The mogul who woke up poor- part 4

THE MOGUL WHO WOKE UP POOR Part Four: The Chase Daniel stared at the photograph. His old face. His old life. His old identity. And suddenly, everything he had tried to forget came rushing back. Alexander Blackwood. The billionaire. The businessman. The man who had died in a mysterious car accident. The man whose body had never been properly identified. The stranger stepped closer. “Come with me, Alexander.” Grace grabbed Daniel's arm. “My husband's name is Daniel.” The stranger looked at her. “You really don't know who you're married to.” Daniel's jaw tightened. “Who are you?” “My name is Victor.” “Why are you looking for me?” Victor lowered his voice. “Because the accident that killed you wasn't an accident.” Daniel froze. Before he could respond— CRACK! A window shattered. Everyone screamed. Daniel immediately pushed Grace to the floor. “Stay down!” Another bullet struck the wall. The crowd scattered. Daniel grabbed Amara and pulled her behind the concrete pillar. “Grace, take her!” “Daniel!” “NOW!” Victor pulled a small weapon from beneath his jacket. “Someone followed me.” Daniel looked toward the street. Three men were running toward the house. One carried a handgun. Another held a metal bar. The third was already reaching for the door. Daniel's instincts took over. He grabbed a wooden chair and slammed it against the door. BOOM! The first attacker crashed against it. Daniel turned toward Victor. “Who are they?” Victor answered, “The people who finished what they started.” The door exploded inward. Daniel moved. He struck the first man with the chair, sending him stumbling backward. The second attacker rushed forward. Daniel ducked beneath the swinging metal bar and drove his shoulder into the man's chest. They crashed into the wall. Grace screamed. “Daniel!” The attacker recovered quickly and grabbed him by the shirt. Daniel remembered something from his old life. Alexander had once been trained in defensive combat after receiving threats from business rivals. His body remembered what his mind had almost forgotten. He twisted free, grabbed the man's wrist and forced him backward. The man fell. Victor fired into the ceiling. “Everybody STOP!” The attackers hesitated. Victor pointed toward the exit. “Run!” Daniel grabbed Grace's hand. “Where's Amara?” Grace looked around. The little girl was gone. “Amara!” Daniel's heart stopped. Then he heard her crying from the bedroom. He ran. One attacker had reached the room. Daniel sprinted down the hallway. “Leave my daughter!” The man grabbed Amara. Daniel launched himself forward. The two men crashed onto the bed. Amara screamed. Daniel fought desperately. The attacker struck him across the face. Blood appeared on Daniel's lip. But he didn't stop. He grabbed the man's arm and threw him against the wall. The attacker dropped Amara. Daniel caught her. “Daddy!” He held her tightly. “Daddy's here.” Grace rushed toward them. Daniel handed Amara to her. “Get outside!” They ran. Victor was waiting beside a black SUV. “Get in!” Grace hesitated. “Who are you?” “Someone trying to keep you alive.” Another gunshot cracked through the night. Victor opened the door. “NOW!” They climbed inside. The SUV exploded forward. For several minutes, nobody spoke. Amara was crying against Grace's chest. Daniel sat beside them, blood running from his forehead. Grace touched his face. “Are you hurt?” “I'm fine.” “You're bleeding.” “It's nothing.” She hugged him. Daniel closed his eyes. He had been rich enough to buy security guards, armored vehicles and private protection. Yet tonight, he had only one thought. Protect my family. Victor watched him through the mirror. “You're becoming someone different.” Daniel frowned. “What does that mean?” “In your old life, you would have called your security team.” Daniel looked at him. “And now?” “You ran toward your daughter.” Daniel said nothing. Victor continued driving. “You really have changed.” They eventually reached an abandoned warehouse outside the community. Grace looked frightened. “Where are we?” “A temporary safe place.” Daniel stepped out. He looked at Victor. “Tell me everything.” Victor took a deep breath. “Three months before Alexander Blackwood died, he discovered that someone inside his company was stealing millions.” Daniel's expression changed. “Who?” “We don't know.” “Then why did you find me?” “Because Alexander left instructions.” Daniel stared at him. “What instructions?” Victor pulled a small envelope from his pocket. “After his death, I was supposed to find the person carrying his memories.” Silence. Grace stared at Daniel. “Memories?” Victor looked directly at her. “Yes.” Daniel slowly opened the envelope. Inside was a handwritten note. He recognized the handwriting immediately. His handwriting. The message contained only one sentence: IF I DIE, FIND ME WHERE I NEVER EXPECTED TO LIVE. Daniel's hands began shaking. He looked at Victor. “What does that mean?” Victor shook his head. “We don't know.” Then suddenly, a phone inside the warehouse rang. Everyone froze. Victor slowly reached for it. The screen displayed an unknown number. He answered. A distorted voice spoke. “You found him.” Victor said nothing. The voice continued. “Then listen carefully.” A pause. “Alexander Blackwood was never supposed to survive the accident.” Daniel's face went pale. The voice continued: “And if he wants to keep his wife and daughter alive…” “He must return to the company he built.” The call ended. Daniel looked at Grace. She was terrified. But she stepped toward him anyway. “I don't care who you were.” She held his hand. “You are my husband.” Daniel looked at her. Then at Amara. For the first time, he understood the real battle ahead. He had spent his first life building an empire. He had spent his second life building a family. Now someone was forcing him to choose between them. But they had made one mistake. They had threatened the one thing Alexander Blackwood was now willing to die for. His family. Daniel looked toward the dark road outside. His expression changed. “Tomorrow,” he whispered, “I'm going back.” Victor stared at him. “Back where?” Daniel's eyes hardened. “To my company.” And somewhere in the darkness, a man watching the warehouse smiled. Because that was exactly what he wanted. The trap had been set.

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