A Nobody to a Trillionaire: The $100 Trillion Vault Changed Everything
Chapter 42: Reuniting With the Family (1)

Kieran mouthed, "Oh, there it is..."

It was carved at the top of the door, whose height was almost the same as those at the entrances of large halls.

The accompanist gestured at Kieran, "Please come and verify your fingerprint."

Kieran glanced between his thumb and the man. He asked as he paced towards him, "My fingerprint works on that?"

The man pointed at the flat screen by the door; Kieran placed his thumb on it, and, surprisingly, the door opened after it beeped.

"Only the Chairman and his relatives can pass the verification," the man summarised. He then bowed. "Welcome back, young—"

The clobbering of shoe soles made him pause and look up – he couldn’t believe the one he was talking to had already stepped inside. Amanda quickly tapped his shoulder hesitantly as she noticed that things had turned awkward.

"Don’t worry... He has received your kind greetings."

What actually made Kieran step in was the crowd there, because stalling too much at the entrance would draw too much attention. But it turned out Kieran himself was a call for attention to begin with – the moment he entered, all men and women turned his way. Even the instrumentals stopped. Kieran first had to stop moving.

Judging by how they were all dressed extravagantly, like in sparkling gowns and even a suit whose design made it seem as though it was on fire, he knew they were rich people, too.

Kieran clenched his jaw.

His heart pounded against the wall of his chest with every step, and his legs felt laid back, as though they didn’t want to move forward. As though anxious of what they would find next.

Amanda came in late, but when she took one step, did she recall this wasn’t a place for her. It was the gathering of only the richest in the whole of Skybridge that came together to celebrate Chairman Holland’s return from overseas.

Kieran, as he moved on, could see those people from the corners of his eyes looking at him with respect, with admiration. Just as one lady was about to draw closer to him to say something, Kieran turned backwards and looked at Amanda instead. As though he noticed she was about to step outside.

He called out, "What are you doing? Come on."

Yes, he expected those murmurs. Because no one was in with their assistants or anyone else either. But he wasn’t here to follow the rules – his mission was to make everyone hate him and be unable to stand the sight of him forever, that they didn’t get to meet anymore. That everyone was someone – his father.

Kieran would refer to him as Chairman Holland like everyone else, not with the title he didn’t fully deserve.

This got Kieran asking himself... Does he even have a mother too? Is she alive somewhere, or in this same room, living soundly and peacefully?

Later, as Amanda joined him, they walked forward, with everyone spacing out for them till he met the sight of a man. The only one a metre away who didn’t look at him like the others, who seemed more alive and commanding than anyone else here, whom others stood around... and Kieran stopped.

He swallowed.

This man had well-groomed hair and beard, tall and gallant like a soldier despite his having a slight grey hair. All his fingers were in rings that shone lustrously – diamonds. And even his cocktail glass filled itself up when he took the last sip.

Kieran knew this was him. And even Amanda whispered, "That’s the Chairman."

He clenched his jaw. Due to the awkward silence in a place supposed to be a party, everyone started glancing at each other and whispering things. But they knew not to interrupt either.

Kieran alone took a step much closer to that man. They both stood at the same height.

What no one expected him to do next was... extend his hand towards the chairman for a handshake. Amanda pressed her lips together.

Silence...

"It’s nice to meet you, Chairman Holland. I am Kieran."

... A particular woman turned her eyes away, not ready to brace herself for what could happen next. The Chairman’s son, of all people, showing him that much disrespect?

Amanda swallowed too. But she stood by her boss whatsoever – the father had done nothing but involve him in business, even going as far as deceiving him about who his true parents were... So, it was right in a sense that the son treats him like a business partner as well.

And it seemed the chairman understood too. He stepped closer to Kieran and held his hand in a handshake.

He said in a low voice, "I have heard a lot about you."

Kieran slightly smiled, his eyes unmoving from his. "Is that so? I have only heard a few things about you."

The spectacled man beside the Chairman turned away like the recent woman, forcing himself to gulp his cocktail.

The Chairman released the handshake. He took a look at Kieran from head to toe later on, but did not show any visible reaction.

"You’re in good shape," he later said.

Kieran nodded slowly. "So are you, Chairman Holland."

But at this point, the spectacled man really thought he should intervene. Everyone had got uncomfortable being present at this overly awkward moment, and it must be the same for these two as well. So, he tried suggesting they carry on with the party first...

But just as he opened his mouth to speak, the Chairman’s voice cut him off.

"Meet your younger brother," he mumbled, slowly turning his palm backwards, "Richard."

"I have a brother?"

In the next second, a lean young man appeared from behind the Chairman. He immediately extended his hand to Kieran, grinning widely. They were almost of equal heights too, because assuming he was six feet, Kieran would be around six feet five inches.

"It’s nice to meet you, big brother Kieran," Richard Holland said out loud, while Kieran was yet to shake his hand.

For seconds, Kieran only stared at the hand. He didn’t take it. And people looked at him in disbelief. What they didn’t know was the lot of events going on in his head – moments when he had hoped his parents back then would give him a younger brother who he would play with all the time, go to arcades together with his friends, and make him lack nothing.

He was sure he would be happy to have one. But now... Why does his heart feel hollow? Why wasn’t there even a sparkle of excitement in him?

The smile on Richard’s face soon faded, as he held back his hand.

The spectacled man tried speaking over to him, "Mr Holland..."

In a flash, Kieran stepped to Richard and held him in a tight hug. People murmured in both surprise and excitement, and that single move brightened Richard’s face as well.

Kieran said to Richard, "You smile as brightly as I do."

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