All Chapters of Billions Later, Who's Your Daddy?: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

The moment Caelan stepped through the front door of his home, his phone began to vibrate in his pocket.He pulled it out. A name flashed across the screen: Robin Aaberg.Walking onto the balcony, he answered the call."Sir, I've arrived in Nextum City. I'll see you at the same place."The voice on the other end was rough, but filled with unmistakable respect."Got it."Caelan hung up and turned to Serena. "Honey, I've got something to take care of tonight. I won't be home for dinner.""You're going out this late?" Serena asked, surprised. Still, she didn't press further, only reminding him, "Drink less and come back early.""Got it."Caelan kissed her on the cheek, changed into a plain set of athletic wear, put on a baseball cap, and headed downstairs.This time, he didn't take the eye-catching Maybach.Once outside the residential complex, he flagged down a taxi by the roadside."Take me to Pavyllon."…Meanwhile, at the Vesper Group headquarters, the Vice President's of

Caelan stared at the steep, rising green curve on the screen, yet there was none of the excitement one might expect on his face.Thirty billion dollars.That was enough to buy a hundred Vesper Groups outright.Years ago, that number might have kept him awake all night with excitement. Now, it only felt heavy.His thoughts drifted back uncontrollably to seven years ago. Back then, he was a graduate student in the biology department at Nextum University.Full of passion, he and his mentor spent countless days and nights in the lab, working tirelessly to crack the problem of targeted drugs.It had been a stormy night, thunder roaring and lightning tearing across the sky. His mentor, covered in blood, stumbled into the lab and shoved a bloodstained data drive into his hands."Run… take the formula… Run!"Those were the last words he ever spoke.The next day, the police found his mentor's body by the river. His face was unrecognizable, the sight unbearable. Even in death, his hand

"Pfft!"Serena couldn't hold it in anymore and burst into laughter, covering her mouth.That single laugh sounded especially sharp in the deathly silent living room.Caelan didn't bother holding back either.Mira was their daughter, all right—every word she spoke went straight for the jugular.Naomi's face twisted in fury, her thick foundation flaking off in visible specks."You little brat, what did you just say?!""Am I wrong?" Mira blinked innocently. "Auntie, you look like a ghost from a movie!"And uncle—" she pointed, "you spilled coffee on your pants. Did you wet yourself?"Julian looked down. In his agitation earlier, a few drops of coffee had indeed splashed onto his crotch area, making for an awkward sight."Darling, did you hear what this insolent girl just said? She called me a ghost!"Naomi shot to her feet, trembling with rage as she pointed at Mira. Her shrill voice pierced the air."I don't think this child belongs to the Vesper family at all! A rude, uncult

Before long, a quick patter of footsteps echoed down the staircase.A boy of about six appeared. He wore a custom-tailored tuxedo, his hair slicked back, carrying himself like a miniature adult. His chin tilted upward as he looked at others—exactly like his mother."Mom, what do you want? I haven't finished practicing the piece Marx assigned," Ritchie said impatiently."Good boy, come here."Naomi pulled him forward as if presenting a priceless treasure."Play La Campanella for your grandfather to cheer him up!"La Campanella! Liszt's notoriously difficult étude—so demanding that even professional pianists need exceptional skill to perform it well.Ritchie walked to the million-dollar Steinway, lifted the lid, and began.Bright, rapid notes cascaded from his fingers in a dazzling stream.Naomi immediately straightened her back, shooting Serena a provocative glance—as if to say: See the difference?To be fair, Ritchie had clearly been trained. His fingering was precise, his rh

After dinner, night gradually settled in.Caelan and his family of three took their leave.The Maybach rolled out of Aspen Grove and slowly descended the winding mountain road. Inside the car, it was quiet. Worn out from playing, Mira had already fallen asleep in the back seat, curled up peacefully."Why did you agree to join the logistics department?" Serena finally asked, unable to hold back. Her face was filled with confusion. "You're Orion Vesper's biological son, after all. Sending you to manage the cafeteria—it's obviously meant to humiliate you. Can't you see that?""I know," Caelan replied casually, one hand on the steering wheel."Then why did you agree? Are you out of your mind?" Serena shot back, half-angry, half-exasperated. "Didn't you see the look on Julian's face? He wants to crush you under his heel and make you lose face in front of the entire company!""Relax," Caelan said with a faint smile. "This is called showing weakness to the enemy. The Vesper family has b