The Hidden Heir

My name is Calvin Luke, and to the outside world, I'm just an ordinary office worker squeezed into elevators in office buildings. No one knows I'm the sole heir to the Capital City Luke Group. My father told me to keep my identity under wraps because he was afraid the cutthroat business world would wear down my spirit. The day I met Viola Scott, it was in an old alley. She was trapped by two drunks, her white dress wrinkled and torn, the fear in her eyes like a frightened deer. When I rushed over to pull them apart, she gripped my sleeve, her fingertips still trembling. She kept saying later that I looked like I was glowing that day, but what she didn't know was that I was just passing by and accidentally walked right into a carefully laid trap. We got our marriage certificate after just three months of dating. The wedding apartment was a small place I bought with "five years' worth of savings," and during the renovation, Viola Scott laughed until her eyes curved like crescent moons, saying this was our little home. At that time, I believed it—I believed in the purity in her eyes and that this marriage would be steady and last forever. Three months after the wedding, Viola started coming home late. Every time she came back, she carried the scent of an unfamiliar perfume. She said it belonged to her best friend Ruby Xavier and added that Ruby and her husband Mike Lincoln had been married for two years without kids, and it was driving her crazy. "Calvin, Mike's health is fragile. I found a recipe for nourishing soup. Could you make it every day and deliver it to him?" Viola leaned against me, her voice soft as cotton. I looked into the hope shining in her eyes and nodded. From that day on, I got up early every morning to pick out ingredients at the market. The clay pot simmered on the gas stove for two hours, the soup thick and glistening with an oily sheen. Every time Mike Lincoln opened the door, he greeted me with a warm smile. When he took the soup, he'd pat me on the shoulder: "Calvin, thanks for all your hard work. After Ruby Xavier and I have a child, I'll make sure to thank you properly." Ruby Xavier stood nearby, holding some fruit, tossing out polite lines like, “You're really good to Viola Scott.” At the time, I didn't think much of it, just took it as friends helping each other out. Until that cocktail party. Viola said it was a company collaboration event and insisted I come along. She picked out a suit for me—not too pricey—and looking in the mirror, I really seemed like just an ordinary office worker, completely out of place among those dressed in high fashion. The crystal chandeliers in the banquet hall dazzled the eyes, while the clinking of wine glasses echoed nonstop. As soon as Viola walked in, she was immediately surrounded by colleagues. I settled into a corner sofa, clutching an unopened bottle of mineral water. Before long, Ruby Xavier and Mike Lincoln drifted over to a nearby corner, with Viola trailing them. The three of them huddled together, chatting like I couldn't hear a thing. "Viola, you're so smart—getting Calvin to be your free chef, delivering nourishing soup to Mike every day." Ruby's laugh carried a mocking edge. I froze for a moment, still holding my water cup. Mike Lincoln slipped his arm around Viola Scott's waist, his fingers lightly tracing the side of her hip: "Be careful not to mess this up. If he finds out, you'll be screwed." "So what if he does?" Viola's voice was tinged with arrogance, "He's just a broke loser. What I want, only you can give me." The bottle of water in my hand crashed to the floor, the water spreading dark stains across the carpet. I felt like my heart was being gripped by a hand, the pain making it hard to breathe. Viola Scott turned her head when she heard the sound, a flicker of panic flashing across her face before quickly shifting to worry. "Calvin, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" She came over to support me, and that's when I caught the scent of her perfume—exactly the same as Mike Lincoln's. Before, she said it belonged to Ruby Xavier—it was all a lie. I sat on the sofa, feeling like all my strength had been drained, even my fingertips trembling. Ruby Xavier came over, crouching in front of me and said, "Calvin, are you okay? Did you drink too much?" There was a smile hidden deep in her eyes, but I saw it plainly. Mike bent down to pick up the bottle from the ground, his fingers deliberately brushing the back of my hand. The cold touch made me pull my hand back sharply.