The Art of Wealth: I Became a Billionaire Chapter 46: Too Late to Undo

The words "Edward is dead," still hung in the air like smoke after an explosion.

Alex stood frozen with his mouth slightly open, looking from Raymond to Elliot as the truth started sinking in.

Elliot’s knees felt weak. A strange numbness traveled down his spine, almost like cold water. For a brief second, everything around him faded.

He’d spent the past week lashing out, angry at the n who fought for him. Bled for him. Died for him. He’s been avoiding everyone, acting like the only victim in the room.

Before Raymond could say another word, sothing inside Elliot didn’t just snap, it clicked. "I’m sorry," he whispered.

Raymond turned back slightly, surprised.

"I’m sorry..." Elliot said again, louder this ti. His voice cracked.

Raymond’s face was still hard, as if ready to unload all the frustration he’d been holding in.

But Elliot didn’t stop.

"I’m sorry that he died," he said shakily. "I’m sorry that... that I dragged everyone into this. I’m sorry I was even in the middle of it in the first place."

His eyes welled up. Tears rolled freely down his cheeks as he bent forward, placing both hands on the table in front of him. His head hung low, and his shoulders were trembling.

Alex, still grieving himself, moved closer and gently touched Elliot’s shoulder in a comforting way.

Raymond, standing only a few steps away, felt his anger drain out slowly. The fire in him died down. Maybe it was Elliot’s tone. Maybe it was the guilt in his eyes. Or maybe it was because deep down, he, too, had been afraid that all of this had been for nothing.

Raymond exhaled deeply. He turned his back, ready to leave the room.

But then...

"They’ll find soone else."

Elliot’s voice was low, almost like he was talking to himself. But it was enough to make Raymond stop in his tracks.

He turned back, narrowed his eyes. "You say what?"

Elliot slowly raised his head, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

"They’ll find soone else," he said clearly this ti. "Soone broken. Soone who has no one. Soone desperate and talented enough to be useful."

He looked up at Raymond with a haunted expression.

"That’s their system," he said bitterly. "They find people like that, they use them, mold them, weaponize them. And when they’re done, they throw them away."

Alex looked stunned. Even Raymond, the man who’d seen it all, didn’t speak imdiately.

Elliot continued, voice steadier now, like he was finally letting everything out.

"That’s how they work. And if you really want to take George down..." he paused. "You’ll have to use his thod. Infiltrate. Get inside. Beat him at his own ga."

He looked at Raymond, his expression hard but sad.

"Find soone like he would. Soone he’d want to use. But get to them first. Turn them before he does. That’s the only way you’ll crush him for good."

Raymond shook his head slowly, like he was still processing. "Wow," he muttered. "That’s... smart. But I’m not trying to crush him. Not yet."

Elliot didn’t hesitate.

"You don’t have a choice," he said, voice now calm but cold. "I heard sothing. Just before I escaped."

Raymond’s eyes locked on his.

"He got a direct order from the top," Elliot said. "To end you. This ti, for real."

Raymond was shaken, though he tried not to show it. He turned toward the door again, but now his steps were slower, more thoughtful.

"His last plan failed," Elliot added. "But he’s not done. He’ll co harder this ti. Even more brutal."

Raymond stopped at the door. He looked over his shoulder.

"Well then," he said, trying to sound casual, but his tone carried the weight of sothing bigger, sothing personal now.

"Thanks for the heads-up."

He opened the door slowly, then paused one more ti.

Without turning, he said, "And I’ll be back... for more of those."

And then he was gone.

Alex and Elliot stood in silence. Elliot slowly sank into the couch, his body heavy like it had been carrying years of hidden weight. He leaned his head back against the chair with his eyes gazing up at the ceiling.

Alex, who had been standing silently, watching every word and every tear, finally moved. He walked over to the sa couch but sat a few seats away, giving Elliot space. They sat there quietly for a few seconds, just breathing the sa heavy air.

Then in a low, almost hesitant voice, Alex spoke.

"Was that how they got you?" he asked. "You were broken... and had no one?"

Elliot didn’t respond imdiately. He just closed his eyes... Tightly.

And when he opened them again, sorrow filled the silence between them.

Alex looked down at his hands, as if trying to understand sothing too painful. "But we always welcod you," he said softly. "Sarah and I. At least we thought we did."

Elliot gave a small, broken smile, but it didn’t last.

"It was hard," he said, voice cracking as his eyes welled up again. "So damn hard. Realizing, again and again, that I was alone. Even when I wasn’t supposed to be. I kept fighting. I kept pushing. Telling myself every day, ’Hold on. Just one more day. Soday, it’ll all be okay.’"

He swallowed hard, looking away.

"I had dreams, Alex. Big dreams. I looked at the lives of people in tech, people building things, changing the world, and I imagined myself there. I told myself I could do it too. That I’d make it. That I’d be soone people talked about for the right reasons."

A tear slipped down his cheek.

"That dream kept alive. It gave strength. But..."

He paused.

"The world doesn’t care," Elliot continued, bitterness slipping into his voice. "The society doesn’t care how far you’ve co or how hard you’ve tried. It only sees what you lack, what you didn’t beco. Over and over I kept saying the sa thing to myself: You’ll be okay. Just keep going."

"But I kept losing it, Alex," he said, more desperately now. "I kept getting worse. Slipping deeper. And no one saw. No one helped. I didn’t even know how to ask."

His body trembled as he cried harder.

Even Alex had tears forming in his eyes now. He turned slightly toward Elliot, voice gentle but thick with emotion.

"You should have told us," he whispered. "You should have let us in. We would’ve been there."

Elliot shook his head slowly.

"You guys were happy..." he said through clenched teeth. "That was the first ti in a long while that you really smiled again. You had just accepted your mom wasn’t coming back... and for the first ti, you had peace. Sarah got into law school, her dream. She was so happy."

He turned to Alex with tired, glassy eyes. "I couldn’t take that away from you. I couldn’t pull you into my shredded world. Into the ss I was drowning in."

Alex felt sothing in his chest twist. He had always thought Elliot was distant, maybe moody. But he had no idea it was pain—silent, raging pain-that Elliot had been carrying alone.

"And then..." Elliot’s voice dropped.

"It happened. That was when George showed up. Like a light in the middle of all my darkness. Like... hope. He reached out his hand, and I... I took it."

He exhaled slowly.

"And that was it. I leaned in. I believed. I let him in. And the things I did..." his voice cracked. "God, Alex. The things I did. I wish I could take them all back. I wish I could erase them. But I can’t. I just can’t."

He buried his face in his hands, sobbing.

Alex couldn’t stay at the far end of the couch anymore. He moved closer, slowly. He sat right beside Elliot now and placed a steady hand on his shoulder.

"You’re not there anymore," Alex said gently. "You’re not with him anymore. It’s over."

Elliot didn’t look up, but the shaking in his body slowed. Deep down, he knew: It wasn’t over.