2024-12-11 05:52:24
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 120: The collision
Joe awoke to the muffled sound of voices arguing downstairs. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the grogginess, and reached for his phone to check the time: 6:13 AM. The noise grew louder, and his irritation spiked. Throwing on a robe, he headed downstairs to find Roland in the foyer, speaking with a group of muscled men in dark suits. "What the hell is going on here?" Joe demanded, his displayed his irritation and he knew his face gave him away too. Roland turned to look at Joe. "Sir, these men say they were sent by Mr. Adam. They claim to be here for your protection." Joe's jaw tightened. "I don’t need protection from anyone, especially not from him. Who let them onto the estate?" The tallest man in the group stepped forward, maintaining a firm gaze. "Mr. Whitmore, we’re here on Mr. Adam’s orders. He’s concerned about your safety, given recent events. We won’t leave until we’ve ensured you’re properly guarded." Joe’s temper flared. "I don’t care what orders you
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 121: Surviving
The blaring sound of the heart monitor was the first thing Joe registered when he awoke. His body felt heavy, and every breath came with a dull ache. His vision was blurry, but as it cleared the first person his eyes landed on a was Hannah. Her eyes were red and puffy, and he noticed there were tears streaming down her cheeks. "Joe," she sobbed, clutching his hand tightly. "Thank God you're awake. I thought... I thought I was going to lose you." Joe tried to speak, but his throat felt tight , and the words wouldn’t come. He made a faint noise, causing Hannah to shake her head. "Shh," she whispered, placing a finger gently on his lips. "Don’t try to talk. You need to rest." Joe's fingers twitched weakly as he tried to squeeze her hand. She smiled through her tears, her grip tightening on Joe’s hands. "You scared me, Joe. I thought I’d never hear your voice again." At that moment, the door opened, and a doctor stepped in. He gave Hannah a nod before walking over to Joe's
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 122: Third party
Joe was lounging in his father’s old armchair in the study, sipping tea, when Roland stepped in. “Sir!” Roland said with a bowed head. “You have a visitor.” Joe knew who the visitor was. He had spoken to Mr. Creed earlier who had told Joe he was dropping by. Without hesitation Joe told Roland to send the person in. Joe watched Roland leave , adjusting himself upright on the chair. He felt a strain in his waist; causing him to wince. It had been a few days since the accident, and Joe was still recuperating, though he had made considerable progress. Hearing footsteps in the hallway, he turned toward the door as Roland announced Mr. Creed’s arrival. “Creed,” Joe greeted, standing slowly and extending a hand. His grip wasn’t firm. It was a reflection of Joe’s still-healing body. “Joe,” Mr. Creed replied warmly, shaking his hand. “It’s good to see you up and about. I was worried when I heard about the accident.” Joe waved dismissively, though a flicker of tension crossed his
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 123: The calls
Joe sat at his desk, reviewing the last of his paperwork before calling it a day. He picked up his phone and left a quick voice message for Hannah. ‘Hey, I’m running a little late. Meeting up with Creed to finalize some business details. Won’t be too long. See you later.’ Moments later, his phone buzzed with her reply. ‘What’s going on, Joe?’ She typed back instantly. ‘You shouldn’t overwork yourself. You’re just recovering.’ Joe smiled to himself as he responded, ‘Don’t worry, I’m not overdoing it. Just tying up some loose ends. I’ll be home soon.’ *** After driving several hours and trying to locate the address sent to him. Joe finally arrived at Mr. Creed’s home, the grand structure lit warmly against the evening sky. Joe was approached by the butler. “I’m here to see MrCreed.” Joe said as he stepped into the living room. “Morris!” Joe could hear Mr creed’s voice coming from upstairs. “Let him in.” Mr. creed spoke some more. The guy Mr creed had called introduced
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 124: Prepare for the fight
Joe tried Jeremy’s number once again but, he got no reply. It was during that moment he got a message from Timothy. He clicked on it and realized it was a link. As Joe’s hands tapped the link. He adjusted himself on the edge of the bed, his phone clutched tightly in his hand, staring at the headlines with disbelief. His jaw tightened as he read the damning accusations over and over again. "Whitmore Empire Under Fire: Alleged Ties to Arms Trafficking Exposed." "Hannah," he muttered, his voice breaking the early morning silence. She stirred beside him, her brow furrowing as she turned to face him. "Joe? What's the problem?" Joe looked at her, with a pale expression on his face. "The company's ruined. News is out that my father was involved in illegal activities—arms trafficking. And they're linking it to the new project I'm working on." His voice sounded strained as he spoke. Hannah sat up abruptly, her concern was visible in her voice. "What? How did this get out? What
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 125: Shocking revelations
The week following the media frenzy was nothing short of catastrophic for Joe. The once-proud heir to the Whitmore Empire found himself labeled a fraud, his reputation smeared across every headline. News anchors debated his guilt, speculating about his involvement in his father’s alleged crimes. Protesters gathered outside his office and home, and his newfound fortune seemed to dissolve before his eyes. The final blow came when the police arrived at his estate one cold morning. "Joe Whitmore, you're under arrest," the officer said grimly, cuffing his hands as cameras outside flashed like lightning. Hannah was there, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, "You can’t do this! He’s innocent!" Joe looked back at her as they led him to the car. "Hannah," he said, his voice calm despite the turmoil, "fight for me. Promise me you’ll fight for me." "I will," she cried. "I promise, Joe. I won’t let this break us." *** The cell was small, cold, and suffocating. Joe sat on
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 126: Austin
“Please go away.” Hannah said curtly. She flashed him a glare, but that didn’t stop Joe from taking a step forward.He shifted uncomfortably as he forced out words from his lips. “Hannah, I know you don’t want to see me right now, and you have every right to be mad. I’ve been... distant, and I’m sorry. But I need your help.” He said peering into her eyes.Hannah raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been ignoring me, Joe. Do you know how much it hurt me not to hear from you or see you?”“I’m sorry, I didn’t know the gravity of my actions and how bad it would hurt you.” Joe plead. Hannah scoffed. “I have a feeling you kind of did.”“I’m sorry.” Joe pleaded again.“Your apology mean nothing. Why should I even listen?” Hannah spat.Joe didn’t know what else to say or do, but at this point he had nobody else. Hannah was his only choice.Joe took a deep breath. “Hannah I really need you right now, and I can understand that you’re upset. You have every reason to but please don’t shut me out. Not
The rise of the lost heir Chapter 127: Lost of breathe
Joe sat in his room staring at his phone as another message from Austin buzzed in. It had become a daily routine: Austin would call or text with updates, telling him everything he had uncovered about Mr. Creed. Most of the time, it was nothing groundbreaking—just meetings with strangers, odd patterns in his schedule, and occasional notes about Creed's seemingly eccentric behavior. “So far, it doesn’t look like he’s doing anything illegal,” Austin had said that morning over the phone. His tone, sounded calm but Joe realized there was a hint of frustration in it. Joe was frustrated and he also wasn’t satisfied. He made that clear speaking up afterwards. “But what about the documents? If he has them, there’s got to be a reason. Is there any way we can break in, see what he’s hiding?” Austin paused. “That’s a dangerous route, Joe. But... I’ll see what I can figure out.” Joe sighed and hung up, feeling the weight of his growing doubts about Austin’s effectiveness. Late
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
