Rise Of The Hidden Heir

Baracio Delano, or Bara, is a young man of mixed blood. His father, Delano Mikhail, was an American who owned the largest construction company in his country (BARCIO ASIAN CORPORATE), while his mother, Nai Xin Luo, was of Chinese descent.

Bara experienced a terrible tragedy at a young age. When he was just ten years old, his parents had an accident on their way to the wedding of his father's adopted sister, Nayzilla. Bara's parents died in the accident, leaving Bara as the only survivor.

The whole country mourned the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Delano, who held the highest position and wealth in the nation. Moreover, Mr. Delano had been known for his generosity.

Since his parents' passing, Bara became quiet and rarely spoke.

Mr. Delano Mikhail's attorney, Li Zhang Wei, immediately announced the will that had previously been made by Mr. Delano along with his notary, Mr. Abraham.

Attorney Li Zhang Wei revealed that the heirs to Mr. Delano Mikhail's fortune were his younger sister Nayzilla and his only son, Baracio Delano. His sister would receive twenty percent of the inheritance, while his son Baracio would receive eighty percent-but only after Baracio reached the age of twenty. In the meantime, Nayzilla would manage the company and oversee all assets so that Bara could grow up peacefully.

From that moment on, Bara lived under the care and supervision of Aunt Nayzilla and Uncle Burhan. His uncle led and controlled his father's company since Nayzilla entrusted everything to her husband.

After becoming the leader of Barcio Asian Corporate, Burhan immediately replaced three important staff members who had always loyally accompanied Mr. Delano-his assistant, secretary, and personal driver.

---

"Bara! Bara!" shouted Nayzilla while knocking repeatedly on Bara's door.

Click!

The door opened easily when she tried it.

"Unlocked?!" she muttered in surprise before stepping inside to wake her nephew.

"Bara! Wake up! It's six in the morning. Aren't you going to your graduation today?!" she said, nudging him. Bara, however, didn't move.

"Bar-"

"Okay, Auntie... I'm awake. Don't nag," Bara replied, already awake but pretending to sleep so she would think he wasn't.

"You brat! So you were fooling me?!" Nayzilla exclaimed jokingly as Bara burst into laughter.

"I'm not fooling you, Aunt. I'm just teasing you," Bara said with a chuckle.

"Hahaha! Same thing. Fine, now get ready. Your uncle and I will accompany you to the graduation. Happy now?" she asked with a smile at her now-grown-up nephew.

"Really?! All right, I'll be down soon. Just give me a minute," Bara said before jumping out of bed and heading excitedly to the bathroom.

Nayzilla smiled at Bara's excitement after hearing her words. It wasn't the graduation that made Bara happy-he simply missed having his parents by his side.

After snapping him out of his thoughts, Nayzilla stepped out of Bara's room and headed downstairs to meet her husband, Burhan Wiratama.

"Are you ready?" she asked upon seeing her husband already sitting comfortably on the sofa.

"Yes, I'm just waiting for breakfast," Burhan replied without even looking at his wife.

"Oh, okay. I'll get ready then," Nayzilla said before walking away.

As soon as she left, Burhan took out his phone, which he had quickly hidden when he heard her voice.

"Hello. You're ready, right?" Burhan whispered into the phone.

"Good. See you there. Don't mess anything up," he said before putting his phone back into his pocket.

In his room, Bara stepped out of the bathroom and immediately put on the suit his aunt had prepared the night before.

"Today is the result of everything. I'm about to graduate and start fulfilling the responsibilities my parents entrusted to me. I hope everything goes well," Bara muttered while fixing his hair. Once satisfied, he picked up his phone.

DRRTT!

"Hello, Dear," a woman's voice greeted him.

"Claudia, will you come to my graduation?" Bara asked-turns out he was calling his girlfriend.

"Of course. I'll be waiting there, Honey," she replied.

"Okay, I'm leaving soon. See you there," Bara said with a happy smile.

"Okay, Dear," Claudia replied before ending the call.

"She's the only woman I love besides Aunt Nay. She'll be my lifelong partner," Bara thought excitedly, imagining the bright future ahead.

Bara then walked to the dining table where his aunt and uncle were waiting for breakfast.

"Good morning, Uncle. Did you wait long?" Bara asked as he took his seat.

"No, we just sat down. Let's eat, or we'll be late. What time does it start, Bara?" his aunt asked, recalling that Bara said the event was early in the morning.

"Eight o'clock. It's only seven now," Bara said, checking his watch.

"I'm just worried about traffic. It's rush hour," she said with concern.

"It's okay. Don't worry."

"Fine. Let's eat quickly," she said.

They finished breakfast swiftly before heading out and getting into their car.

Upon arriving at Hotel XN, they got out in the lobby while the driver went to park.

"Uncle Burhan, Aunt Nay, I'm going to the restroom for a moment. You can go ahead into the hall," Bara said as he walked away.

On his way, walking quickly, Bara accidentally bumped into a girl who seemed to be in a hurry as well.

BRUUGH!

The girl fell.

She immediately looked at the person who bumped into her. Bara, however, simply stood still, not offering a hand to help.

"Typical arrogant rich brat. You bumped into me and act like you did nothing wrong," the girl muttered under her breath, glaring at him.

"What did you say?! You're the one who bumped into me!" Bara snapped with a frown.

The girl stood up, shot him a sharp look, and rolled her eyes before walking away.

Bara continued toward the restroom, needing to pass several rooms since it was far down the hall. After a long walk, he finally reached it and went inside.

When he finished and headed back through the long hallway to meet his aunt and uncle, he passed a room and suddenly heard a conversation-one that mentioned his name.

Curious, Bara approached the door and listened.

"Of course. He thinks I'm his girlfriend now, but I'm not. It's only for the money. Where do you think all the money I transferred to you came from? Bara is rich-it's an opportunity for me too," a woman said.

"Yes, I trust you. But don't forget the transfer tonight. I still need to pay my rent, Babe," a man replied.

"Okay, anything for you, Babe," the woman said again before kissing him.

Bara froze.

Then, unable to hold himself back, he pushed the door open.

His eyes widened.

The man and woman, who had been making out, turned toward the door in shock.

"B-Bara?!" the woman gasped.

"So this is what you've been doing, Claudia?! Perfect!"

...

After saying those words, Bara immediately walked toward the hall, searching for his uncle and aunt. Still shaken and devastated, he looked around the crowded room until he finally spotted Burhan and Nay sitting in the front row. Bara quickly approached them.

"Come, sit here. The event will start soon," Aunt Nay said, pulling him closer.

Bara sat down without saying a word, which made his aunt suspicious.

"What's wrong, Bara? Are you feeling unwell?" she asked, placing her hand on his forehead.

"No, Aunt," Bara replied flatly, without even a hint of a smile.

Burhan's phone vibrated in his pocket, and he quickly took it out before stepping outside to answer the call.

"What?" Burhan asked coldly.

"What?! Are you insane?! I've paid you so much already, and at the final stage you dare ruin my plan on purpose?! Listen carefully-I won't pay the rest!" he hissed, eyes blazing.

Still fuming, Burhan immediately racked his brain, searching for another way to secure every bit of Bara's parents' inheritance.

Suddenly, an idea came to him. He quickly dialed a number and spoke for quite a while. When the call ended, Burhan smirked with satisfaction before returning to his seat as though nothing had happened.

The graduation Bara had imagined turned out to be far from what he expected. After witnessing his girlfriend making out with another man, Bara realized that life was not as beautiful as he once believed. One thing became painfully clear-most women only cared about money and status.

In college, every woman had chased after him the moment they learned he was the son of a billionaire who would inherit his fortune at the age of twenty. Only one woman didn't pursue him like the others-Claudia. Yet she turned out to be even worse than all of them.

After the photo session and gathering ended, Bara left the hall with his uncle and aunt, suppressing his deep disappointment.

"Bara, this is the son of a well-known contractor in our country," Burhan said, introducing him to a woman.

Bara, lost in thought, simply stared at her hand when she offered it to him. He didn't shake it.

"Bara, be polite! This woman will be your soulmate for the rest of your life," Burhan snapped angrily.

Bara froze at his uncle's words. Aunt Nay, too, frowned in disbelief.

"Who is this woman? Bara's girlfriend?" she asked.

"No. She's not his girlfriend. She's the daughter of my best friend, and I've agreed to match the two of them," Burhan replied sternly, though it sounded forced.

"What?! Bara just graduated-he's still so young. Let him choose his own partner someday! There's no need to rush," Aunt Nay argued, sounding upset. She clearly objected to her husband's decision, especially since he hadn't discussed it with her at all.

"Everything will go according to my decision!" Burhan insisted.

"No! Y-" Aunt Nay tried to protest, but Bara cut in.

"It's okay, Aunt. Just let it be. It's all up to Uncle. I'm going home first," Bara said, unable to handle the argument any longer. He knew that whenever Uncle Burhan didn't get his way, he would endlessly scold his aunt. Bara was tired of seeing her mistreated, but he felt powerless.

Bara walked out of the hotel and immediately took a taxi home. When he arrived, he locked himself in his room for the rest of the day.

When evening came, Aunt Nay knocked on his door.

"Bara, open the door, son," she called softly.

Click! Bara opened it.

"Come downstairs for dinner," she said gently.

"Okay. I'll be down in a minute. You go ahead first," Bara replied with a small smile.

He hated his uncle's behavior-the constant selfishness and pressure. But he couldn't oppose him openly, because his aunt would be the one to suffer.

Bara came downstairs and sat at the dining table without greeting his uncle or aunt. He quickly served himself food, wanting to finish early and escape the tense atmosphere.

But just as he stood up after eating, Burhan stopped him.

"Bara, sit down. I need to talk."

Bara froze, then reluctantly sat back down.

"Your wedding will be held tomorrow. Everything is already arranged," Burhan said casually.

"Burhan, have you lost your mind?! What are you doing? No! I don't agree!" Aunt Nay shouted, unable to tolerate her husband's outrageous behavior.

"This is all for the good of our company. You don't understand-our company is currently going through difficult times. Morissa's father has been helping us all this time," Burhan said seriously.

In reality, the wealth left by Mr. Delano wouldn't run out even after seven generations.

"You think Bara is a girl? What about his dignity? You're treating him like you're selling him!" Aunt Nay growled, shocked by her husband's heartlessness.

"That's enough. It's up to Uncle. I'm going to my room. Good night," Bara said quietly. His disappointment was obvious, but he hid his feelings as always.

He climbed the stairs and went into his room.

For a long time, Bara sat on his sofa, deep in thought, breathing heavily.

"If this is truly my destiny... then I'll accept it sincerely," he whispered before getting up and lying on his bed.

Exhausted, he eventually fell asleep.

---

The next morning, everything was ready. A white tuxedo complete with a tie had been placed at Bara's door.

Bara, who had been awake since early morning, sat on his bed wondering if it was really true-that he would be married at such a young age, without even inviting any of his friends.

Knock... knock... knock!

Click. Aunt Nay slowly opened the door.

"Son... are you really going to follow your uncle's one-sided decision? Auntie won't be angry if you reject this. Auntie will always support whatever you choose, Bara. So please... say no," she pleaded, standing at the doorway with a devastated expression.

...

"Yes, Aunt, it's okay. I am getting married," said Bara, making his aunt fall silent in disappointment for a moment.

They went to the church, and the bride was already there.

Burhan Wiratama walked forward, took Bara's hand, and led him to stand before the Pastor-right beside the bride, whose face was still covered by her veil. The Pastor immediately began the blessing ceremony.

The ceremony proceeded smoothly, and once it was over, they all went straight to Bara's father's hotel, The NaiLuo Hotel, built so luxuriously by Mr. Delano Mikhail as a gift for the fifth anniversary of his marriage to his beloved wife, Nai Xin Luo.

Bara's wedding reception was held at four in the afternoon. The large crowd made Bara visibly tense, but he tried to calm his pounding heart. He forced himself to act naturally as he slowly accepted the fact that he was now the husband of a beautiful woman named Morissa, who sat beside him.

After the extravagant reception ended, Burhan Wiratama-drunk and ranting-became uncontrollable. Aunt Nay finally decided they should stay at the hotel, and their room was not far from Bara's bridal suite.

Bara helped escort his uncle to his room on the third floor, and the two were seen going upstairs together.

After dropping off his uncle and aunt, Bara and Morissa went to their room. The moment the door closed, Morissa immediately stripped off her clothes in front of Bara and began touching him, even though he was still fully dressed in his black tuxedo.

Her aggressiveness shocked Bara.

How could a respectable woman act like this?! he wondered in disbelief.

"Sorry, Morissa. I want to go downstairs for a moment. I think I left my phone on the table," Bara said, grasping for an excuse.

"What?! Oh... whatever."

Bara hurried out of the room and went downstairs to get some fresh air in the front garden.

Meanwhile, an increasingly impatient Morissa sent a message to Burhan Wiratama:

"Come here, I'm left alone."

– MORISSA

Burhan, who had just awakened from thirst, immediately saw the message.

Glancing at his wife, Nayzilla, who was sleeping soundly, Burhan quietly slipped out of his room and walked toward the bridal suite of Bara and the woman he had paid.

When he opened the door and peeked inside, he confirmed that Bara was not there, even though it was already one in the morning.

He entered, closed the door slowly, and walked straight toward Morissa, who was lying on the bed, waiting for the middle-aged man who had paid her handsomely.

Without hesitation, Burhan stripped off his clothes and had intercourse with the woman who was now legally his nephew's wife.

Meanwhile, Bara-sleepiness finally creeping in-returned upstairs. He assumed his wife had already fallen asleep and thought he would be safe from her dangerous seduction, which contrasted sharply with her calm appearance.

As he approached his room, he faintly heard moans and gasps. He thought they came from another room.

But when Bara opened the door, the sounds grew unmistakably clear.

His eyes widened. His heart froze.

There, in plain sight, his wife Morissa was on top of Uncle Burhan-riding him relentlessly.

Bara's blood boiled instantly. Not out of anger toward Morissa-no. But because of the unbearable pain caused by his uncle's betrayal of Aunt Nay.

Questions exploded in Bara's mind.

Why would his uncle betray his aunt?

Why would Uncle Burhan have an affair with a married woman-one who was said to be the daughter of his best friend?

What exactly had Uncle Burhan been planning for his life?

If Bara confronted him now, how would Aunt Nay feel?

What if she went insane and killed herself?

What if the company collapsed due to the scandal-when his uncle was the one managing it all this time?

Dozens of questions surfaced in his mind, forcing Bara to hold himself back with all his strength so he wouldn't make a sound.

Bara rushed out of the place and took a taxi home. Throughout the ride, his thoughts were in chaos. As he replayed everything in his mind, Bara suddenly understood that his uncle had intended to trap him and ruin his life.

Or... was there another motive behind all of this?

I don't care if Uncle Burhan ruins my life! I don't care if he treats me like a tool or a puppet! I don't care if he wants to take all of my parents' inheritance-he can have it! But why... why did he have the heart to destroy Aunt Nay's life so cruelly?! Bara screamed inside his mind. His jaw tightened, and his fists clenched.

When he arrived home, the guards at the gate were startled to see their young master looking so unlike his usual self, but none dared to question him.

Bara went upstairs to his room. He packed his clothes and the belongings left by his parents that he had kept neatly all this time. Then he went downstairs, carrying two suitcases in his strong arms.

The usually obedient and gentle Bara had transformed entirely. Determination burned in his eyes, his jaw tightened, his posture straightened, and his body looked stronger. Yes-Bara had finally regained the courage buried deep within him since the day he watched his parents die before his eyes.

He left in the taxi that had waited for him. He had decided to leave home and seek the truth about his life. What had really been happening all this time?

Bara got out of the taxi and walked toward his parents' grave-a place that resembled a palace. It was his aunt who had ordered her people to build such a magnificent resting place, intending it to one day become a refuge for anyone lost or stranded at night. She had done it to honor her adoptive brother's kindness, for he had always been generous and loved helping others.

When Bara arrived, the clock had struck four in the morning. Unable to contain his anger and frustration any longer, he screamed out everything that had suffocated his heart.

"AHHH!!!"

"AAAHHH!!!"

After releasing his anguish, Bara walked inside and approached his parents' graves.

"Dad... Mom... I miss you-Bara really, really misses you," he whispered weakly, touching the tombstones of his parents standing side by side.

Bara sat quietly between their graves for a long time. When his eyelids began to droop and sleep crept in, he faintly heard the sound of someone crying.

He opened his eyes. He almost fell back asleep, but the sound came again.

Bara blinked several times and gently tapped his head, trying to pull himself out of what he thought was a hallucination.

...