Chapter 459 A Risky Attempt
Once upon a time in Valoria, they weren't exactly rolling in dough, but at least they never had to worry about making ends meet.
Philip had never seen Jesse hold down a legitimate job, yet their house was always changing, the garage was filled with luxury cars, and they had several servants catering to their every need.
Growing up, his classmates always thought he was a trust fund kid, living a carefree life with a bright future ahead.
That was until one day, Jesse took him to the bank to cash a check.
In the bank's VIP lounge, Jesse told him, "Philip, you're grown up now. It's time you knew about these things. From now on, I might not have time every month to cash the checks, so you'll have to take care of it."
Philip was stunned. It was then he realized that the seemingly endless wealth of their family had always come from someone else's remittances.
That person lived not too far away in Celestria. She was Quinn's biological mother.
Quinn was his so-called brother. And when he was younger, he always thought Quinn was his real brother.
He had once been puzzled about how Jesse took Quinn on a trip, and when they returned, Quinn had a high fever and even became mentally impaired.
It wasn't just that Quinn became impaired; his appearance also changed somewhat.
Philip only understood as an adult that his biological brother had been sent by his greedy father to the Thomas family.
The Thomas family's sick child had been swapped into the Reed family.
Mary, afraid that Jesse would mistreat her biological son, sent him a substantial amount of money every month.
Jesse often extorted Mary under various pretexts.
For years, the Reed family lived a prosperous life this way.
Later, Quinn's biological mother Mary passed away. No one in the world cared about Quinn's well-being anymore.
And no one would give Jesse money for nothing anymore.
Jesse was terrible at managing the business, always leaving it to others. He only collected dividends each month, ignoring all other affairs.
Otherwise, how could the financial director have had the chance to suddenly embezzle funds and flee?
The company was gone. The dividends were gone. All extra income was gone.
Quinn couldn't take care of himself. Jesse and Philip, the father and son, were both lazy and unwilling to go out and earn money.
Their lives plummeted. The psychological impact was immense.
Philip knew their family would never return to its former glory.
Now, Jesse suddenly asked him this question. What did he mean?
Jesse must be tired of living in poverty, right? The house in Valoria had been sold, and the money was with Jesse. Philip didn't know what the future held.
He stood there, staring blankly at Jesse on the couch.
Jesse's eyes suddenly lit up, "Philip, do you want to go back to the old days?"
Philip didn't respond immediately.
Of course, he wanted to. But where in the world were there so many fools to extort?
Jesse stood up, grabbed his hand, "Come on! Dad will take you to make money! Lots and lots of money! More than before!"
Philip's mind went blank as Jesse pulled him out the door.
They arrived at the entrance of STellar Enterprises' building.
Jesse pointed at the towering skyscraper in front of them, his eyes gleaming, "What do you think, Philip? Do you like it here?"
Philip thought his father was losing his mind.
Even though he was far away in Valoria, he kept up with Celestria's news. He knew about Celestria's business legend.
This was Michael's business empire.
Wait.
Michael? Last name Thomas? Could he be related to the fake brother Quinn at home?
Thinking of this, Philip looked at Jesse.
Jesse had just been discharged from the hospital, and the wounds on his face were scabbing over.
He looked at the building in front of him like a stray dog eyeing a burger joint.
Philip frowned, "Dad..."
Jesse's face lit up, "Philip, do you know who owns this building?"
Philip had an answer in his heart but didn't say a word.
Jesse, thinking he didn't know, excitedly explained, "Michael! Your biological brother! The one I told you about, the child swapped with Quinn!"
Philip pretended to suddenly understand and nodded.
Just as he had suspected.
Jesse continued, "This is your brother's property. I'm his biological father, and you're his biological brother. Don't you think he should at least give us half of his wealth?"
Philip couldn't help but interrupt Jesse's fantasy, "Dad, he probably won't agree."
Jesse waved his hand dismissively, "Philip, you don't understand! The richer they are, the higher their status, the more they care about their reputation and being admired."
"Think about it, if the public found out that the founder of STellar Enterprises, Michael, was just the illegitimate child of a driver and a barmaid, could his company's stock handle it? Would the board let him stay in that position? Not to mention the financial loss, would he be willing to give up his social status?"
Philip hesitated, "Dad, you want to blackmail him?"
Jesse snorted, "How is this blackmail? I'm just telling the truth! If a big company's CEO wants to keep a secret, shouldn't he pay a price?"
Philip was still unsure, "Dad, are you sure he's your son?"
Jesse grinned wickedly, "I've been secretly watching him for years. I never stayed long and was never caught. If you saw him, you'd understand our father-son relationship doesn't even need a DNA test."
Philip tried to recall the small shadow in his memory. Unfortunately, his memory of his brother's appearance was already blurry.
Jesse leaned in, furious, "Do you know why I was hospitalized? I was beaten by this bastard's bodyguards! This time, I must teach him a lesson!"
He pushed Philip forward, "You go! You negotiate with him! Tell him I'm his biological father! I'm not afraid of a DNA test."
Philip froze, pointing to his own face, "Me? Dad, you want me to meet him? But I don't even know him now."
Jesse was already retreating, "I have no choice. I'll wait for you downstairs. I'm scared of him. You go!"
Philip took a deep breath, encouraging himself. They were desperate. If they didn't try, they wouldn't have any money.
Meeting Michael and revealing his background was a gamble. Maybe he and Jesse would succeed. After all, they couldn't give up without trying.
With this thought, Philip climbed the steps and headed straight for ST's reception desk.
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