At the time, survival was all I knew. My wife had left after our youngest son’s medical bills piled up, I’d lost my job, and every day felt like a battle I was destined to lose. My children—Lily, Jace, and Noah—were stronger than I was in many ways, enduring nights in the van with bravery I couldn’t always find in myself. That gas station moment was supposed to be nothing more than another small sacrifice. Instead, it was the turning point that connected me to a man whose life was ending, but whose legacy was just beginning.

The very next day, an attorney showed up at our van with news that seemed impossible. The frail old man I had helped was actually Walter, the head of a massive company worth billions. He had passed away overnight, but not before leaving behind instructions in his will that shocked everyone—he wanted me, a complete stranger, to inherit his business. Suddenly, I went from having nothing to holding the keys to an empire. But with that gift came fierce opposition, especially from Walter’s only son, who believed everything should have been his.