Home / Urban / The rise of the lost heir / Chapter 10: running from the past.
Chapter 10: running from the past.
Author: June girl
last update2024-10-05 06:29:43

Joe ran, his feet pounding the pavement beneath him as he fled from the courtyard.

Behind him, he could hear footsteps. Mr. Adam was chasing him, and no matter how fast he ran, the older man was catching up.

"Joe!" Mr. Adam's voice echoed. "Stop! You’re going to get yourself killed!"

Joe ignored him. But he was running out of steam.

The truth was, he didn’t know where he was going, and deep down, he knew he couldn’t outrun him forever.

A strong hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder, yanking him backward.

Joe stumbled, his feet losing their grip as he collided with the stone wall of a nearby building.

He turned to see Mr. Adam standing in front of him.

“Have you gone completely mad?” Mr. Adam barked. “Do you have any idea what you’re doing?”

Joe pulled away, shaking his head. “I don’t want any of this, Mr. Adam! It’s too much. I never asked for this fortune, this... empire. I can’t handle it. It’s not who I am.”

“Joe, I get it. I do. This is a lot to bear. But running away isn’t the an
Continue Reading on MegaNovel
Scan code to download App

Related Chapters

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 11: Lady Penelope

    Joe sat in the backseat of the car as it pulled up to a small estate tucked away in the middle of nowhere. The surroundings was beautiful and Joe was mesmerized. “We’re here,” Mr. Adam said quietly, stepping out of the car. Joe hesitated for a moment before stepping out. Mr. Adam led Joe to the estate's entrance. As they entered, a tall, elegant woman stood waiting. Her gray hair was tied neatly into a bun. She smiled as they approached, her eyes locking onto Joe with a knowing gaze. “Joe,” she greeted warmly. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you. Welcome.” Joe nodded with a faint smile. “This is Lady Penelope, one of your grandfather’s oldest and dearest friends.” Lady Penelope extended her hand, which Joe shook politely. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Joe,” she said softly. “I’ve heard so much about you over the years. I’m so happy you’ve come to this point, where you will finally take your rightful place.” Joe tried to muster a smile. “Thank you, but... honestly, I’m not

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter12: A Maybach, 500 million dollars and a penthouse.

    Joe couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "A Maybach, 500 million dollars, and a penthouse in London?" Joe repeated, his voice was filled with shock.The lawyer nodded, a satisfied smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “That’s correct. This is the part of the benefits of your inheritance.”“Personal benefits, if you ask me.” Joe stared at the stack of papers in front of him, the pen in his hand feeling heavier than it should. He had come from nothing, from a life of struggle, and now here he was, seconds away from signing a contract that would make him one of the wealthiest men in the world."Are you going to sign or not?" Mr. Adam’s voice cut through his thoughts.Joe hesitated for a moment, the weight of what he was about to do sinking in. But then he thought of Lady Penelope’s words, the encouragement she had given him the night before. ‘You can make a difference with this inheritance. You can expose the bad people and do something good.’Her voice echoed in his mind, giving

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 13: Joe can’t be a Whitmore.

    “This is fucking insane!” Joe exclaimed as they pulled up to the massive warehouse. It wasn’t what he had imagined—it was far more impressive. Cars of every make and model lined the walls that gleamed under the warehouse's overhead lights.Joe couldn't contain his excitement as he stepped out of the car.“I can’t believe this place,” Joe murmured to himself.Just as he was about to approach one of the cars, a tall man in a sharp suit appeared out of nowhere. He had a stern expression. “This is private property. You have no business being here.” He snapped.Joe blinked, a little taken aback by the man’s words. “Uh... actually, my father owns this place,” Joe replied, trying to stand his ground, but the man gave him a skeptical once-over, clearly not buying it.Before Joe could say anything further, Timothy stepped forward. “This is the latest heir to the Whitmore empire,” he announced.The man’s stern look didn’t change. He crossed his arms over his chest.“And I am the prime minis

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 14: The stranger

    Joe stepped into his father’s company on Monday, with anxiety taking over his mind at each step he took.Before he had a chance to collect his thoughts, a sharply dressed man approached him with a wide smile.“Is he the one?” His eyes moved from Mr.Adam who was standing behind then it returned to Joe.“Yes.” Mr. Adam said. “The new owner of the Whitmore empire.”"Mr. Whitmore," the man said, extending his hand. "I’m Jeremy, your father’s assistant and I’m going to be yours. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. If you'll follow me, I’ll show you around."Joe nodded. Jeremy led him through the lobby, pointing out various areas."This is the reception, obviously, and over there is the entrance to the executive wing," Jeremy explained as they walked. "You’ll have access to all of these areas, of course."As they passed by the reception desk, Joe caught the eye of a lanky woman with dark curls framing her face. She flashed him a warm smile, her eyes lingering on him a moment longer than ne

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 15: Hidden truth

    “Joe!” Mr Adam said in a bold tone. He turned to Mr. Adam and walked in his direction. Mr. Adam was about to say more words, but Joe beat him to it. “Did you see that man over there?” Joe asked once he got closer. “He’s the same man I saw when I was trying to save Jerry. I have a feeling he came for me.” Mr. Adam’s expression changed as he glanced at Joe. “You don’t need to worry, Joe. You’re safe. The man isn’t here for you.” He said Joe furrowed his brow, not satisfied with the answer. “Then what’s he here for? If he’s not here for me?” Joe asked in a confused tone. Mr. Adam's gaze flickered, displaying something Joe couldn't quite place. “It’s nothing, Joe. Don’t overthink it. Some things are better left unsaid.” Joe’s suspicion grew. He crossed his arms as he stared deeply into Mr. Adam’s eyes. “Are you hiding something from me, Mr. Adam? “ he spoke up. “I would repeat my words. Some things are better left unsaid.” Mr. Adam said in a firm tone. “I want an

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 16: I’ll make him pay

    Joe’s car pulled up to the grand entrance of the charity ball. The building was massive, with glowing chandeliers visible even from the outside. As the driver opened Joe’s door, he took a deep breath. "Are you ready for this?" Mr. Adam asked from the front seat. Joe turned to look at him, adjusting his suit. It was brand new and felt like the most expensive thing he’d ever worn. “Yes,” Joe said with an edgy tone. He was still a bit angry at Mr.Adam. "Good luck," Mr. Adam said. "I’ll be waiting around in the car if you need anything." Joe hesitated for a moment. "I haven’t forgotten about yesterday’s conversation." Mr. Adam’s expression darkened slightly. "It’s high time you forget, Joe. Focus on tonight." Joe didn’t respond. He stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath of the cool evening air. As he walked toward the entrance, he adjusted his suit once more. At the gate, a man with a name tag stopped him. "Name, sir?" "Mr. Whitmore," Joe said firmly. The man straightened,

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 17 : The commotion

    "The media is going wild!" Jeremy yelled as he burst through Joe’s office door the next day. "Everyone is talking about your encounter with Aaron White last night. It’s all over the news." Joe leaned back in his father’s leather chair, twirling slightly as he let the words sink in. "Is it good or bad?" Mr.Adam asked. Jeremy grinned. "Oh, it’s good! Everyone wants to know more about Joe Whitmore, the heir to the Whitmore fortune. They want to get up close and personal, and Cherry has been handling calls all morning from top executives wanting to fix meetings with you." Joe blinked, surprised. "Wow." "Wow, is right!" Jeremy said, clearly more excited than even Joe. "We’ve never seen this kind of response before. The buzz is incredible!" Just as Jeremy was speaking, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then quickly excused himself. "Cherry’s calling. I’ll be right back!" As Jeremy dashed out of the room, Mr Adam stepped forward and looked at Joe, a rare smile tuggi

  • The rise of the lost heir   Chapter 18: Decisions

    Joe stepped outside, blinking against the harsh sunlight. The murmuring crowd immediately drew his attention. Mr. Adam was standing near the gate, he looked frustrated. “Miss, this is private property!” Mr. Adam said. “You can’t be doing this here!” Joe frowned, walking closer to the scene. His presence quickly caught Mr. Adam’s attention. “I can handle this,” Joe said calmly. Mr. Adam glanced at him, and he looked doubtful. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Mr. Adam muttered, shaking his head. “This could turn ugly.” Joe took a breath and put a hand on Mr. Adam’s shoulder. “Trust me,” he said firmly. Mr. Adam didn’t look convinced but stepped aside reluctantly. The minute Joe moved forward his eyes landed on Rosie. “There he is!” she shouted. “The man of the hour—the betrayer!” Joe’s chest tightened. Rosie. He hadn’t seen her in months, but here she was, standing at the forefront of a group of women, looking more furious than ever. “Rosie,” Joe spoke up. “What is thi

Latest Chapter

  • Chapter 184: Rise to the top

    The dim light of the early morning filtered through the broken windows of Edgar’s mansion. Joe stood in the center of the abandoned estate, the weight of the situation settling heavily on his shoulders. Joe’s heart pounded in his chest as he made his way through the mansion’s dark hallways. Edgar had told him the document was hidden in a secure room—a secret vault that only Edgar knew how to access. It was a good thing, Edgar had directed him on how to go about it. As he walked through the old mansion, his eyes landed on old portraits of Mitford family. They looked so happy, huddled together and Joe couldn’t believe that the Sanchez gang had whipped out all of them—The three brothers and their parents. Joe wondered how Edgar could have felt striving through the walls of their mansion all alone. It must have been sad moment for him. Joe snapped off out of his thoughts as he stopped in front of a wooden door at the end of a long corridor. The lock was old and rusty, but the mech

  • Chapter 183: The war had begun

    “Speak to me!” Joe demanded as he watched Timothy crumble. Tears were still falling down his face, and Joe felt his heart ache as he started at his friend. He moved closer wrapping his hands around Timothy. Timothy’s pale face moved in Joe’s direction, and during that moment he managed to wipe off his tears. He swallowed hard before speaking, his voice was low and filled with sorrow. “Joe… you don’t know everything, do you?” Joe’s brow furrowed in confusion, his mind racing to make sense of the words, but it was hard to focus, hard to understand. “What are you talking about? What happened to them? To Mr. Adam? He was—he was looking for me, right? He was out there searching for me after I—after they said I was dead.” Timothy nodded slowly, the sadness in his eyes deepening. “Mr. Adam never stopped looking for you. He never believed that you were dead. The moment he heard about the accident, he knew something wasn’t right. He started investigating, digging into the people around hi

  • Chapter 182: His death

    The morning sun streamed through the windows of Joe's office. Joe sat behind his desk, scanning the itinerary for an upcoming business trip. Mr. Adam stood across from him, arms crossed, with a look of concern etched across his face. “It’s just a two-day trip,” Joe said, his tone exasperated as he looked up at Mr. Adam. “I don’t need a bodyguard or a driver. I can handle this on my own.” Mr. Adam shook his head firmly. “Joe, this isn’t up for debate. After everything that’s happened, I’m not letting you go without some form of protection. This isn’t about distrust; it’s about being cautious.” Dexter, who had been leaning against the doorway listening quietly, chimed in. “Adam’s right, Joe. You’ve made a lot of enemies over the years, and you know that. It’s not about being paranoid; it’s about being prepared.” Joe sighed, leaning back in his chair. He pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated. “Dexter, it’s a quick trip to a neighboring town. I’m not flying to anothe

  • Chapter 181: letting loose

    With John behind bars and the chaos finally settling, Joe began to lean on Dexter more. The man who had once been a stranger was now an ally, and slowly, Joe found himself trusting him. One day, as they sat in Joe’s office after a meeting, Joe asked, “Dexter, have you thought about what you’d like to do.” “You know workwise, I mean?” Joe added. Dexter looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, “If I could choose, I’d want to work with Mr. Adam. He seems like someone I could learn from, and... I’d like to be part of keeping you safe.” Joe smiled. “I’ll talk to him. I think he’d be glad to have you on board.” True to his word, Joe brought it up with Mr. Adam the next day. “Mr. Adam,” Joe said, stopping him in the hallway. “Dexter wants to work with you and your security team. What do you think?” Mr. Adam considered it briefly. “I think it’s a good idea. I’ll assign him to my team and keep him close. He’s earned our trust.” As days passed, Dexter took to his new rol

  • Chapter 180: His return

    The morning was crisp and quiet, a deceptive calm before what Joe knew would be a chaotic day. He knew what was coming next and braced himself for it. Joe went about his day acting like everything was alright. “Good morning John!” He said with a smile which John returned. “Someone looks happy today.” John said. “What’s happening?” “Victory.” Joe said with a smile. “Victory at last.” John looked at joe with a confused look on his face. “What do you mean by victory?” John asked. Joe was hesitant before he responded, he picked up his glass of champagne walking out of the kitchen with an even wider smile. “You will see.” He finally said before leaving the Kitchen. Hours later, Joe stood outside his home, watching as police cars rolled up the driveway. Chief Ken stepped out, with a stern expression on his face. “Are you ready?” Chief Ken asked, his tone leaving no room for hesitation. Joe nodded, his jaw tight. “Let’s get this over with.” Inside the house, John

  • Chapter 179:Saving Mr. Adam

    “It’s John He’s working with Ken Sanchez.”Joe said staring straight into Lady Penelope’s eyes. Lady Penelope’s eyes narrowed. “Ken Sanchez? The gang leader?” “Yes,” Joe replied, running a hand through his hair. “I met with that guy that told me he has answers, his name is Dexter Harrison. He used to be part of the Sanchez gang. He showed me evidence—pictures, recordings—proving that John struck a deal with Ken. He’s been working to take me down.” Lady Penelope leaned back, her face darkening. “Well, that explains why he has been acting weird recently” she said quietly. Joe shook his head, the betrayal still raw. “I trusted him, lady Penelope. I treated him like family. And now... now I don’t know what to do. I don’t even know if I can trust this Dexter guy. What if he’s playing me too?” Lady Penelope reached out, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. “You’re right to be cautious. Don’t trust Dexter fully, but use him. If he’s telling the truth, he’s your best chance at getting

  • Chapter 178: Answers

    Joe stepped into his car. He exhaled sharply as he started the engine. ‘I hope this isn’t a dead end or trap.’ He said to himself as he directed his car out of the estate. Soon, he was on the freeway heading to the narrow streets leading to Abbey Street. He glanced at the location on his phone once more, unable to shake the unease creeping through his chest. Abbey Street was a place gang activity took place—a place where people dared not tread. As he turned the corner, the narrow street came into view and before he knew it he was driving into Abbey street. His anxiety spiked. “Why here?” he muttered to himself, his knuckles whitening on the wheel. Parking his car a safe distance from the street, Joe texted Timothy about his location. “On Abbey Street. Just in case. Will update.” A moment later, a reply came through: “Be careful. Call me if anything happens.” Joe’s phone buzzed again, this time with a message from the anonymous number. “Come forward.” The message read.

  • Chapter 177: Need for answers

    Joe sat at his desk, his eyes glued to his computer screen as he buried himself in work. Numbers, contracts, and endless reports were his refuge, keeping him from dwelling on the failed mission and the nagging fear that Mr. Adam might never be found. As Joe left his office later that afternoon, heading toward his car, something unusual caught his eye. A small parcel was perched neatly on the hood of his vehicle. His two bodyguards, who always stayed close, exchanged a glance and moved swiftly toward it. “Stay back, Mr. Whitmore,” one of them said firmly, waving him away. Joe nodded, keeping his distance as the guards carefully inspected the parcel. They dismantled the wrapping with precision, ensuring it wasn’t a threat, while Joe’s unease grew by the second. Finally, one of them called out, “It’s just pictures.” Joe stepped closer, his pulse quickening. He peered inside, and his breath hitched at the sight. Spread across the small box were a series of photographs. The first

  • Chapter 176: Someone closeby

    Joe's hands gripped the dashboard tightly as Xavier pulled the SUV into a secluded spot near the old, crumbling church. The faint sound of the railway echoed nearby, confirming that they were in the right place. Joe glanced out the window, the eerie stillness of the surroundings unsettling him. “This is it,” Joe said, nodding toward the building. Xavier cut the engine and turned to him. “Stay in the car,” he said firmly, his voice sounding commanding. “No,” Joe replied immediately, unbuckling his seatbelt. Xavier frowned. “This isn’t up for debate. It’s dangerous. If something goes wrong, I can’t guarantee your safety.” Joe glared at him. “I’m coming. Mr. Adam is my friend, and I’m not going to sit back while you go in alone. Either we do this together, or I’m going in by myself.” Xavier sighed, his lips pressing into a thin line. He could see there was no convincing Joe otherwise. “Fine,” he muttered, grabbing his gun from the glove compartment. “But you follow my lead

Scan code to read on App