Grandpa gifted me his $250 million company for my 20th birthday, but after the party Mom declared that her new husband would take charge, and when I said I was the actual owner she demanded I leave the house—seconds before Grandpa smiled and dropped another bombshell.
Chapter 1: The Black Envelope
The Sterling mansion in the Hamptons gleamed like a giant diamond in the darkness tonight. Soft jazz music mingled with the scent of expensive red wine and the strong perfume of New York’s elite.
I am Leo Sterling, and today I turn 20.
I stood on the balcony, looking down at the crowd below. They were the people who had flattered my family for decades. At the center of the stage was my mother, Eleanor Sterling, a woman with a beauty as sharp as a freshly sharpened blade. Beside her was Richard Vance, her new husband, whom she had married six months ago – a lawyer with a polished smile and eyes that always calculated like a financial calculator.
“Leo, come down here, son,” my grandfather Thomas Sterling’s voice rang out, powerful yet warm.
My grandfather was the man who built Sterling Global, a multi-billion dollar logistics empire. He was the only person I truly trusted in this house rife with intrigue. As I descended the stairs, he placed his hand on my shoulder, then motioned for the band to stop.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Thomas said, his voice echoing through the main hall. “Today is not only my grandson’s birthday. It is also the day I fulfill a promise. From this moment on, I officially transfer full control of Sterling Logistics – our flagship $250 million subsidiary – to Leo Sterling. He is the sole owner and has absolute power.”
The entire room gasped. I saw my mother, Eleanor, pause mid-sip as she raised her glass. A look of utter astonishment flashed across her face, but was quickly replaced by a professional smile.
Grandfather handed me a black envelope sealed with a gold wax seal. “Happy birthday, young Chairman.”
Chapter 2: Behind the Spotlight
When the last guest left at 2 a.m., the atmosphere in the mansion suddenly became thick and cold. I was sitting in the library, still holding the black envelope, when my mother and Richard walked in.
Richard no longer had his usual refined demeanor. He loosened his tie and poured himself a glass of my grandfather’s expensive whisky.
“Give me that envelope, Leo,” my mother said, her voice devoid of any warmth.
I looked up: “What did you say?”
“Don’t pretend anymore,” Eleanor stepped closer, crossing her arms. “You’re only 20. You know nothing about business. Richard has 15 years of experience managing investment funds. Tomorrow morning, we’ll sign the authorization papers for Richard to take over the management of Sterling Logistics. You’ll still hold the title on paper, but the actual decision-making power will be his.”
I glanced at Richard, who smirked triumphantly: “That’s the best way to protect the family legacy, young man. Go ahead, have fun, buy supercars, enjoy life as a rich kid. Leave the hard work to me.”
I slowly stood up, placing the envelope on the table. “I’m sorry, Mom. But Grandpa gave it to me because he trusts me. And I have no intention of giving it to someone who’s only been in this family for six months.”
My mother’s face hardened. She leaned so close I could smell the wine on her breath. “Do you think this is an offer? This is an order. Richard needs that position to carry out the family’s upcoming projects. If you don’t cooperate, you won’t receive a penny from my personal trust, and you won’t be welcome in this house anymore.”
She paused for a moment, letting the threat sink in. “Now, sign the power of attorney or pack your bags and leave immediately. Don’t forget, this house and this land are still in your mother’s name.”
I was stunned. My mother had just kicked her only son out of the house because of her new husband’s ambitions.
“Did you really choose him over me?”
“I chose the family’s prosperity,” she replied coldly. “Leave my house now, Leo. Until you learn to obey.”
Chapter 3: The Twist – A Game Within a Game
“Oh, it seems I missed a dramatic part of the party.”
Grandfather Thomas’s deep voice came from the doorway. He stood there, still in his formal attire, his sharp eyes sweeping over the three of us.
“Father,” my mother quickly adjusted her tone. “Leo is being stubborn. I was just teaching him a little about business practices.”
Grandfather didn’t look at her. He walked leisurely to the oak table, picked up the black envelope, and smiled—a smile that sent a chill down my spine.
“Eleanor, you’re right about one thing,” my grandfather said. “Business is a cruel reality. But you’re completely wrong about another.”
He turned to Richard, who was now trying to stand up straight in a show of respect. “Mr. Vance, do you really think I would let a lawyer with three covered-up money laundering scandals in Chicago touch my company?”
Richard’s face turned pale: “Sir… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”
“I knew everything about you before my daughter even had a wedding ring on her finger,” my grandfather snapped. Then he looked at my mother. “And Eleanor,
“You’re saying this house belongs to you? You should check the prenuptial agreement you signed with your first husband – Leo’s father – 21 years ago.”
My mother trembled: “What do you mean, Dad? He’s dead, and all the property…”
“That agreement has a confidentiality clause that you yourself have forgotten,” Grandpa interrupted. “All real estate in Sterling’s name will automatically transfer to your son when he turns 20, provided his mother remarries someone not of Sterling blood.”
The room fell into a deathly silence.
“That means,” Grandpa leaned closer to me, placing the envelope back in my hand, “Leo doesn’t need to leave. Because this is his home.” “It’s you and Vance here who need to pack up before sunrise.”
Chapter 4: The Climax – The Collapse of the Masks
My mother slumped onto the sofa, her eyes vacant. Richard began to stammer about the legal terms, but a steely stare from Grandpa silenced him.
But that wasn’t all.
“And this is the most shocking thing for you, Eleanor,” Grandpa said, his voice suddenly turning somber. “You always blame Leo for being like his father – someone you consider ‘weak.’ But do you know why I gave him $250 million worth of Sterling Logistics?”
Grandpa opened his phone, clicked on an encrypted folder, and showed it to my mother.
“For the past six months, Leo hasn’t been out partying like you think. He’s the one who secretly provided me with all the evidence that Richard was plotting to siphon off your assets through fraudulent contracts.” “That boy saved me from bankruptcy without me even knowing it. He protected his mother while she was trying to get rid of him.”
My mother looked up at me, her eyes now filled with shame and shock. “Leo… I… I didn’t know…”
I looked at the woman who had raised me, the woman I had loved most, now looking so small and pathetic in her own greed.
“You’re right about one thing,” I said, my voice now eerily calm. “I don’t know much about business. But I know about loyalty. Something neither you nor Richard have.”
I turned to my grandfather. “Grandpa, you said I had full authority, didn’t you?”
My grandfather nodded, a glint of pride in his eyes.
“Then,” I looked directly at Richard, “Mr. Vance, the security will escort you to the gate in five minutes.” “And Mother…” I paused, seeing a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “…She can stay in the guest room at the back of the mansion. But she won’t have any say in company decisions or family finances anymore. She’ll live on the minimum allowance Father left her. That’s the price for betrayal.”
Chapter 5: A New Dawn
The next morning, as the sun rose over the Long Island coast, I stood alone on the balcony. Richard had vanished with his cheap suitcase, leaving my mother in the cold silence of the living room.
Grandfather came out and stood beside me. “You did well, Leo.” “The hardest thing isn’t making $250 million, but knowing what to do when your closest relatives turn their backs on you because of that money.”
I looked down at the black envelope in my hand. Inside wasn’t just the company ownership papers. It also contained a small note written by my grandfather:
“Power isn’t in the numbers in the account, it’s in who’s the last one standing when the storm passes.”
I took a deep breath of the salty sea air. My life as a carefree young man ended last night. And today, a true Sterling was born.
