THE BILLIONAIRE SECRET HEIR

Episode 1 I stared at the email on my phone for the fifth time. Congratulations, Amelia Carter. We are pleased to offer you the position of Junior Executive at Blackstone Group. My heart jumped. I had read the email so many times that I practically knew every word by heart. Blackstone Group. One of the biggest companies in the city. The kind of company people spent years trying to get into. And somehow, they had chosen me. I smiled at my reflection in the window. “This is it,” I whispered. A fresh start. No more worrying about whether I was good enough. No more watching other people move forward while I stayed stuck in the same place. I was finally going to build something for myself. I immediately called my mother. She picked up after a few rings. “Hello?” “Mum!” There was silence. I laughed. “I got the job!” Another silence. Then she asked quietly, “What job?” I frowned. “At Blackstone Group.” The silence that followed was different. Longer. Heavier. “Where?” “Blackstone Group.” My mother's breathing changed. I could hear it through the phone. “Amelia…” “What?” “Are you sure?” I laughed nervously. “Sure about what? It's just a job.” “Who hired you?” I paused. “I don't know. The interview was with the CEO.” “What's his name?” “Ryan Black.” The line went completely silent. “Mum?” Nothing. “Mum?” “I don't think you should take that job.” My smile disappeared. “What?” “Find somewhere else.” I sat up. “Why?” “Just trust me.” “You're telling me to turn down a job at one of the biggest companies in the city without even telling me why?” “Yes.” I stared at my phone. That wasn't like my mother. She was usually the one telling me to take opportunities. She had spent years telling me to work hard, become independent, and never allow my past to decide my future. Now she suddenly wanted me to walk away from the best opportunity I'd ever received. “Mum, what aren't you telling me?” “I don't have time to explain.” “You always say that.” “Amelia.” Her voice became serious. “Whatever happens, be careful.” The call ended. I slowly lowered my phone. Be careful? Of what? I stared at the email again. For the first time, the excitement disappeared. Something about my mother's reaction had changed everything. But I had already made my decision. I was taking the job. The next morning, I stood outside Blackstone Group. The building was enormous. Glass walls stretched several floors into the sky, reflecting the morning sunlight. People in expensive suits hurried through the entrance. Cars stopped outside every few minutes. Everyone looked like they belonged. I took a deep breath. Then I walked inside. The lobby was even more impressive. Marble floors. Huge glass chandeliers. A reception desk that looked more expensive than my entire apartment. I adjusted my bag and walked toward the receptionist. “Good morning.” The woman smiled politely. “Good morning. How can I help you?” “I'm Amelia Carter. I'm here for my first day.” She typed something into her computer. Then she looked up. “Mr. Black is expecting you.” My stomach tightened. “Mr. Black?” “Ryan Black.” Of course. The CEO. She picked up the phone. “Mr. Black, Miss Carter has arrived.” A few seconds later, she hung up. “He's waiting for you upstairs.” I nodded. “Thank you.” As I walked toward the elevator, I tried not to panic. Why had the CEO personally asked to see me? I had already completed my interview. I had signed the necessary documents. Today was supposed to be about getting settled into my new position. Not meeting the most intimidating man in the company. The elevator doors opened. I stepped inside. My reflection stared back at me. “Relax,” I whispered. The doors closed. When they opened again, I found myself standing on the top floor. The atmosphere was completely different. It was quiet. Almost too quiet. A woman sitting behind a desk looked up. “Amelia Carter?” “Yes.” “I'm Chloe. Mr. Black's assistant.” She stood. “Come with me.” I followed her down the hallway. She stopped in front of a large black door. “Good luck.” I gave her a confused look. “Good luck?” She smiled slightly. “You'll understand.” Before I could ask what she meant, she knocked. A deep voice answered. “Come in.” Chloe opened the door. I stepped inside. Ryan Black was standing beside the enormous windows behind his desk. He didn't look like I expected. He was younger. Probably in his late twenties. Tall, composed, and dressed in a perfectly fitted black suit. His expression was unreadable. He turned toward me. Our eyes met. For a second, neither of us spoke. Then his eyes narrowed slightly. “Amelia Carter.” The way he said my name made something inside me shift. “Yes.” He walked toward his desk. “Sit.” I sat. He remained standing. He picked up a folder. “My assistant says you graduated at the top of your class.” “Second.” He looked up. “Second?” I smiled. “Someone else beat me.” “Does that bother you?” “Not really.” “Why?” “Because second place still means I worked hard.” For the first time, something almost resembling amusement appeared in his eyes. “Confident.” “I try to be.” He opened the folder. Then he stopped. His eyes remained on the page. “Your mother is Elena Carter.” My smile faded. “Yes.” He looked at me. “Do you know much about her past?” I frowned. “What does that have to do with my job?” “Answer the question.” I leaned back. “My mother worked in this city for a while. That's all I know.” “Your father?” I stiffened. “I don't know him.” Ryan's expression changed. Only slightly. But I noticed. “You never met him?” “No.” “Your mother never told you who he was?” “No.” He closed the folder. For a moment, the room was silent. Then he said, “Interesting.” I stared at him. “What is?” “Nothing.” “That doesn't sound like nothing.” His eyes met mine again. “You ask a lot of questions.” “I've been told it's one of my worst qualities.” “Maybe.” He walked back toward his desk. “Blackstone is a demanding company. You will work long hours. You'll make mistakes. You'll be criticized. And sometimes you'll be expected to solve problems before anyone explains them to you.” “I can handle that.” “You're sure?” “Yes.” He studied me for another few seconds. Then he extended his hand. “Welcome to Blackstone.” I shook his hand. His grip was firm. “Thank you.” I stood. Just as I reached the door, his voice stopped me. “Amelia.” I turned. He was looking at me again. “If anyone asks you questions about your family…” He paused. “Don't answer them.” My eyebrows pulled together. “Why?” His expression hardened. “Because some people aren't asking because they care about the answer.” I stared at him. Before I could respond, he turned back toward his desk. The conversation was clearly over. I walked out. Chloe was waiting outside. She looked at my face. “You're wondering what just happened.” “Yes.” She smiled. “Everyone does.” “What does that mean?” “You'll figure it out.” I followed her toward the elevators. But before we reached them, I noticed something. A door across the hallway was slightly open. Inside was a small records room. A man walked out carrying several files. One of the folders slipped from his hands. Papers scattered across the floor. He quickly gathered them. But one page landed near my feet. I bent down to pick it up. Then I froze. The page had a name printed across the top. ELENA CARTER. My mother's name. My heart started pounding. I looked at the man. He quickly snatched the paper from my hand. “That's confidential.” “Why is my mother's name on it?” He stared at me. Then walked away without answering. “Wait!” He didn't stop. I turned toward Chloe. She was staring at me. “What was that?” Her expression had changed. “Nothing.” “That was my mother's name.” “I know.” “You know?” Chloe looked around before lowering her voice. “Amelia, you should forget you saw that.” I stared at her. “Why?” She didn't answer. Instead, she pressed the elevator button. The doors opened. I stepped inside, but my mind was racing. My mother had warned me about this company. Ryan Black knew my mother's name. And now I'd just seen her name inside a confidential file. Something was wrong. Very wrong. When I reached my new office, I tried to focus on work. I couldn't. I kept thinking about the file. Finally, I opened my laptop. I searched the company database for my mother's name. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing. Then I searched Ryan Black. Thousands of documents appeared. Company reports. News articles. Financial records. Photographs. But nothing connected him to my mother. I was about to give up when a notification appeared. ACCESS DENIED. I frowned. I tried again. ACCESS DENIED. Someone had restricted the information. Why? I leaned back in my chair. Then my phone vibrated. Unknown Number. I opened the message. You shouldn't have taken the job. My heart stopped. Another message arrived. Your mother tried to stay away from the Black family. A third message appeared. Now you've brought yourself back into their world. I stared at the screen. My hands went cold. Then one final message appeared. ASK RYAN BLACK WHAT HAPPENED 23 YEARS AGO. I looked toward the glass wall of my office. Across the floor, Ryan Black was standing inside his office. And somehow… He was already looking directly at me. Our eyes met. He didn't look surprised. He looked like he had been waiting for this moment. Then his phone rang. He answered it. I couldn't hear what the person on the other end said. But I watched Ryan's expression change. His face went completely pale. He slowly looked at me again. And then he said four words that I could somehow read from his lips. “She found the file.” I froze. What file? And how did he know? Because suddenly, I wasn't sure I had gotten a job at Blackstone Group. I was beginning to think… Blackstone had hired me for something else.