Tales of a Chaebol Successor

The Herman family's swanky suburban villa was buzzing with activity.

Patrick Herman, the well-known head of the Herman family, had just come into a huge inheritance from his ancestors. To celebrate, he gathered the whole Herman clan.

The place was so packed today that the garage couldn't even fit all the cars.

Everyone raised their glasses, grinning, and said in unison, "Congrats, Patrick."

Patrick beamed and said loudly, "Thanks, everyone. Our ancestors went through a lot to get us here. It pleases me to see you all doing well in your businesses. As known to all, I'm lucky to inherit a fortune. But I'm getting on in years and feel like sharing this fortune with all of you, which I'd like to distribute fairly among everyone here."

Hearing this, the Herman family members' faces lit up with joy.

"Oh my God, is this for real? Patrick, thank you for your generosity."

Patrick smiled and looked at the younger family members, saying, "Jackson, I know you love surfing, so I'm giving you a beachfront vacation villa worth about $2 million. Lucy, a fan of sports cars, I've got the latest Ferrari for you, but be safe on the road; that thing's a beast. Emma, a loving girl who's fond of collecting luxury items, here's a Richard Mille watch worth $300,000. And for you, Molly..."

Patrick shared his plans, and the Herman family members laughed and raised their glasses again.

Patrick beamed with satisfaction.

At that moment, Leon Corleone, who had been quiet, spoke up, "Patrick, I know I don't have a share, but could you give me a lawnmower? It would make mowing the lawn a lot easier."

As soon as he finished, the Herman family members were stunned, and everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Was Leon drunk?

He was Caitlin Herman's husband, and in the Herman family, he was a nobody!

He didn't have the right to speak at such an important moment.

He didn't even have the Herman name, yet he had the nerve to ask Patrick for a lawnmower. How shameless!

Four years ago, Patrick's wife met Leon and forced Caitlin to marry him.

At that time, Leon was just a broke tramp, always dressed in the same tatty jacket and ragged jeans.

But on the day Leon and Caitlin got married, Patrick's wife suddenly died of a heart attack. The reason for her insistence on this marriage remained unknown.

After the marriage, the entire Herman family despised Leon. He was nobody but a househusband with no power or money but wasting away his days cleaning, cooking, and mowing the lawn.

Leon hoped against hope that Patrick would give him a lawnmower.

The old lawnmower at home was broken, and he had no money. As a man, he didn't want Caitlin to pay for everything. So, he had to make such a request at this moment.

Everyone had been laughing, clinking glasses, and chatting about their promising future with each other, especially Patrick who had been beaming since the party began. So, Leon just thought it was highly likely that Patrick would agree with his asking.

But to his surprise, after he finished speaking, Patrick's face quickly turned very grim.

He put down his glass and said in a very disdainful tone, "Leon, are you here to embarrass me?"

Caitlin quickly explained, "Patrick, please don't be mad. Leon was just joking; don't take it seriously."

After saying that, she tried to pull Leon to the corner.

But Caitlin's cousin, Molly Herman, spoke up, "Caitlin, I really feel sorry for you. Your husband is such a useless man! He doesn't belong to the Herman family at all, yet he wants a piece of the Herman family fortune. Has he no shame?"

"That's right, he has no manners at all. Besides the Herman family members, there are so many guests here today. I can't stand him anymore!" Jackson Herman, standing on the right, said. He was Patrick's favorite grandson.

Jackson had been on bad terms with Caitlin since childhood. So, he would be damned if he just passed up on this opportunity to humiliate her.

"Such an uncultured man should be kicked out of the Herman family!"

"That's right, he's brought shame to the family."

"He actually wants a lawnmower, my God, is he mocking us on purpose?"

"His abilities are even worse than the servants in the villa!"

"As a man, he has no self-respect, living off his wife, it's disgusting."

"Get out, the Herman family doesn't welcome a loser like you."

Listening to the insults from the Herman family members, Leon lowered his head and did not retort.

Four years ago, it was Patrick's wife who gave him a family and a home.

Leon was very grateful for this, so even though he had been living a life with insults from the Herman family, he never spat a word.

At this moment, suddenly a voice boomed over the uproar of the insults. "Patrick, it's Steve Hamilton, the president of Corleone Investment Bank!"

Everyone looked towards the door, and a well-dressed, elegant man walked in.

Corleone Investment Bank was an investment bank on par with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Bank, also well-known internationally.

As the president of Corleone Investment Bank, Steve was naturally an important figure in high society.

Countless people wanted to curry favor with Steve but couldn't find the right opportunity, yet today he had come to the Herman family's villa on his own.

"Dear Patrick, forgive me for coming uninvited. To express my apologies, I have prepared a gift!" Steve spoke up and handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box.

"Mr. Hamilton, your presence in my home is an honor for the Herman family," Patrick said in the warmest voice.

He took the gift box from Steve, opened it, and found a bank card inside!

Steve said, "Dear Patrick, this bank card contains five million dollars. This is a gift I prepared for Caitlin. From the moment I first saw Caitlin, I fell deeply in love with her. And I have learned that Caitlin's marriage is not happy. I'm not a homewrecker, but clearly, that man is not qualified to be Caitlin's husband. As long as Caitlin is willing to marry me, this five million dollars will forever belong to her!"

After Steve finished speaking, the Herman family members were all shocked.

Knowing that Leon was Caitlin's husband, Steve still said such things in front of everyone. He really looked down on Leon.

But Leon was just a loser, so even though Steve said that, there was nothing he could do besides being angry.

"Caitlin, I know this is very sudden for you, but I truly love you. I can't bear to see you living with such a loser, so please consider it seriously." Steve smiled at Caitlin and then left.

During this brief visit, Steve didn't even cast a glance at Leon, not even a sideway one, though he knew Leon was just beside Caitlin.

After Steve left, the people in the villa finally started discussing, with expressions of shock, envy, and jealousy on their faces.

"Oh my God, a big shot like Steve actually proposed to Caitlin, am I dreaming?"

"God, why is Caitlin so lucky? If she marries Steve, I can't even imagine her future life!"

"If Caitlin marries Steve, it would also be very beneficial for the Herman family!"

Lucy Herman, Caitlin's sister, immediately said, "Leon, if you're willing to divorce Caitlin, I'll give you the best lawnmower, how about that?"

"Leon, I can give you one too!"

"And me, Leon. If you have any self-respect, divorce Caitlin and let her pursue happiness!"

Patrick thought for a few minutes and said, "Leon, if you divorce Caitlin, I am willing to give you two million dollars in the name of the family, plus a house. How about that?"

Leon raised his head, looked at Caitlin beside him, and said firmly, "Patrick, I don't care about the money. I just want to be with Caitlin, so please don't say such things."

Patrick frowned and roared angrily, "Get out, get out immediately! You pathetic man who relies on his wife, the Herman family does not welcome you!"

Leon was stunned for a moment; Patrick's reaction made him feel very uncomfortable. But the security guards had already stepped forward, so he had to turn and walk towards the door.

"Leon." Caitlin called out, hesitating to leave with him.

"Caitlin, don't you dare follow him out. Otherwise, you'll no longer be one of the Herman family." Noticing Caitlin taking a step toward the door, Patrick said in a cold tone.

Caitlin stopped in her tracks; she hadn't expected Patrick to say such cold and heartless words.

Leon said, "Caitlin, I can take care of myself. You stay here."

After saying that, he turned back to the door.

Jackson whistled, "Leon. A reminder. We're in the suburbs. There's no public transportation. I don't think you drove your car here only if you have one. Hey, how about I give you five bucks to get a cab?"

After saying that, Jackson took out a bunch of coins and threw them at Leon.

The Herman family members laughed heartily.

Leon didn't say anything and continued walking out.

At this moment, his phone received a text message.

He casually took out his phone and saw that the message was from a number he despised: [Leon, we are in trouble, the Corleone family needs you.]

Looking at the message, Leon frowned.

The Corleone family was the most famous family in the state, and Leon was also a member of the Corleone family.

Four years ago, he was framed by some members of the Corleone family, accused of embezzling family funds, stripped of his inheritance rights, and expelled from the Corleone family.

Even Leon's parents were exiled from the country by the Corleone family, sent to a continent filled with primeval forests and wild beasts.

When Leon left the Corleone family, he had no money and was seriously ill.

Fortunately, he met Caitlin's grandmother, the person he respected the most, Delilah Herman, on the street.

Delilah brought Leon back to the Herman family and arranged for him to marry Caitlin, allowing Leon to live until now.

For this, Leon was always grateful.

But from the wedding until now, four years had passed, and Leon had never slept in the same room as Caitlin; they were only married in name.

During these four years, Leon had been sleeping on the living room floor or in the storage room.

But Leon had gotten used to this kind of life.

What pained him was that although Caitlin was very cold to him, he found himself falling in love with her.

As Leon was reminiscing, another text message suddenly came through: [Dear Leon, please reply as soon as possible. Four years ago, you purchased an oil well in the Middle East, and now it has struck oil and the company has gone public! Due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, international energy prices have been rising, and that oil well is now worth billions! The Corleone family is facing bankruptcy due to failed investments. The family needs your help, or the Corleone family will perish.]

Leon was very surprised. Four years ago, he did indeed spend over a hundred million dollars to buy an oil well, which led the Corleone family to believe he had embezzled family funds.

But now, that oil well had actually struck oil, and its value had increased by hundreds of times?

Leon immediately took out a gray bank card from his wallet. This was a special type of bank card, and those who possessed it would receive the most prestigious service anywhere on Earth at any time.

He immediately called the issuing bank's customer service number, and a very sweet voice came from the other end of the line. "Mr. Corleone, how may I assist you today?"

"I want to know the balance in my account," Leon said.

"Please hold on." After a couple of minutes, the customer service representative replied, "Mr. Corleone, your account holds such a large amount of money that you have been classified as a top-tier customer by our bank. I do not have the authority to check your balance. If you wish to know, I will need to apply to a higher department. Please hold on, and I will get back to you shortly."

"Okay." Leon hung up and dissolved into a grin. What a surprise!

This was just an incidental investment he made four years ago, but now it had brought him unimaginable wealth.

A surge of excitement coursed through Leo's body, electrifying every tip of his limbs.

When he got home, he saw that Caitlin had already arrived. Of course, his legs couldn't outpace a car.

Besides Caitlin, there were two guests at home, Matilda Cole and Caden Allen.

They were Caitlin's best friends.

All three of them saw Leon enter from the door, but there was no hello, or a nod that admitted his return as though he was just a lamp that had always been in the living room.

Matilda, with a serious expression, said, "Caitlin, don't feel embarrassed. I heard that your company has been having difficulties recently, right?"

Caitlin hesitated for a few seconds and nodded, "Yes, the company is currently facing a cash flow problem and needs at least $8 million to operate normally. I must raise this money quickly, otherwise..."

Matilda frowned, "Eight million dollars? My God, that's not a small amount. Where are you going to get that much money?"

The fashionably dressed Caden nodded in agreement with Matilda.

Caitlin felt frustrated and, seeing Leon standing in the corner without saying anything, said coldly, "Leon, why are you still standing there? Don't you know the toilet is dirty? Go clean it right now!"

Leon obediently walked towards the bathroom, and at that moment, his phone rang. It was the customer service representative from the bank calling back. "Mr. Corleone, based on my inquiry, your assets are placed in an offshore account. Therefore, the bank suggests you visit the bank in person whenever it's convenient for you. And do notify us of your arrival in advance. We would be pleased to arrange a car to pick you up. Is that okay, Mr. Corleone?"

Leon nodded, "So my money is in an offshore account. Okay, I will visit the bank when I have time."

After he hung up the phone, Caden, who had overheard Leon's conversation, sneered. "Caitlin, how laughable! I just heard your husband say he has funds in an offshore account. I wonder he even knows what it is."

Caitlin also laughed and said, "Maybe he heard the term on the news. Setting up an offshore account requires a certain amount of money. Leon only gets $50 a day from me for living expenses. How could he possibly have money to set up an offshore account? Did he save up all his living expenses?"

"Then your husband is really good at managing his life," Matilda joked, and the three of them laughed again.

Leon heard their mockery but didn't get angry. Instead, he said to Caitlin, "Caitlin, if your company needs funds, I can help. I can give you $8 million."

As Leon said this, Matilda clutched her stomach and laughed out loud.

She was already dressed very provocatively, and her actions made her look even more alluring.

Matilda mocked, "Leon, are you joking with us? You have $8 million? $800 even sounds like a brag when you're drunk."

Leon said, "Matilda, are you so sure I don't have it? What if I do have $8 million?"

"If you really have $8 million, then I will obey your every command."

Leon calmly said, "I remember your words, Matilda. You said it yourself, so don't go back on it."