didn't understand why people could become so evil and heartless. After all the torture and maltreatment. They could had made it up to him by connecting him back to his real family. 

"Because that family is evil. When your parents died and they took you away, they also took away all of your property and wealth." With a bittered heart, Grover said. 

"What!" Yelled Lucas, a heavy frown forming on his face. Horizontal lines wrinkled across his forehead. 

"There was a chance to step up after that night when your family fell, so they took you in, pretending to be nice, and next, ran off with files and properties worth millions. Apparently, they'd been satisfied with that amount, and so they must have been happy. But, little do they know that that was just a tip of the iceberg."

Lucas had sat still, his left palm resting on his cheeks, then it fell again back to his laps. He was nearly lost in thought, thinking of the evil that the people he thought were his family, could actually have successfully done such a horrible thing, then the last words of Grover brought him back. "What do you mean?" 

"It's exactly what I meant, sire. That's because the majority of your family’s fortune has been kept safe by me all these years. Your father had secretly entrusted to me, and I'd vowed to fulfill his wish even if it were the last thing I would do. See this is why I am so gratified that I have finally found you again."

It was in that moment that Lucas knew that he would after all laugh last. After all the terrible suffering he'd been through, who'd have thought that he had been a billionaire all along! His eyes met with Grover who was seated opposite to him, but he did not speak. 

Grover began to say, "as the last surviving heir of the richest and most powerful family, I ask you to come back and claim your rightful place." 

Was he for real!