Unrivaled In The World: Rise of Kaiden Blackwood

Chapter 4.

Kai stood in the vast hall, his body tense.

The mansion was grand, unlike anything Kai had ever seen before in his entire life.

Polished marble floors. Towering chandeliers. Every inch of the place screamed wealth and power.

His eyes locked on the old man in front of him, Atlas Blackwood.

The name alone carried weight.

But Kai had never met him.

And yet...

The way Atlas was looking at him…

Like he had waited for this moment for a long time.

“I am Atlas Blackwood.” His voice carried weight, thick with authority. “The head of Orion Global.”

Kai’s brows furrowed. Orion Global?

The name struck something deep in his memory. A passing headline. A logo printed on high-rise buildings. Financial reports he had skimmed in newspapers left behind at the factory.

His pulse quickened. 

Orion Global wasn’t just any company. It was an empire.

The name alone controlled stock markets. Governments bent their policies for it. Bankers whispered it like a sacred secret.

Kai’s mind raced. They owned entire industries…finance, energy, tech, military contracts. 

Atlas continued, his expression unreadable.

“Orion Global is the most powerful consortium in Cresthaven Country. Our influence stretches across the globe.” He paused, as if letting the weight of his words settle. “The assets under my name alone could buy half of the countries on Earth.”

Kai’s fingers twitched at his sides.

He had grown up scraping by, living paycheck to paycheck. Meanwhile, this man sitting in front of him could bankrupt nations with a flick of his pen.

This was beyond insane. It was unfathomable.

Kai exhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm. His life had just taken a turn he wasn’t sure he could ever come back from.

Atlas’s eyes locked onto him.

“And you, Kaidën Blackwood…” His voice was steady, yet measured “You are my only grandson.”

Kai’s breath caught.

What did he say?

His grandson?

His mother had never mentioned family.

This is couldn't be possible!

His voice was sharp,  “My mother never mentioned you,” he bit out.

“Not once. Not even before she died.”

Atlas’s expression remained unreadable.

“She had her reasons.”

Kai scoffed. Reasons?

His voice was low, cold. “That’s impossible.”

The pressure of the room pressed on him, the stares. 

Then, one of the suited men stepped forward, holding out an envelope.

Kai’s heart pounded.

The man bowed slightly. “Sir, this is the test result.”

For a moment, he just stared at it.

He shouldn’t care. He should throw it away. Walk out. Leave them to their riches, their regrets.

But his fingers moved on their own.

The seal tore. The paper unfolded.

His eyes skimmed the words.

Then…

His breath hitched.

Paternity Test Result: 99.99% Match.

Atlas Blackwood was his grandfather!

The truth settled in his stomach, heavy, suffocating.

He should feel relieved. He should feel… something.

But all he felt was anger.

His hands clenched around the paper, crumpling the edges. Where were they? When his mother cried at night? When he broke his back just to keep them alive?

His chest burned. Why now? Why after she was gone?

Then…Cassius Reed stepped forward.

The richest man in Dominus City. A mogul who controlled financial institutions worldwide. A man who had no reason to bow to anyone.

Before Kai, he inclined his head slightly.

“Kai.” Cassius’s voice was steady, yet filled with something rare. Regret. “I owe you an apology.”

Kai stiffened.

Cassius continued, “Your mother suffered because of our mistakes. We failed to protect her. And in doing so, we failed you.”

Kai let out a sharp breath. Failed? That wasn’t the right word. It was supposed to be they had abandoned her.

His fingers twitched at his sides.

He wanted to scream at them. Demand why. Make them feel an ounce of what he had felt all these years.

But his voice came out hollow. “Why now?”

Cassius held his gaze, unwavering. “Because we finally found you.”

Too late.

Kai’s jaw clenched. His world had been shattered and rebuilt in a single moment, and yet, he wasn’t sure if he wanted any of this.

The wealth. The power. The name.

What did it mean if the one person who mattered most…his mother…wasn’t here to see it?

And yet…

His fingers loosened.

For the first time in his life, he wasn’t just a nobody.

Atlas suddenly exhaled, drawing Kai’s attention from Cassius. “I must apologize too, for all you’ve been through. As your grandfather, I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

The entire room fell silent.

“That is why I’ve made a decision.” His gaze locked onto Kai’s. “From today onward, all my enterprises and properties in Dominus City will be transferred under your name.”

A murmur rippled through the gathered elites.

Even some of the men on the Forbes list exchanged stunned glances.

Everything in Dominus City?

Kai’s mind reeled. He had gone from a man struggling for survival to inheriting a fortune that could shift the tides of an entire economy.

Cassius, watching closely, added in a measured tone, “This is only the beginning.” He gestured around them. “What you will inherit from your grandfather is far greater than just Dominus City. This is simply the first step.”

A fortune beyond his imagination. And this was just the start?

Atlas continued, “Tonight, there will be a promotion dinner held in your honor. You will be officially introduced to the world.”

Kai’s breath hitched.

It was too much.

Too fast.

And yet… there was no going back now.

But before he could respond, a man stepped forward. A well known man.

Thane Jackson.

One of Atlas’s most trusted subordinates.

Thane reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek black card.

The moment he held it up, murmurs spread like wildfire through the room.

Even some of the billionaires in attendance looked at the card with undeniable respect.

Kai frowned. “And what is this?”

Thane extended it to him with both hands. “An unlimited black credit card.”

Kai’s fingers twitched.

Thane continued, “It has no spending limit and holds a deposit beyond calculation. But more than that...it allows you access to any high-end establishment in the world, unrestricted.”

Kai hesitated before taking it. The significance of the card was heavier than he expected.

His entire life, he had struggled to afford basic survival.

Now, in his hand, he held more power than most men could ever dream of.

Atlas watched him carefully.

“There’s something else,” he said.

Kai lifted his gaze.

Atlas’s expression turned serious. “Our family possesses a special inheritance.”

Kai’s brows furrowed. “Inheritance?”

Cassius spoke this time. “Spiritual power.”

Kai’s heart skipped a beat.

Atlas continued, “It is rare...ancient. And only those of our bloodline can possess it.”

Kai’s mind raced.

The power he had felt earlier. That suddenly emerging power. Those rapidly healing wounds.

Was this what they meant?

Atlas nodded, as if reading his thoughts. “That’s how we found you, Kai. Your power surfaced...and I could feel it.”

Kai’s pulse pounded in his ears.

Atlas exhaled. “But to control it, you need a special heirloom. A piece that has been passed down through generations.” His eyes locked onto Kai’s. “Where is it?”

Kai froze.

His breath caught as realization hit him.

The necklace.

The one he had been planning to give Astrid.

It's the heirloom from his mother!

His stomach twisted.

It was at Astrid’s house.

His jaw tightened.

Then his decision was made.

“I have to go back,” he said.

Atlas frowned. “Back where, son?”

Kai’s voice was firm. “To Astrid’s.”