Chapter 11: The New Landlord

Arthur Belmont stood on the pavement, staring up at the facade of Zenith Motors. He took a deep breath, smoothing down the lapels of his suit.

"Listen to me very carefully, Trent," Arthur said. "The Obsidian Conglomerate has ghosted my calls. Our company’s stock is already beginning to dip. Securing the real estate contracts for the Zenith expansion is our last lifeline. The man we are about to meet just dropped tens of millions of dollars to acquire this facility in a single morning. He is a shark. Do not speak unless spoken to. Do not make eye contact unless prompted. Do you understand me?"

Trent swallowed hard. "I understand, Dad. I won’t mess this up."

Arthur gave a nod, and the two of them walked through the sliding doors into the main showroom.

Before Arthur could approach the reception desk, Victoria stepped out from the main corridor.

"Mr. Belmont?" Victoria asked.

"Yes, that’s me," Arthur replied, putting on his most charming smile. "And this is my son, Trent. We are here for the real estate negotiation with the new owner."

Victoria offered a brief nod. "I am Victoria, Senior Counsel. Please, follow me."

Arthur’s smile faltered slightly as he recognized the name. He leaned close to Trent as they followed her toward the staircase.

"Vance & Sterling M&A. This billionaire retained one of the most ruthless corporate law firms in the state. We need to be flawless today."

Trent nodded, his anxiety spiking.

Victoria led them up the stairs and down a short hallway, stopping in front of the double doors of the executive suite. She pushed them open, gesturing for the two men to enter.

The boardroom was spectacular...

A long table stretched across the center of the room, flanked by plush leather chairs.

At the far end of the table, a high-backed CEO chair was turned around, facing the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the showroom below.

Arthur could only see the silhouette of the man sitting in the chair.

Arthur felt a bead of sweat roll down his spine. He stepped forward and offered a bow.

"Good morning, sir," Arthur said. "I am Arthur Belmont, CEO of Belmont Enterprises. This is my son, Trent. We are incredibly honored that you took the time to meet with us on your first day of ownership."

The chair slowly swiveled around.

Jude sat comfortably, one leg crossed over the other, holding a glass of sparkling water.

He looked at the two men, an amused smile playing on his lips.

"Good morning, Arthur," Jude said, taking a slow sip of his water.

Trent stopped breathing.

His eyes bugged out of his head, his jaw dropping so fast it practically unhinged.

"Jude?!" Trent shrieked, losing whatever shred of composure he had left.

Arthur blinked, bewildered. He recognized the face immediately...

It was the struggling actor from the viral video they had mocked in the boardroom just an hour ago.

Trent’s fear instantly boiled over into outrage. He took two steps forward, pointing a finger at Jude. "Are you out of your mind?! What the hell are you doing in the boss’s chair? Did you break in here to pull some kind of sick prank?"

Jude just set his glass down on the table.

"Get out of that seat right now!" Trent yelled, his voice cracking. "If the new owner walks in here and catches you pulling a stunt like this, he is going to have you thrown in a cell! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?!"

Arthur’s face darkened with fury. He assumed this was some sort of elaborate joke set up by the staff.

"Listen to me, young man. I don’t know how you slipped past security, but this is a multi-million-dollar negotiation. Where is the real owner of this establishment?"

Jude rested his elbows on the armrests, interlacing his fingers. "You’re looking at him."

Trent burst into a hysterical laugh. His body actually shook with the force of it. It took him ten seconds to calm down.

"Oh, man, you really had me for a second," Trent gasped, wiping a tear from his eye. "You? The billionaire buyer? Yeah, right. You were literally washing tires yesterday. We all know you’re just some broke loser who got hired to do a viral marketing stunt for a suit company. You don’t have a dime to your name."

Jude just watched him laugh.

"I don’t know what you’re trying to prove," Trent sneered, feeling a sudden surge of confidence. "But the joke is over. Get out of the office before I call the cops myself."

Before Trent could reach for his phone, the doors of the boardroom swung open.

Victoria walked in, carrying a fresh pot of coffee and a stack of finalized legal documents.

She ignored the Belmonts, walking straight to the head of the table and pouring a cup of coffee for Jude.

"The final transfer of the land deeds has cleared the state registry, Mr. Lawson," Victoria said, her tone laced with respect. "You are officially the sole proprietor of this entire city block."

Arthur froze.

"Wait," Arthur stammered, looking from Victoria to Jude. "Ms. Vance... why are you playing along with this? This man is an actor. He’s a nobody."

Victoria paused, looking at Arthur as if he had just spoken a different language.

Her expression shifted into one of profound pity. "Mr. Belmont, I am a Senior Partner at one of the most prestigious corporate law firms on the East Coast. I assure you, I do not ’play along’ with anyone. Mr. Lawson executed a hostile takeover of this facility at seven o’clock this morning using eight figures of liquid capital. He is the owner."

Trent’s legs gave out. He stumbled backward, his hip crashing into the edge of the table just to keep himself upright.

A moment later, Maya walked into the room, holding a tray with additional documents.

"Excuse me, Mr. Lawson," Maya said, bowing her head slightly. "I have the expansion blueprints you requested for the new lots."

"Thank you, Maya," Jude said. "Just leave them on the table."

Arthur’s mind scrambled to process the impossible reality playing out in front of him.

The lawyer confirmed it. The General Manager confirmed it.

The viral video was real. Jude really had dropped half a million dollars on clothes.

The billionaire VIP residing in the Obsidian Grand’s Presidential Suite was Jude.

Jude picked up his coffee cup, blowing the steam away. He looked into Trent’s eyes, his smile returning.

"Now then," Jude said. "I believe we have some real estate to discuss."