The Billionaire's Heir I Never Knew Was Mine

Zachary remained silent, watching William sternly defend his son. He glanced around the room while keeping his amusement carefully hidden.

’Of course, now it’s... ”anyone would have had questions,”’ Zachary thought. ’A few hours ago, Riley probably believed he was the smartest person in the room. Now everyone else is supposed to understand why he made such a spectacular mess of things.’

The situation was serious, and Zachary knew it well. A legal battle with Cresswell could damage Sterling Tech’s reputation. Still, he could not deny that part of him was enjoying the sight of William being forced to explain and cover Riley’s failure in front of the entire family.

For years, William had carried himself with the confidence of someone who believed every decision he made was well thought, and thus always right. Riley had inherited much of that same confidence.

However, Zachary had always thought his nephew lacked the experience to back it up. Watching them both sit there now, one angry and defensive and the other unable to raise his head, was difficult for Zachary not to find satisfying.

The silence engulfed the study once more.

Zoey looked from William to Riley, then toward Kennedy, clearly waiting for someone to explain what happened next.

Samuel also remained quiet, although his expression showed that he was far from convinced by William’s explanation.

Still, Kennedy had not said a single word throughout the entire explanation.

That was what made the room feel even more tense.

Zachary’s faint smile disappeared when he noticed the expression on his father’s face. Kennedy was sitting quietly, his eyes fixed ahead as he seemed to consider every word William had said. His silence was calm, but it did not mean he had accepted the explanation.

After a few more seconds, Kennedy finally cleared his throat. The sound was enough to draw everyone’s attention back to him.

Zachary straightened slightly, and even Riley seemed to tense in his seat.

”Riley,” Kennedy started.

His voice sounded tired, but a sharpness beneath it made everyone in the room turn their gaze to him except one. Kennedy fixed his eyes on his grandson, waiting until Riley finally stopped looking at the floor and looked up at him like the rest.

”Did you or your team really steal Cresswell Technology’s program and use it in an attempt to win the tender?”

Riley’s face immediately became tense upon hearing Kennedy’s words. For a moment, he seemed caught off guard, but he quickly shook his head and desperately denied the accusation.

”No. Never. Grandpa, my team and I would never stoop to such low tactics. How could we possibly enter a major tender using another company’s ideas? It makes absolutely no sense.”

Seeing the sincerity in Riley’s expression, Kennedy finally breathed a little easier. The tension in his face slowly softened as he nodded. He then turned his attention back to William, his expression becoming firm again.

”William, if Riley and his team truly aren’t at fault, then you don’t need to worry either,” he said firmly. ”Fight this in court and prove that Sterling Tech is innocent. If Cresswell is making a false accusation, then let the evidence speak for itself.”

”Yes, Father. I plan to fight them, and naturally, I’ll file a countersuit,” William Sterling replied seriously. His expression darkened as his anger returned. ”How dare they humiliate the Sterling Group? I won’t forgive this. If they’re deliberately trying to damage our reputation without sufficient evidence, I’ll make sure they face the consequences.”

”Very well...” Kennedy nodded in agreement, satisfied with his son’s response.

”But, Father,” Samuel Sterling chimed in, his tone more cautious. ”I’m worried about how confident Cresswell is in their claims, assuming they actually have evidence.” He paused and glanced at Riley. ”What if they really do have proof?”

”Why are you so worried?” William respond. ”Riley already said they didn’t do that.”

”Well,” Samuel replied with a small shrug, ”I’m just saying that we shouldn’t assume they have nothing simply because Riley denied it. Cresswell wouldn’t take this to court without believing they have something to support their claim.”

William frowned. ”Then they can present whatever evidence they have in court. We’ll deal with it legally. If their accusation is false, they’ll have to answer for the damage they caused to Sterling Tech and the Sterling Group.”

Samuel fell silent, but the concern on his face did not disappear.

The atmosphere in the study remained tense.

Everyone understood that the situation could become much more serious if the dispute became public. It was not simply two companies arguing over an idea. A lawsuit involving Sterling Tech could attract investors’ and the media’s attention. Even if Sterling eventually proved its innocence, the negative publicity could still affect the group’s stock price and the image of its other businesses.

Zachary had remained quiet throughout the conversation, listening to every word without revealing what he already knew.

Unlike the others in the room, he wasn’t hearing about Cresswell Tech’s accusations for the first time. He already knew about them. In fact, he knew far more than his family realized.

To everyone in the Sterling family, Zachary was simply friends with Kevin, the owner of Cresswell Tech. None of them knew that he had a much deeper connection to the company. He was one of Cresswell Tech’s biggest shareholders, which meant he had access to information that went far beyond what a normal friend would know.

Zachary knew how serious the situation was. He knew that Cresswell wasn’t making the accusation casually, and he knew there were reasons behind the company’s decision to take action against Sterling Tech.

His family had never known about his investment in Cresswell Tech, and Zachary had no intention of revealing it now.

”Zach,” Zoey, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up, ”...isn’t the owner of Cresswell Tech your friend? If I remember correctly, his name is Kevin, right?”

Zachary slowly nodded. ”Yes... he is.”

”Can you ask Kevin not to take this to court?” Zoey asked thoughtfully. ”If this issue makes the news, it could affect our stock price and cause our other businesses to suffer from the negative publicity. Even if we prove that Sterling Tech is innocent later, the damage would already be done. Investors may react before they even know the full story.”

Zachary’s expression remained calm, but something inside him tightened.