Chapter 1: The Weight of Legacy
Raven City. The city of the rich and the elites.
On the surface, it shimmered with glory, towering skyscrapers, high-end cars, and deals made over champagne glasses in gold-plated lounges. But beneath its polished surface lay something far darker—a thick, festering undercurrent of corruption.
In the heart of this city stood a monument of ambition: Wolfe Enterprises. The company headquarters loomed like a steel colossus over the skyline, its cold glass façade a silent testament to decades of power, greed, and glory.
Inside the wolfe manor, the young millionaire industrialist Ben Wolfe navigated his morning with methodical precision. His eyes, sharp but weary, carried the burden of inherited responsibility. On the desk beside his breakfast plate lay a stack of documents—Wolfe Enterprises' quarterly performance, upcoming meetings, and another day's worth of weight.
He flipped through them without pause, even as he chewed mechanically. Every minute counted.
Once finished, he set the papers down and picked up the phone.
"Harris. Prepare the car."
"Yes, sir," came the immediate reply.
Ben rose from the dining table and walked through the grand corridors of Wolfe Mansion. On the wall beside the staircase hung a massive portrait of a younger Ben standing beside a towering, dignified man — his father.
The late founder of Wolfe Enterprises.
Ben paused for a moment, his gaze lingering.
Then he walked past it without a word.
Outside, Harris, his lifelong caretaker and now loyal assistant, stood beside the black car, holding the door open. Ben stepped in, Harris behind the wheel, and they made their way to the company headquarters.
They drive in silence, the city passing by in flashes of light and shadow. After a few minutes, Harris glances at Ben in the rearview mirror, sensing his tension.
"Rough morning, sir?" Harris asks, his voice low and respectful.
Ben's eyes remain on the passing cityscape. "Just another day of keeping things steady," he says, but there's an underlying bitterness in his tone. "Seems like every day, the pressure grows. Sometimes, it feels like I'm holding up a tower that keeps getting heavier."
Harris's gaze is empathetic. "Your father carried the same weight, sir. And look what he achieved."
Ben smiles faintly, though his eyes remain distant.
They arrive at the towering headquarters of Wolfe Enterprises. Ben steps out of the car, As they entered the building. employees greet him with polite nods and Good mornings He responds with curt nods, his expression unreadable but respectful. Harris follows a step behind.
Inside his office, Ben buried himself in work. Emails, reports, strategy calls — the usual grind of a corporate empire. But unlike others in similar chairs, Ben's seat came with a history… and a shadow.
A legacy he was still trying to live up to.
By late morning, Ben leaned back and asked, "Harris. What's next?"
"There's a government project bidding this afternoon. Major infrastructure development. We're expected to attend."
"Good. Get the car ready."
---
Later that Day — Bidding Hall
The hall buzzed with tension. Representatives from various top corporations had gathered, each hoping to secure the lucrative government project.
When Ben entered, the air shifted. Eyes turned. Conversations paused.
Some looked at him with interest. Others with hostility. But all with caution.
Ben remained stoic.
The bidding process began. Proposals were submitted. Arguments were made. Numbers were thrown. The battle played out in quiet intensity.
And then, they waited.
As Ben and Harris sat at a corner table with food they barely touched, the government official returned with the results. Everyone stood still.
"The government contract will be given to A&W Corporation," the official announced, pinning the rankings on the board.
Wolfe Enterprises: 2nd place.
Ben stared at the result. A&W had edged ahead — just enough to win.
Harris turned to look at Ben, expecting anger or disappointment.
But Ben simply said, "Let's go."
They walked out. No words. But inside, Ben's silence screamed.
---
11 PM --- Wolfe Mansion
Lights were off and the room was quite dark the only source of light in the room was the television that was on.
The television flickered in the background. News anchors were discussing the A&W government project, praising the winning bid.
Ben sat alone, a half-empty glass of whiskey in hand. His tie loosened, shirt partially unbuttoned and hairs messed up. The weight of the day pressed on him like a silent storm.
Harris entered quietly. "Sir, it's late. You should rest."
Ben didn't respond. His eyes stayed fixed on the screen, his mind far elsewhere.
"Harris," he said after a long pause, "you worked with my father. What kind of man was he as a businessman?"
Harris hesitated, then pulled up a chair.
"Your father… was quite ambitious and
ruthless," Harris said. "He built Wolfe Enterprises from nothing. When he started, his father was just a farmer in the countryside. But your father studied everything he could. He came to Raven City with one goal — to become someone."
"He started with a sugar mill, using his father's own crops for supply. Profits grew. He reinvested, branched out into logistics, real estate, manufacturing. One sector after another — he turned Wolfe Enterprises into a dynasty."
Ben's eyes slowly turned toward the large framed photograph across the room — his father, standing proud in front of the company's first factory.
A memory hit him like a wave.
---
Flashback — 13-Year-Old Ben
One day his father had taken him on a company tour he visited every factory, branches, and company affiliates with Ben and showed him all the companies and factories of wolfe enterprises.
"Look Ben this is all of the companies that are part of my enterprise."
Young Ben's eyes were sparkling after visiting all of the companies that his father owned.
"How many are these, They are amazing."Young Ben said with excitement.
"Son," his father said, resting a hand on young Ben's shoulder, "one day, all of this will be yours. Wolfe Enterprises will be in your hands."
Young Ben's eyes sparkled. "M-Mine?"
His father smiled. "Yes. And I believe you'll make it even bigger than I ever could."
Ben looked, staring at the distant silos and factories. "I will, father. I promise. I'll make it the greatest in the city!"
His father chuckled. "Yeah, you will."
---
Back to Present
The flashback faded. Ben stared down at his drink, whispering,
"He would've been disappointed in me... if he were alive."
His father had passed away two years ago. Sudden illness.
No time to prepare. No time to grieve.
Ben had to take the reins of Wolfe Enterprises at just 21.
"I've been in this chair for two years," Ben said, his voice low. "I haven't won a single major project. No real growth. No expansion. All I've done is maintain status quo. At this rate, we'll start losing money. Decline is coming."
Harris replied gently, "Your father would've been proud. You're still standing, and that matters."
But before Ben could respond—
Breaking News:
"The representative from A&W Corporation, which secured the government contract earlier today, has been found dead.
The screen cut to footage of the crime scene. Sirens. Blood. Police tape.
Ben and Harris stared at the television.
The room fell silent.
Ben's eyes darkened.