All Chapters of The Intelligence Edge: From Zero to Billionaire: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

George snapped back to his senses. He reached out a hand, only to recoil as if burned. Even his voice trembled."Chris… this… this must've cost a fortune. You can't just throw money around the moment you get some!"All his life, he had scarcely stepped into a department store, let alone touched such flashy foreign goods that screamed extravagance."It's not that much. Honestly, the car is the only real expense." Chris spoke lightly, as if the money meant nothing to him. "I bought a few clothes for myself, and a few things for the house."He pointed at the square boxes stacked in the trunk."Television, refrigerator, washing machine… We're replacing them all. The old ones were patched up for too long." He added, "Use these for now. Once I earn more, we'll buy a bigger house and get even better ones.""A new house?" Laura's eyes lit up instantly, glowing like lanterns in the dark. She clutched her son's arm, her voice rising with excitement."Yes, yes! We must buy one! A new house

A cold laugh escaped Chris's lips. "You've got quite the memory. I do seem to recall that when I was going around trying to borrow money, I came to you, too."He let the statement hang in the air, his gaze locking directly onto his mother's cousin."I remember exactly what you told me. You said I'd lost my damn mind. That I was just burning cash. And you didn't lend me a single dime, did you?"The air in the room went frigid. The phony smile on his mother's cousin's face instantly solidified, as if he'd been publicly slapped. A hot flush of shame crept up his neck. His Adam's apple bobbed as he stammered, rubbing his sweaty palms together, his eyes darting everywhere."Th-that… that's not what I meant! Back then… I was strapped for cash! You know how it is—my paycheck barely feeds the family! Where was I supposed to get that kind of money?""Ohhh—" Chris drew the sound out, nodding slowly, almost lazily. "Well, that explains it then, doesn't it?"He spread his hands in a gesture

Chris read the last two messages, and a cold, mocking smile tugged at the corner of his lips.Caleb Finch? So that was his mother's cousin's name.He’d seen the worst of human nature after his divorce from Katie; now, he was just watching the same play on repeat, only with perfect, crystal-clear vision.He started the car, intending to find a quiet place to figure out how to open a brokerage account, when his phone suddenly vibrated on the console.One glance at the caller ID, and the icy mask on his face instantly melted into genuine warmth. A real smile surfaced.It was Evan Hughes.He answered immediately. "Hey, Evan.""Damn it, Chris! You finally picked up!" A howl of mock anguish blasted through the speaker, loud enough to make his eardrums ring. "You son of a gun! Got rich and forgot your old friends, huh?"Chris chuckled helplessly. "Come on, man. I just had some… family drama to handle. You back in town?"On the other end was Evan, the guy who'd slept on the bunk above

It just didn't add up.Flynn's gaze sharpened, hawk-like as it pinned his younger sister. "Emma, did Chris ever tell you where he got his information?"Emma shook her head. "No."Flynn's brows drew together, his tone edged with reproach. "Why didn't you ask?"Emma set down her spoon. Her voice was quiet but firm. "Flynn, the fact that Chris was willing to cut me in on his deal was a generous move. If I'd turned around and demanded to know all his secrets, wouldn't that have been incredibly entitled?""Hah!" Katie let out a cold, sharp laugh, the sound cutting through the strained politeness at the table. "Generous? Don't make me laugh. The money he used to buy those Westridge Terrace units was yours! He only made that profit because you gave him the startup capital. So what if you asked? You had every right!"Katie's outburst planted a seed of doubt in Flynn's mind. He rubbed his chin, a calculating glint in his eyes."You don't think… he might have an inside connection? Someone

The marble sat perfectly at the dead center of the crosshair.Only after he was finished did Chris straighten up, brushing imaginary dust from his hands before pulling out his phone. He dialed Evan's number.The call connected almost instantly."Hey, Evan, where are you?""Eighteenth floor! The Imperial Ballroom! Get your ass up here already, it's about to start! I've been waiting forever!" Evan's voice, loud and brimming with impatient energy, blasted through the speaker."On my way."Chris ended the call, his expression settling back into its usual calm composure. He turned and strode into the resplendent, marble-lined lobby of the Richmond Grand Hotel, pressing the elevator button for the upper floors.Destination—the eighteenth floor.…Earlier that morning, outside the gates of the Jennings family estate, a sleek black Bentley Mulsanne glided silently to a stop, as elegant and predatory as a panther. The door opened, and a tall man in an impeccably tailored suit stepped o