I stood there, numb, as the weight of his words sank in. This was real. I wasn’t just some mistake or outsider—they were saying I belonged to this family, a family that seemed like something out of a dream.
How was this even possible?
My mind was reeling, desperately searching for some explanation.
But before I could speak, my grandfather’s eyes sparkled with an excitement that seemed to have been bottled up for years.
He motioned for me to sit, his voice taking on a serious tone. “There’s so much you need to know, Jordan.”
I hesitated, my heart pounding, but finally, I sat down. He leaned forward, hands clasped tightly, his gaze never leaving mine. “You’re not just inheriting a name. The Langston family isn’t just wealthy; we’re an empire. We are the Langston Consortium.”
“Langston Consortium?” I repeated, my voice barely a whisper as the enormity of what he was saying began to sink in.
“Yes,” he nodded firmly, his expression intense. “The Langston Consortium isn’t just any business; it’s one of the most powerful conglomerates in the world.”
As an accountancy student, I knew that a consortium was a large group of businesses that came together under one umbrella, pooling resources and influence to control multiple sectors. But the name Langston Consortium didn’t ring any bells.
My grandfather continued, his words spilling out with fervor. “Langston Consortium is affiliated with over seventy of the top companies in this country.”
Seventy companies?
I had done my research on the top companies in the country, but I had never come across the name Langston Consortium.
I knew of Coker Enterprises—Mikky’s father’s company—which was one of the top corporations around I knew of, worth nearly a billion dollars. Curiosity had led me to dig into its background once, but this… this was something else entirely.
Cole handed me a thick document.
“That’s the comprehensive list of the companies under the Langston Consortium,” my grandfather said with a note of pride in his voice.
I flipped through the document, my hands trembling.
“And we don’t just have partnerships—Langston owns over 90% of the shares in every single one of those businesses.”
I sat there, stunned, trying to grasp the sheer size and power of what he was describing. This wasn’t just wealth; this was a legacy. The Langston Consortium wasn’t just a company—it was a machine that ran nearly everything.
Grandfather’s voice grew more animated as he continued. “Langston Consortium has its roots in Langston Industries, one of the leading energy companies in the world. We dominate the energy sector, from renewable resources to oil and gas.”
I listened, wide-eyed, as he detailed each sector. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing—Langston Industries had a staggering net worth of nearly $30 trillion. I gasped, my mind racing to comprehend that figure.
“Then there’s Langston Real Estate,” he went on, “which holds some of the most valuable properties in every major city across the country.”
“Wait, Coker Enterprises?” I nearly shouted, my shock evident.
It was Mikky’s father’s company.
“Yes, Coker Enterprises,” he confirmed, his eyes narrowing as he gauged my reaction. “They were among our first partners. And as I mentioned, we own 70% of their shares.”
I swallowed hard.
The realization that Mikky’s father wasn’t as untouchable as he seemed sent a surge of satisfaction through me. Suddenly, Mikky’s arrogance felt small and hollow.
“We’ve also invested in Orion Pharmaceuticals,” my grandfather went on, “a company that’s revolutionizing the healthcare industry, and Crestline Holdings, our financial arm, which manages billions in assets across both the private and public sectors.”
I flipped through the document again, each page revealing another shock. My grandfather was just summarizing, but the scale of it all was staggering.
This wasn’t just an empire—it was a force that shaped entire industries. And the fact that over seventy other companies were affiliated with Langston, all ranked among the top 100 businesses globally, only made the scope of it even more overwhelming.
My grandfather leaned closer, his voice lowering as if to emphasize the gravity of what he was about to say.
“Jordan, this is more than just money. This is power. The Langston Consortium shapes industries and, in turn, shapes the lives of millions of people. You’ll be stepping into a role that will put you in control of the direction of our country’s economy, technology, energy—everything.”
I could barely breathe.
This was far beyond anything I had ever imagined. My entire life had been spent scraping by, watching my grandmother work herself to the bone just to make ends meet.
And now, here I was, sitting in front of a man who was telling me that my life was about to change in ways I could barely comprehend.
“Langston Consortium isn’t just ranked at the top,” he continued, his voice steady and resolute. “It is the top. There’s no competition. Every major decision, every market shift, every influential move—it all passes through our hands. And soon, it will be through yours.”
My heart raced as I looked into his eyes.
There was no arrogance in his voice, no sense of boasting—only the cold, hard reality of power. I wondered how someone this powerful, meek and humble.
This was my legacy, my inheritance, and it terrified me. I wasn’t ready for this. How could I be?
“This is your legacy. You belong here, Jordan.”
“After your graduation, you will inherit everything—the entire Langston Consortium.”“The entire consortium? But why the rush, Grandpa?” I asked, my face betraying my shock. I was only a student and not a business mogul, the idea of managing a massive consortium was unimaginable. The discomfort of it all made me pull a funny expression.“Don’t worry, I’ll be here to guide you. I won’t throw you into the deep end without support. But my priority is to hand everything over and... focus on my health.”I swallowed hard, feeling the enormity of what he was saying.His pride was palpable, but behind it, I could sense the years of weight he had carried. He reached into his jacket and pulled out a sleek platinum card. The logo on it was familiar; I had seen it on almost everything, including Grandfather’s phone and the documents handed to me earlier. I quickly recognized it as the Langston logo, with many items, especially gadgets, being customized and carrying the logo design.He handed me
I couldn’t take it anymore. Watching them degrade the woman who had raised me—who had sacrificed everything for me—I felt my chest burn with rage.I rushed to them and stopped my grandmother from kneeling. Mikky’s eyes locked onto mine just as I approached, and that smirk of his deepened.“Well, well, look who it is—the pauper himself,” Mikky sneered. “Come to watch the show, busboy? Maybe you could serve us some wine and cheese to make it more fun and memorable”I clenched my fists, fighting to keep my cool. I wanted nothing more than to knock that smug look off his face.“Grandma,” I said, stepping in front of her protectively. “Let’s go. You don’t need to beg anyone for anything.”Mikky stepped forward, blocking my path. “Oh, leaving so soon? I thought we were just getting started,” he said.I glared at him, my voice low and uninterested in his antics. “Move.”He laughed. “Or what? You’ll hit me again, Jordan? You want to make this worse for yourself?”I glanced briefly at Diana,
I froze, my fist mid-air, my body trembling with rage. I slowly turned to see Mr. Martins, the school director, storming toward us. His expression was clearly annoyed, his gaze fixed squarely on me. Diana stood behind him, her arms crossed and a smug smile playing on her lips. Yeah, she called him. But who cares anyways.Diana stepped forward, her voice filled with false concern. "Mr. Martins, thank goodness you’re here. Jordan just attacked Mikky out of nowhere like a wild animal. He’s been holding a grudge ever since that fight in the dorms, and now he's taken it too far. Look at Mikky!” Her tone was all too sweet, her words carefully chosen to paint me as the villain.Mikky groaned dramatically from the ground, clutching his side as if I’d broken every bone in his body, well I guess I did. “He went crazy! I tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. He just jumped me—he's out of control, Mr. Martins!”I clenched my fists, still fuming with rage, yet somehow, a part of me felt
The crowd fell into a stunned silence, and the director’s smirk faltered for a brief moment before returning, though now tinged with disbelief. "Ten times?" The Director echoed, laughing mockingly. “You’re joking, right?”I didn’t flinch, keeping my gaze locked on his. "On one condition," I continued. "That Mikky is expelled from this school."Mikky doubled over, clutching his sides, while the director shook his head in disbelief. I could see my grandmother looking at me from my side view with wide eyes, as if I’d lost my mind. "Ten times?" the director repeated, struggling to contain his amusement. “That’s $20 million, Jordan. Are you sure you haven’t hit your head too hard? You expect us to believe that you can just pull $20 million out of thin air?”I remained unfazed, locking eyes with him. I could see his confidence waver for a moment, as if he wanted to believe me. But after sizing me up, he clearly concluded that I was mad. “Give me the school’s official account number, and I
I stared at the screen, frozen in disbelief and shock. The words were clear, glaring at me like a cruel joke. How could this be? My grandfather wouldn’t lie to me—this card was real, wasn’t it? It has $1 Billion in it so why did my transfer fail?Before I could process what was happening, Mikky’s laughter exploded into the air, loud and obnoxious. He slapped his thigh, doubled over in amusement, while Diana clung to his arm, laughing right along with him."I knew it!" Mikky howled, pointing at me like I was the punchline to some cruel joke. "You really thought that card would work because it's flashy, didn’t you? What a loser!"Diana chimed in. "Honestly, Jordan, you shouldn’t have stoop this low. This is just embarrassing. Did you really think we’d fall for that little show?"“This is ridiculous, I thought for a second he had the $20 Million.”“Such a shameless pauper, he wasted our precious time.”“So unfortunate I staked a bet on you.”“Nothing good can come from an arrogant pauper
The transfer went through, and I received a notification of the transaction—my balance was now $980,000,000. I smirked proudly. “Now, what do you have to say, Director?” I asked, turning to face him. He continued to stare at his phone, frozen in disbelief. I knew he had received the notification, but he wasn’t saying anything. He was just glaring at me and the phone, as if unable to process what had just happened.The silence was deafening. Mikky and Diana rushed over to him, their expressions shifting from smug confidence to shock as they saw the same thing on his screen. I could tell they had just received the shock of their lives.Everyone was waiting, holding their breath, for the director or Mikky to say something.Mikky whispered something inaudible to the director, who quickly adjusted his demeanor.“Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the Joker of the Year at Kingsford University,” the director announced, trying to mask his shock with a forced laugh.The crowd erupted in c
The principal stood in front of me, bowing with a level of respect I had never experienced before. It was an odd feeling, not one of triumph or revenge, but something much more profound—a sense of quiet assurance.I noticed the crowd around us, watching in stunned silence as they took in the unexpected scene. I could tell they were still live streaming, judging by the comments flying in. “Why did the principal act like that?” “This is wild; I bet everyone in the city is tuning into this.”I stole a glance at the director, still holding his sore cheek, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. The principal had just slapped him in front of the whole school.“Get this disgrace out of here,” he ordered, pointing at the guards. “And just so you know, you’re fired.” “Fired?” echoed the director along with a few others.The director attempted to reason with the principal, but the guards stepped in, dragging him out like a common criminal—just moments ago, they had been the ones res
"What if Jordan actually made that payment?""Yeah, I agree. Didn't you notice the principal's reaction? I think he's going to address it.""No way, he couldn't possibly pull that off. Look at his clothes—barely holding together.""How could he have been able to pull out such a huge amount of money?" Whispers broke out. "That can't be possible. He's the grandson of a janitor." Another person said."Well, he might have done something illegal to get such money. I hear that he's into drugs." A third person who I recognized as one of the quarterback's girlfriends spoke.All eyes were fixated on me as their speculations continued. I would never have imagined that a day would come when I would have to start defending myself from being able to do things myself.I had been ridiculed severally because of my poor status, now that it seemed like things were going well for me, they still had a problem with it."Why isn't he saying anything?" One of the girls asked incredulously.I moved away fro