They Chose the Adopted Heir,So I Bankrupted the Family Empire

Just then, Lionel posted a video update.

In the footage, their father handed him inheritance agreements to sign, one after another, while their mother held a bowl of herbal soup, spooning it into his mouth.

The caption read: "Grateful to Mom and Dad for giving me their best."

I let out a bitter laugh.

And here I'd been worried about creating conflict with my brother over the family assets. I'd worked myself to the bone building my own company from nothing. I'd actually been naive enough to think our parents would be proud of what I'd accomplished.

But watching how they doted on him now, I suddenly felt like a fool.

They'd never really seen me as their son.

After all, from the time we were kids, anything Lionel wanted, they made me give up for him. Anything Lionel said, they believed without question.

To them, I was just a good-for-nothing deadbeat. A waste of space with no ambition.

In their eyes, I probably ranked below the family dog.

My phone buzzed with a message from one of my people.

"Mr. Dickerson, we've smoothed things over with the tax authorities regarding Dickerson Corp. But they're saying the company evaded a significant amount this time, and there's a crackdown coming in the next few days. We'll need twenty million to plug the hole before it becomes a problem."

I shook my head. "Forget it. Put that twenty million toward the new project instead."

"But what about Dickerson Corp...?"

"Dickerson Corp has an heir now. It's not my place to bail them out anymore."

After leaving the hospital, I'd planned to head back south.

But the trains had stopped running unexpectedly—wouldn't resume for another week.

With nothing better to do, I decided to swing by Dickerson Corp.

Back when I was building my business, I'd quietly funneled a multi-million dollar contract under the company's name. I'd meant it as a surprise for them down the road.

But now? There was no point.

Sales and finance operated independently, so the accounting department would just assume the sales team had landed the deal. If I wanted to reclaim it, I'd need to verify the revenue figures first.

But the moment I walked in, I ran straight into Lionel.

He sauntered over, smirking. "Well, well. Dad said you'd have nowhere else to go and would probably show up here. Didn't think you'd actually do it."

He'd finally dropped all pretense with me. No reason for me to keep playing the dutiful brother either.

"You went through a lot of trouble for that future CEO title," I said flatly.

A smug grin spread across his face. "Can't help it. You've always been better than me. Without a few tricks up my sleeve, I never would've stood a chance against you."

Then he leaned in close, his smile widening.

"Oh, by the way—Dad already told the Galloways about me becoming the heir. Day after tomorrow, I'm getting engaged to Myrtle Galloway."

"You've had a thing for her since we were kids, haven't you? How does it feel now, brother?"

Looking at that self-satisfied expression on his face, something inside me snapped.

Here I'd been trying to salvage our relationship.

And all along, he'd been scheming to take everything from me.

I grabbed him by the collar.

But at that exact moment, our parents appeared at the top of the stairs—just in time to see it happen.

Mom's voice rang out, sharp with fury.

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of him this instant!"

She rushed over and shoved me hard, pulling Lionel behind her like a shield. Her eyes locked onto mine, cold and hostile, as if I were some kind of enemy.

"Lionel earned his position as heir through his own merit, and here you are trying to hurt him again! How did we end up with such a vicious son?"

Then she turned to Lionel, her tone shifting to anxious concern. "Sweetheart, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Lionel shook his head, his expression wounded and pitiful.

"It's okay, Mom. He's just upset that I'm the heir now. He's always been better than me at everything, so I understand why this is hard for him."