My Uncle Died,A Stranger Stole My Billion-Dollar InheritanceChapter 1

My uncle had no children of his own. He'd made his will years ago, leaving me his entire fortune—billions.

But the moment his funeral ended and I returned to his villa, a stranger barged in, claiming to be Harvey Dickerson's legal heir and demanding I leave.

"All of Mr. Dickerson's assets now belong to me. Get out. Now."

I didn't believe a word of it. Took him for a lunatic. Then he produced a will.

I stared at the two identical documents—his and mine—and immediately called the attorney.

Charles Finch examined both with painstaking care. When he finally looked up, his expression was grim.

"Mr. Abbott... I'm afraid your will has been superseded."

My mind went blank. Before I could even process what that meant, the stranger—Russ Finch—had already made himself comfortable on the sofa. Without hesitation, he reached beneath the cushions and retrieved my uncle's hidden stash of cigars. He lit one with the ease of someone who'd done it a thousand times.

I watched the smoke curl around his face, that silhouette somehow both foreign and achingly familiar.

"Who the hell are you?"

——

Ever since my uncle's lung cancer diagnosis, his doctors had forbidden him from smoking. Every cigarette in the house had been confiscated.

That hiding spot? Only Uncle Harvey and I knew about it.

So how did this stranger know?

Russ's expression remained utterly blank. He tapped the name on his will.

"Can't you read? I'm Russ Finch. Legal heir to Mr. Dickerson's estate." A pause. "Now—are you going to leave, or do I need to call someone?"

"Impossible!"

My voice cracked. "That will is forged! I demand the attorney verify its authenticity!"

Charles studied the document again, his face growing more solemn with each passing second. Finally, he nodded.

"This will is genuine and legally binding. Mr. Finch is indeed the rightful heir."

The words hit me like a physical blow. I shook my head, unable to accept what I was hearing.

"How can this be real? I'm his family. His closest living relative. Why would he leave everything to a complete stranger?"

Russ regarded me with something that might have been amusement. "You should ask your uncle that. Why he gave his billions to an outsider instead of the nephew he supposedly loved like a son."

I froze.