Chapter 390: Heir to Riverdale Legacy

"We’ve received no response from him, Mr. Riverdale," the man in a suit, Kavin, reported.

The old man, seated in a high-backed chair, tapped his fingers slowly on the armrests. His narrowed eyes glinted with restrained intensity.

"The child is growing bold now that he’s grown up," he muttered.

His fingers stilled as he added coldly, "Seems like it’s time to refresh his memory of the past."

"Any orders for me?" Kavin asked, waiting patiently.

"Let him rest for today. Tomorrow, I’ll go personally to meet him."

"Yes, Mr. Riverdale."

Kavin left the room silently, leaving the old man alone. His eyes remained fixed on the television screen in front of him, where Justin’s photo was displayed prominently.

"You’ve been living in the Eastern Country... right under my nose... building your empire," the old man murmured. "And I didn’t even know."

His voice dropped, laced with both curiosity and challenge.

"You must be truly capable—to hide from someone like . Let’s see what you’ve really got, Aiden. Let’s see if you’re still the same from the past—

-----

The next day, Leaving his penthouse at the top of the building, Justin finally made his appearance at the corporate headquarters of NextEra in front of all the employees.

Ever since the news broke, everyone was aware of who their mysterious boss truly was, and they had been waiting to see him in person.

The man who had once led the Harper Group and turned it into an empire was also boss. It was common knowledge now: as long as they worked under him, their futures were secure.

Justin entered the reception area of the skyscraper, where employees had gathered to welcome him. Unbothered by the attention, he walked straight toward the private elevator that led to his floor.

People stood in stunned silence, unable to take their eyes off him. Just his presence was enough to command awe. Power radiated from him effortlessly.

On the top floor—reserved solely for him—Justin settled into his office. Harvey was already there, ready to report on company operations, while Noah quietly left to attend to his duties.

Some time later, Noah returned, his expression serious.

"Mr. Harper," he said, "the most expected guest is here."

"Let him in," Justin replied.

Noah nodded and left.

Hayden, who had been reviewing some files, looked up. "Seems like it’s your time to deal with the nuisance. I’ll take my leave."

Justin gave a slight nod. Hayden gathered his documents and walked out.

A few minutes later, the office door opened again. Noah stepped inside, followed by two men.

The first was an older man in a sharp, dark suit. His thick hair was fully gray, and he walked with a distinguished cane in one hand. Despite his age, he carried himself with commanding authority. His expression was unreadable, cold yet composed.

Behind him followed Kavin, his trusted aide.

Justin looked at the man, their gazes meeting finally. Justin didn’t stand to greet him while the man walked towards his desk carrying indifferent expressions.

"Seems like, along with your memories, you’ve forgotten your manners," the old man remarked.

Justin’s gaze, which had been fixed on the silver top of the man’s cane—adorned with the Riverdale family crest, a snake coiled around a sword—shifted back to meet his eyes.

"Allowing strangers to even meet me is already exceeding the level of manners I care to maintain," Justin replied coolly.

The old man stared at him, gaze calm but calculating—his mind clearly working beneath the surface.

"Now that you’re here," Justin added, gesturing casually toward the chair, "make yourself comfortable."

Kavin stepped forward and pulled the chair out for Aeldric Riverdale. Once the old man was seated, Kavin took a respectful step back, standing at a distance beside Noah—both aides quietly observing as their bosses faced off.

"You do know who I am," the old man said with an unmistakable air of superiority.

"Aeldric Riverdale," Justin replied without hesitation.

"Then you must also know who are... and why I’m here," Aeldric pressed, his voice firm.

"I do know who I am," Justin said evenly, "and I also know—I won’t be complying with whatever you came here for."

The old man chuckled, amused, as if Justin’s words were no more than an impudent breeze. "If you hadn’t lost your memories, you wouldn’t dare say that."

"If you knew I’m not the same ten-year-old boy who once might have feared you," Justin countered smoothly, "you wouldn’t be sitting so comfortably in front of me either."

"Running some big-shot company seems to have made you believe you own the world," Aeldric muttered with a trace of disdain.

Justin merely stared back at him, arrogance and pride gleaming in his eyes—equal to, if not greater than, Aeldric’s own.

Then Justin chuckled. "Only if you knew."

"You’ve had enough fun staying away," Aeldric declared, his tone final, as if his words were law. "Now it’s time to return home."

"I’ve already told you," Justin replied, unaffected, "I’m not going to obey whatever it is you came here for."

In response, Aeldric turned to his assistant. "Kavin, show it to him."

Kavin powered on the screen of his tablet, then approached Justin’s desk and placed it down. Noah picked it up and set it in front of Justin.

"Take a good look at those pictures," Aeldric said.

Justin glanced at the images, one by one. A weak-looking woman appeared on the screen, seated in a wheelchair. Her expression was blank—her gaze distant, as though her soul had long since left, leaving only the shell of a body behind.

Justin’s heart skipped a beat.

It was her—the woman from the family photo. His mother. Didn’t Aaron say she was dead?

"That’s your mother," Aeldric stated coldly. His next words were even colder. "She was already half-dead after seeing her husband die. And then, when her sons were killed and she barely survived the accident... she lost what little she had left."

Justin stared at the screen in silence, noticing the utter lack of emotion in the old man’s voice. There was no grief for the death of his own son, no concern for the woman now living like a ghost. Nothing.

Justin’s expression remained unreadable as he asked, "Why are you showing this to me?"

"So that you know your mother is alive—and living under my care," Aeldric answered smoothly, as he raised a brow, "Don’t you want to see her?"

"To me, she looks like a stranger," Justin replied calmly, not showing any of his emotions to this man. "You can continue caring for her if she meant anything to you."

"She’s nothing but garbage to me," Aeldric said without blinking. "But I kept her alive... hoping one day, my grandsons would come for her."

"Didn’t you know your grandsons were killed?" Justin asked, wondering about the confidence of this man. Also, ignoring the fact that this man had just called his mother a garbage. But he was going to keep the count of it.

The old man’s laugh echoed through the room, deep and chilling."You are grandson. No one can kill you. Even if I threw you into a pit full of fire, I know you’d crawl out alive. That’s the reason you were . You’ve already proven what you’re capable of—and now, it’s time for you to take your place."

"Not interested," Justin replied coolly, unfazed.

"You came here knowing everything," Aeldric said, his gaze sharp. "That alone means you have every intention of confronting your past—and me."

Aeldric leaned slightly forward, voice calm but filled with weight.

"Want to hear something interesting from the past, my dear Aiden? That why you were chosen... why you’re so special to me?"

Justin didn’t respond. He simply stared, his expression unreadable.

Aeldric took the silence as permission to continue.

"Let me tell you about a moment from the past," he began, voice low and deliberate. "A moment that changed everything. The day you caught my eye—and the day I decided you would be my heir."