Chapter 6: The Mansion That Changed Everything
1046 Words
Two months later, the North Hills neighborhood had never been more shocked.
A massive construction project had transformed the empty land on top of the hill into something nobody had ever seen before. Not just a house, but a palace. A true palace with marble columns, gold-plated fixtures, gardens that looked like they belonged in the Palace of Versailles.
The gates alone were worth more than most houses in the neighborhood.
Workers had been working night and day. The mansion was going up fast, faster than seemed possible. The local news had covered it several times. Rich families were gossiping about it. Who was building this? Who had the money and the audacity to create something so extravagant?
The Raven family was extremely interested.
Jonathan sent his best spy to find out who the mysterious buyer was. But the purchase had been made through shell companies and lawyers. The real identity was hidden.
Laura, meanwhile, was frustrated and angry. She had been getting more attention as a potential bride for Reeves Nightingale, but now everyone was talking about the mysterious mansion instead of her birthday or her future.
"Father, you have to find out who owns that mansion," Laura complained at dinner. "It's making me look bad. Everyone is talking about it instead of my engagement to Reeves."
But even as she said it, Laura felt a strange feeling. She wondered what it would be like to live in a house like that. She wondered who could possibly afford it.
Jonathan was equally obsessed. He saw the mansion as a threat to his position. The Raven family was the most powerful in North Hills. This mysterious buyer was a challenge to that power.
"I want you to find out everything," Jonathan told his lawyers. "Who owns it, how much they spent, what they plan to do with it."
Meanwhile, Barry was busy.
He had moved into a luxury apartment downtown while the mansion was being finished. During the day, he worked with architects and designers. At night, he studied business and finance.
He needed to understand how to manage his wealth properly. He needed to learn how to invest, how to create businesses, how to eventually reveal himself to the world.
But there was something else he needed to do first.
He needed to find Isabella Chen again.
His wealth manager David had found her information easily enough. Isabella ran one of the biggest trading companies in the city. She was young, only thirty-two, and she had built her empire herself.
Barry read everything about her. Her life story, her business philosophy, her interviews.
She was brilliant. She was beautiful. She was everything he wasn't.
But somehow, he couldn't stop thinking about her.
One day, Barry decided to reach out.
He had David make a phone call to Isabella's office, saying that a new investor wanted to discuss a potential partnership.
Isabella's assistant took the call and scheduled a meeting.
"She'll see you next Tuesday at two PM," David said. "At her office downtown."
Barry felt nervous in a way he had never felt before. The humiliation of the past had made him angry. The sudden wealth had made him powerful. But the thought of seeing Isabella made him feel like a fool again.
He decided to do something bold.
He had David purchase a small stake in Isabella's company—just enough to legitimately call himself an investor. The amount was ten million dollars, which barely made a dent in his account, but it was enough to justify the meeting.
On Tuesday, Barry dressed in the finest suit he had ever owned. It was Italian-made, cost five thousand dollars, and fit him perfectly. He got a haircut from an expensive barber. He had his shoes shined.
When he walked into Isabella's office, she was sitting at her desk, reading reports.
She looked up, and her eyes widened.
"Barry?" she said, standing up. "Barry from the Raven house?"
"Yes," Barry said, trying to sound confident. "It's good to see you again."
Isabella looked confused. "But you... you worked for the Raven family. What are you doing here? And why do you look so different?"
"I left the Raven family," Barry said. "I've been working on some investments, and I think we might have an opportunity to work together."
Isabella studied him carefully. "That's interesting. You seem very different from when I saw you last."
"People can change," Barry said.
They sat down, and Barry presented his investment proposal. He wanted to put money into her company. It was a modest amount, nothing that would give him control, but enough to be a serious partner.
Isabella listened carefully. She asked smart questions. She was professional but kind.
"I'll have my lawyers review this," she said. "But I have to say, I'm impressed. Most investors who come to me are trying to change my strategy or force their ideas on me. You're not doing that. You're just offering to invest and let me run things."
"That's because I trust you," Barry said. "I believe in what you're doing."
Isabella smiled. It was the same smile that had made Barry's heart skip a beat before.
"Thank you, Barry," she said. "I appreciate that."
As he was leaving, Isabella said, "By the way, have you seen that massive mansion being built on top of the hill? The one that's been all over the news?"
Barry's heart jumped. "No, I haven't. Why?"
"Just curious," Isabella said. "Everyone is trying to figure out who's building it. There are rumors it's a foreign investor or maybe a tech billionaire from another country. Whoever it is must be incredibly rich."
"It must be," Barry said.
"Well, when you find out who built it," Isabella said with a smile, "let me know. I'd like to meet someone with that kind of audacity."
As Barry rode down the elevator, he made a decision.
When the mansion was finished, he would reveal himself. He would throw the biggest party North Hills had ever seen. And he would make sure Isabella Chen was there.
And maybe, just maybe, everyone would finally see him for what he really was.
Not a servant.
Not a loser.
Not someone to be kicked out and forgotten.
A man worth one quadrillion dollars.
- Writer
