Blood Heir's Retribution,You Maxed Out the Wrong Black Card

For the three years I was studying abroad, the black card with no spending limit that I left for my son was maxed out every single month. At first, I told him that as long as he spent more than five million a month, I’d grant him any wish. As time went on, the card kept exceeding its limit, but he never made a single request. Every alert I got was either a luxury sports car every three days, a private estate every five days, or even more ridiculous, ninety-nine adult toys. I thought as long as my boy was happy spending money, I didn't care what weird hobbies he had. Until three days later, right after my plane touched down, I got a call saying my son had been hit by a car while collecting scrap metal on the street. He was in the hospital, unable to even pay his medical bills. While I was still reeling in shock, the nurse barked over the line: "Mr. Miller, I’ve never seen a father as neglectful as you. If you don't show up right now, you might never see your kid alive again!" I rushed to the hospital in a panic, only to see his broken, emaciated body. My heart shattered. But right then, my phone buzzed with an alert from the black card—a VIP spa purchase. I immediately stopped my assistant from canceling the card, letting out a dark chuckle. Loved swiping my card, did you? Then I'll let you spend until it kills you! I stepped off the plane holding the carefully chosen birthday gift, picturing the sweet smile on my son’s face when he saw the surprise. Instead, the moment I walked out of the terminal and unlocked my phone, I saw dozens of missed calls. The phone rang again, and I answered immediately. "This is Grace Hospital. Are you Caleb Miller's father?" "He was hit by a car yesterday while picking up discarded cans in the street. He was rushed to our emergency room." "He survived resuscitation, but someone needs to settle the bill." My mind went completely blank, struck by lightning. "That’s impossible," I blurted out. The nurse’s tone grew sharp and aggressive. "Don't try to dodge the bill. Get over here and pay right now, or we'll kick your kid out onto the curb to fend for himself." She slammed the phone down with a sharp click. Filled with panic and disbelief, I ordered my driver to speed toward the hospital. Why would Caleb be out collecting scrap? Even if he burned through cash, the nanny at home wouldn't dare starve him. And with that black card, how could he not afford his hospital bills? The second the car stopped, I sprinted straight to the ward, only to find my son lying there, skin and bones. His arm and right leg were broken, bound in thick plaster casts that made his already frail limbs look utterly withered. When he caught sight of me, his hollow, lifeless eyes instantly flooded with tears. I pulled him into my arms, gently patting his back. "Don't be scared, buddy. Dad's home." His face was covered in dark bruises and swelling, and his exposed skin was littered with scars. In just one year, my once bright and playful boy had been turned into a broken shell. Caleb's tears poured like an open floodgate. He buried his face in my shoulder, sobbing: "Dad, the nurse said today’s the deadline... If we don't pay, they’re gonna throw me out..." His tears burned against my skin, sending a jolt of pain through my chest. I stroked his hair and asked softly: "Didn't Dad leave you the black card? How could you have no money?" His small frame shuddered. Only after seeing the encouragement in my eyes did he whisper: "Hayley snatched my black card and gave it to Julian. Julian said I don't deserve to be the Miller heir, and I definitely don't deserve her." Hayley Wood was the daughter of our housekeeper, Martha. Julian was the boy mistakenly swapped with Caleb at birth years ago. Those two had always been close. People around us used to gossip that Hayley would become our future daughter-in-law. When Caleb was finally brought back to us, I sent Julian away to a separate luxury home with more than enough trust-fund money to last a lifetime, just so Caleb wouldn’t feel uneasy. I had done more than my duty. I never expected that pair of ungrateful vipers would dare lay a finger on my real son. I would make them regret ever being born. Looking at Caleb's trembling, frail state, a knife twisted in my heart. "Dad won't let them get away with this. From now on, no one will ever hurt you again." The words barely left my mouth when a sour-faced nurse barged in, tossing the invoice onto the bed. Her eyes were rolled so far up they almost disappeared. "Pay up right now. Don't think you can sneak out of this." I looked around the foul-smelling, cramped public ward, then at the filthy sheets beneath my son. My rage boiled over. One phone call was all it took. Within two minutes, the chief of medicine rushed in with dozens of senior doctors. The nurse’s face drained of color. "Your treatment of patients has violated our fundamental ethics. You are terminated on the spot," the director barked. After firing her, he bowed deeply to me, shaking with apologies. "Mr. Miller, this was our gross oversight. We deeply apologize for the mistreatment your son suffered." Only then did the nurse realize what kind of monster she had crossed. She started begging for mercy, but the guards dragged her out. I declined the hospital's offer to upgrade him to a luxury suite and made another call. In less than ten minutes, my private medical team arrived, safely wheeling Caleb into my private armored transport. My sharp, elite personal assistant clicked her heels behind me, delivering a hushed briefing. "While you were abroad, Hayley Wood launched her own startup. She claimed publicly to be your future daughter-in-law to secure corporate investments and client trust." "She claimed you'd hand the entire empire over to her sooner or later, and she poached numerous contracts from our subsidiaries." "She announced Julian was her only fiancé. Julian seized the properties you set aside for Caleb and kicked Caleb out of the family estate entirely."The more she spoke, the colder my face became. I had seen that Hayley was sharp as a kid, so I sent her to the best elite private schools and never skimped on her clothes, allowance, or lifestyle. Who would have thought giving a stray cat a warm bowl of milk would make it believe it owned the mansion? Julian lived the life of a billionaire heir in my son’s place for nearly two decades. Instead of feeling remorse, he stole what wasn’t his and threw my boy out like trash. I clenched my fists. It seemed they had forgotten what kind of ruthless man I really was. Nobody messes with Howard Miller's son and lives to tell the tale! Just then, another text popped up on my phone—another charge from the black card. I glanced at it: admission tickets to an exclusive underground auction. "Mr. Miller, should I freeze the black card right now?" my assistant asked. A cold smirk tugged at my lips. "No rush. Cancel it right before seven tonight." "Also, Caleb and I are attending the underground auction tonight." "Understood, Mr. Miller. I'll arrange it immediately," she replied respectfully. Loved money, didn't they? I was about to hand them a magnificent gift. "And investigate every single mark on Caleb’s body. Find out where those injuries came from." Thinking of the endless bruises on my boy, fury burned in my chest alongside agony. The deadly aura rolling off me seemed to frighten Caleb. He nervously tugged at the hem of my coat. "Dad... are you mad at me?" "I'm sorry, Dad. I promise I won't talk bad about Hayley anymore. I’ll give them whatever they want." "Please... just don't abandon me." Seeing his terrified, people-pleasing eyes, my throat tightened. What the hell had those monsters pumped into his head?! How could I ever abandon him?! "I’m not mad at you, buddy. I’m mad at myself for not protecting my own son." "Whatever belongs to you, nobody can steal. Why would I ever abandon you?" Hearing those words, his eyes instantly lit up, shining brighter than stars. Then his head drooped again, his voice dropping low. "But Hayley said you’d definitely prefer someone capable like Julian... She said if I wasn't obedient, I'd get shipped off." "She said she was hand-picked by you and Mom, and whoever she chooses gets to be the Miller heir." I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. Where the hell did Hayley Wood get such delusional confidence? She was a senior at Caleb's school, always projecting an image of an elite, top-tier student. Young boys easily fell for that innocent facade. Back then, afraid Caleb would feel isolated after just coming home, I allowed Hayley to stay at the estate to help look after him. Turns out, I had invited a viper into our home. I lifted Caleb's chin, staring into his tear-streaked eyes, and said with absolute authority: "Caleb Miller, you are the only true heir of both the Miller and Liang dynasties. Everything we own will belong to you." "There is no damn brother, and you don't need some manipulative girl to manage your life. You are the future CEO of this empire." "Got that?" The tension in his face slowly melted away, and he nodded firmly. That was more like it. At seven o'clock that evening, I walked into the lavish, nine-story underground auction hall in the city center with Caleb. Down here, anything in the world could be bought for the right price. "Welcome, distinguished guests. Please, this way to the private VIP penthouse on the third floor," the hostess bowed with deep deference the moment I flashed my obsidian crest. That crest wasn't something mere money could buy; it required obscene wealth and supreme power. No more than five people in the entire world held access to the third floor. Down on the first floor, millionaires sat on simple wooden chairs, squeezed together like commoners. "Eat up," I said, placing trays of rare delicacies and vintage drinks in front of Caleb. Looking through the one-way panoramic glass, I spotted Julian and Hayley down on the main floor. Julian was lounging in the center of the crowd like a king, surrounded by their entire prep school class. His skin was pampered and glowing, dressed in the latest custom runway suit. Then I looked back at my own emaciated, injured boy. It felt like a serrated blade was twisting repeatedly in my heart.The auction kicked off shortly after. Julian announced loudly that it was his birthday and he was sponsoring everyone in the class to have some fun. Every time he bid, I raised the price aggressively. "Who the hell is up on the third floor messin' with me?! Don't they know who the Millers are?!" Julian raged, watching a vintage diamond piece he bid one million on get bumped all the way to five million. "It's okay, babe. Money is just numbers to us. Once this is over, I'll have the staff bring them to you so you can vent," Hayley purred, comforting him while handing over my black card to keep his ego stroked. Seeing me continuously bid up the prices without taking anything, Caleb looked at me with hesitation. Thinking there was something he wanted, I reached into my coat and pulled out a black velvet box like a magic trick. "The stuff down there is junk. This is the real birthday gift Dad got for you." "See if you like it." He took it with trembling hands. Inside rested a rare, royal collector's edition timepiece—a piece worn by British royalty. It was priceless. Everything on the auction floor tonight combined couldn't buy a single screw on it. "This is way too expensive... I don't deserve it..." The boy didn't even dare touch it with his bare hands. I lifted it from the box and fastened it onto his wrist, my tone leaving no room for argument. "Only you deserve it. You will always be my precious son." Holding the watch like a holy relic, he wrapped his arms around me for the very first time. "Thank you, Dad." Thank you for not hating someone as broken as me. Warmth flooded my chest. I vowed right then to give him the world, and make sure every single person who touched him paid in blood. After chatting with him for a bit, I stepped away to take an urgent business call. When I returned to the balcony, I looked down—Caleb was surrounded on the first floor. "Caleb, Hayley didn't invite you! How shameless can you be, stalking us here?!" "Julian brought the whole class to see the high life tonight! He offered to pay for anyone who bids, but that definitely doesn't include a street rat like you!" "What kind of trash watch is on that dog paw? It looks so beat up and fake!" A short-haired girl violently ripped the watch off Caleb's wrist, tearing his skin and leaving a bleeding gash. "Look at him, still daydreaming about being an elite heir! How dare you still claim to be a Miller, haha!" A jock in an athletic jacket jeered, and the entire circle burst into mocking laughter, hurling insults like "leech," "parasite," and "fake." In the chaos, someone kicked away his walking crutch. Several hands shoved him violently, slamming him onto the marble floor. Seeing this, the mystery of the bruises and fractures on Caleb's body was instantly solved. Holding back a blinding wave of murderous rage, I started walking down the staircase while snapping photos with my phone. Normally, cameras were strictly banned here. But for me, rules didn't exist. I dialed a private number—a woman whose very name sent chills through both the corporate elite and the international underworld. "Miss me, darling? Did Caleb love his surprise?"If outsiders ever heard the cold-blooded matriarch of the Liang syndicate speak in such a teasing tone, they'd wake up screaming from nightmares. "Check the pictures I just sent you." "Our biological son was beaten so badly he ended up in the ER. Get here. Now." A pause stretched for two seconds. When she spoke again, her voice sounded like cracking ice from a glacier. "Hold down the fort. I'm on my way." The line went dead. I knew those kids were done for. Evelyn wasn't like me; when she snapped, she burned worlds to ashes. They would spend the rest of their lives repenting in agony. Down on the floor, dozens of students in Oakridge Academy uniforms towered over Caleb, pushing him back down every time he tried to push himself up. "Give my watch back!" "I came with my dad! I didn't follow you guys!" Pinned to the floor, Caleb yelled with raw fury. A girl with curly hair scoffed as if hearing the punchline of a joke, examining the timepiece in her hand. "Your dad? The same bum who scavenges trash with you? He couldn't even crawl through the front door of this place unless he's servicing some filthy old cougar." "Shut your mouth! Don't you dare insult my dad!" Hearing her trash-talk his father, the boy went wild. He lunged forward despite having a fistful of his hair yanked out, violently snatching the watch back. He slammed back to the ground, panting heavily like a cornered beast, glaring at the curly-haired girl with murder in his eyes. Shaken by his ferocity, she instinctively took a step back. "Listen up, everyone! Ten grand for every hit on him tonight! When my dad comes back, I'll even have him throw business contracts to your families!" Dressed in a bespoke tuxedo, Julian walked out from behind the crowd, holding Hayley tightly in his arms. She wore a pristine white designer dress, leaning against him affectionately. The moment he said that, the students' eyes flashed with greed. Clearly, this wasn't the first time he had placed a "bounty" on Caleb. "You got it, Julian! I just learned a few new Muay Thai moves; I'll make sure you get your money's worth!" The curly-haired girl smiled subserviently. She unclipped the thick, thumb-wide silver chain from her designer shoulder bag. "Hayley, you wouldn't feel bad for him, would you?" Julian asked, feigning hesitation as he looked down at the girl in his arms. Hayley, always playing the pure, virtuous goddess, didn't even flinch. "Whatever makes you happy, babe. He was born to crawl in the dirt anyway." Hearing the senior girl he had crushed on for years utter such heartless words, the fire in Caleb's eyes died into cold ash. "Hayley's the best," Julian beamed. The jock beside him immediately chimed in to stroke his ego. "Julian's mom is the head of the Liang syndicate, and his dad is the sole heir to the Miller empire! He and Goddess Hayley are a match made in heaven. He's born with a diamond spoon in his mouth. Caleb isn't even fit to shine his shoes!" Julian laughed louder, thoroughly intoxicated by the praise. "You brought this on yourself, Caleb. Trying to hit on my fiancé, pretending to be a Miller... Did you really think you could mess with the real deal?" The curly-haired girl swung the heavy silver chain back, ready to lash it across Caleb's face.