Chapter 32 Chapter 32
Tech\-Project Icarus : (Early Logistics AI)—Classified/Military Contracts
Julian’s briefcase. The file shows that 90% of Rhodes International is just the Valerius Group with a new coat of paint.
III. The Riverside City Migration
I tracked their movement from Europe to the States. They didn't come here looking for a job; they came to build the city.
The Move: They arrived in Riverside City twenty-four years ago with three cargo ships full of gold bullion and art.
The Partnership: Julian needed a local face to navigate the city’s dirty politics. He chose a hungry, "loyal" guy named Alistair Rhodes.
The Settlement: By the time you were 4 years old, the Valerius Group was the shadow ruler of the city's economy. Julian had just signed the final partnership papers with a "hungry, local underdog" named Alistair Rhodes.
II. The Tragedy & The Theft (21 Years Ago)
The Event: The fire that "wiped out" the Valerius family happened 21 years ago.
The Cover\-up: Alistair didn't just kill them; he erased them. Since your birth was never registered and you were never seen by the public or anyone (to protect you from old-money European rivals), Alistair claimed the Valerius had no heirs. He "graciously" stepped in to manage the orphaned assets, eventually folding them into what is now Rhodes International.
The Orphanage: While Alistair was moving into the Valerius mansion, you were somehow found miles away and was dumped at Home for Children, you moved from Orphanages to orphanages until you were adopted by the Rhodes.
I sat on the edge of the couch; the file felt heavy in my hands. I flipped back to the photo of my mother, Elena. She had the same gold curls, the same sharp, elegant jawline. She looked like a queen.
He didn't just kill them; he took their life's works. He took what was mine and then kept me like a dog all the while using my mother’s family money to buy Blair’s silver gowns. He used my father’s shipping lanes to build his 'empire.'
I looked at the total net worth at the time of their death. $4.8 billion. Adjusted for today’s market? Alistair Rhodes was sitting on a ten-billion-dollar throne built on the charred remains of my family.
They never registered my birth because they wanted to protect me, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. They thought the world was too dangerous. They didn't realize the danger was already sitting at their dinner table.
I closed the file, the Vanguard logo staring back at me. Alistair thought he was a self-made man. He thought he’d gotten away with the perfect crime because there were no heirs left to claim the prize.
I was going to take every cent back. I was going to strip him until he’s standing in the dirt with nothing but the clothes on his back. And then, I want him to remember my father's face before I finish it, and I’ll leave them with nothing but the ghosts.
I stayed in the office longer than necessary. It was shortly before twelve when I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and found Wesley standing there.
“Madam, Mr. Lincoln is in the living room,” he said, and I nodded. I took a minute, I took a deep breath, and I walked out, locking the office. When i walked into the livingroom, A man sit there looking nervous as hell, his hands clasped tightly.
“Ares? Maria?”
Ares bounded towards me and the mna’s eyes went wide.
“Madam, you called?” She asked.
“Yes, please serve us drinks.”
“Yes, Madam,” she replied, heading back to the kitchen.
I sat down and looked at the man; he looked to be in his fifties.
“Mr. Lincoln, sorry for having you brought here this way. Let me introduce myself. My name is Natalie De Luca, but first, can you confirm that you are Mr. Martian Lincoln?"
“Of course, Ms. De Luca,” he said, putting his hand into his jacket and pulling out his ID card and handing it to me. I took it, scanned it, and handed it back to him.
Maria came out and placed the drinks on the table, then left. “One last question, Mr. Lincoln. Do you have any interactions or business with the Rhodes?” I asked, and I watched his face; it was quick, but I saw a flash of anger.
“I would rather die than be associated with those people” he said
“Very well. You can relax Mr. Lincoln. Can I ask what your relationship with the Valeriuses is?
His eyes went wide. “H...Ho...how do you… How do you know that name?” he asked with a whisper.
“Why shouldn’t I know that name?”
“Its just, no one has said that name in over twenty years, its as if they never existed.” he said nd i heard the sadness in his voice.
“Well i should know. According to everything I found, my parents left clues that you would be the only one that knows of my existence.”
“I…I…Ms. Ms. Isla?” he asked with shock.
“I grew up in an orphanage. I remember the orphanage and then being adopted by the Rhodes, who knew the people that adopted me to use me were living and spending my father’s and mother’s life work.”
“Finally,” he said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I have been waiting for you. That night… . The fire… . I told Julian that Alistar was acting suspiciously weeks before but we didn't think he would go that far. I never saw you, but I knew of your existence, myself and Marcel Sawyer. We were left with instructions to verify your identity and help you reclaim your inheritance if it ever came to that,” he said.
“Oh, I intended to reclaim it all and make Alistair suffer so much he regrets every single thing he has done.”
“Ms. Valerius, may I contact Marcel, and you can have someone pick him up and have him brought here so we can discuss this?” he asked
“Of course. Wesley, please have the security bring Mr. Sawyer to the residence.”
“Yes Madam, I’ll have Jules pick him up.” He said.
Martian gave the address to Wesly, and he left. He texted someone.
“May i ask, why you now use the name Ms. De Luca?” he asked.
“I was well lets be frank. The Rhodes used me , my blood and bone marrow went to that ungrateful little wretch of a daughter, for years they tormented me and then sold me off. Lucky for me or maybe it was fate that i crossed paths with Mr. Ferro who took pity on me and helped me become someone else.”
“Well, this is good. "I can't wait to see Alistair suffer," he said. At the same time Nikolai walked in. When he saw us, he stopped and looked at us, then continued walking. Five minutes later Wesley walked in with another man, He looked to be the same age as Martian.