All Chapters of Gold Behind the Curtain: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

Clara Stewart strutted into the waiting hall, her arm linked with Henry Brown, who was decked out in a sharp suit.As they breezed past the side room, Clara's gaze landed on me, tucked away in the corner.Today was supposed to be my day off, a rare chance to spend time with my son. However, my father, Jim Lawrence, had roped me into attending the Wealth Summit.With my wife out of town, I had no choice but to bring my kid along, planning to duck out after a brief appearance once the meeting kicked off.I was dressed down in comfy clothes, jingling the Cayenne keys to keep my son entertained.To Clara, I must have looked like a hot mess, playing chauffeur and babysitter all at once. She made a beeline for me, her voice dripping with scorn as she said, "Jayden, look at you, running errands for others. You're nothing without me."What a shame that you couldn't pass my test. You could've been the one by my side."She squeezed Henry's hand as she went on. "However, hey, I should than

The room went silent at the mention of Rowena. She was a big deal, the top investor on the planet. Anything she touched turned to gold. Her wealth was legendary, making even the richest tycoon look like small fry.The buzz was that Rowena would be there, and everyone there was tripping over themselves for a chance to impress her.My little guy wrapped his arms around my neck, his voice soft and defiant as he said, "He's my dad. My dad. And you're the meanie."Henry was not buying it. He lunged forward, trying to take my son. 'If I can buddy up with Rowena, the sky will be the limit,' he thought.He was so blinded by greed that his face twisted with it. "Hand him over, Jayden. If you're pulling a kidnapping stunt, you won't see a dime, and you'll be behind bars before you know it!"The crowd started to close in, reaching for my son. He burst into tears, and I held him closer, ready to bolt from that mess. "He's my son. Back off. We're out of here."However, Henry was in our face,

My father, seeing my battered face and hearing his grandson's wails, was livid. He took his cane and started swinging it at my attackers.They all knew him, the famous tycoon from the finance channels, and none dared retaliate as they cried out in pain.However, Henry was still clueless."Mr. Lawrence, you must be mistaken. This man was impersonating your son. He really had the gall to do that."We didn't like the looks of him, so we gave him a beating. You should be thanking us."My father, with a heavy heart, lifted me off the ground and bellowed, "Jayden is my son, and you have the nerve to mess with him? You're going to regret it!"Rowena had her assistant scoop up our son, and she quickly checked over my injuries, her eyes frosted with fury when she turned to Henry. "Are you telling me my own husband kidnapped my son?"Henry's eyes nearly popped out of his head; he was so shocked he could not believe what he was hearing.Clara was just as floored, it never crossed her mind

Clara was left behind. She had not actually thrown a punch or anything.She was giving me a look, like she had a ton to say but could not spit it out.I ignored her, letting Rowena help me into the car and off to the hospital to get checked for injuries.By the time we got back to our place, a crowd had gathered outside. They were all people I had crossed paths with, and they were not happy. They were there to say sorry.My father had gotten home before us and had already spread the word that there would be consequences.He had cut ties with their businesses on the spot, leaving some of them without suppliers or cash flow.They would be bankrupt in no time, and the others, scared stiff by my father's move, rushed over to make amends.They did not know yet that the instigators were already cooling their heels in jail.As Rowena and I walked up, they plastered on fake smiles and started groveling."Mr. Lawrence, Ms. Smith, please, have a heart. We'll straighten out our kids and