Ethan stared at the words, expression unreadable. His thumb hovered over the reply button, then stopped. He slipped the phone back into his pocket. A faint smile curved his lips not of joy, but of something sharper. Something colder.If this is just the beginning, he thought, then let the games begin. Above him, thunder rumbled in the distance. The storm was coming.The rain hadn’t started yet, but the clouds above Lugard Ford churned black. Ethan walked alone across the empty courtyard, his shoes splashing through shallow puddles left from the morning drizzle.A single figure waited by the gates an old man in a black suit, posture straight as a blade. His hair was silver, but his eyes sharp, glowing like steel under the lamplight. “Grandfather,” Ethan said quietly.The old man’s voice carried authority that no storm could drown. “You endured.” Ethan didn’t answer. He still heard Selena’s laughter echoing in his skull, still felt Damien’s hand gripping her waist like a brand.The old

He stood near the tall windows, gazing at the estate grounds. His reflection stared back at him: composed, unreadable. But every whispered laugh behind him was a blade against his spine.Footsteps approached. Slow. Purposeful. Victor Hale. A smirk tugged his lips as he swirled the last of his wine. “Well, cousin… congratulations. The pauper’s finally king.”Ethan turned, voice calm. “And yet, you sound disappointed.”Victor chuckled. “Disappointed? Hardly. Amused, maybe. Do you really think a few signatures make you fit to rule? You were washing dishes a week ago. Now you expect titans to bow to you?”The words were venom, but Ethan’s eyes didn’t flicker. “Better a pauper who earned his throne than a coward who hides behind his family’s shadow.”The nearby relatives froze. The insult cut deep, Victor’s entire career had been built on his father’s name.Victor’s smirk vanished. He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a growl. “Watch your tongue. You might be heir, but one mistake, and

He stood at the window of his private study, the anonymous text still fresh in his mind: “By tonight, your empire will bleed.”His reflection stared back at him calm, collected, but beneath the mask, a predator waiting for the first move. The estate was too quiet. A soft knock sounded. His head turned. “Enter.”It was Raymond, the family’s old steward. Bent with age, loyal as stone. “Sir, the security teams have doubled their patrols, per your order. But… something feels off. The air, perhaps.”Ethan studied the old man. Raymond never used words carelessly. “Keep the staff on high alert. No one enters or leaves without my approval. "Raymond bowed. “Yes, young master.”When the door closed again, Ethan turned back to the window. The gardens outside shimmered in moonlight. Shadows pooled under the trees, long and black. Too long. They’re already here.The first explosion came from the east wing. Glass shattered. Alarms screamed. Ethan spun on his heel as another blast rattled the chande

Morning crept across the Hale estate, but the night’s scars still burned. The east wing lay in ruins. Walls blackened by smoke. Windows shattered. Guards doubled at every gate.Ethan hadn’t slept. He sat at the long dining table, the weight of silence pressing down on the dozen relatives seated across from him.Victor sat two chairs away, still pale from last night’s gas, his eyes flicking nervously to every shadow. The elders murmured among themselves, voices sharp with accusation.Uncle Garrick slammed a fist on the table. “Masked men breach our walls, bombs in our halls, and you tell us nothing? Ethan, what kind of heir allows wolves into the heart of the Hale estate?”Ethan’s gaze was steady, his voice cold. “The kind of heir who survived the night. Which is more than they planned for me.” Gasps rippled.Lady Miriam, silver hair coiled tight, leaned forward, her eyes like steel. “You suggest an inside hand helped them? That one of us is traitor?”Ethan’s eyes swept the table, catc

Victor slammed his palms on the table, his voice cracking. “Stop! Stop it before they kill each other!” All eyes whipped back to Ethan. Silence fell.Lady Miriam leaned forward, her gaze like steel needles. “Then name them. Who did you see?” Ethan’s silence was deliberate. He let it stretch until it snapped tight around every throat in the room.Finally, he said, “I won’t name them yet. Not until I’ve cut away every doubt. When I do, there will be no escape for them.”The air thickened. The relatives shifted, each one calculating, each one sweating in silence. Garrick growled, “Then this is theatre. Smoke and mirrors. You saw nothing.” Ethan’s eyes sharpened. “Is that fear in your voice, Garrick?”The older man surged to his feet. “Fear? Of you? Don’t flatter yourself, boy. If anything, I fear for this family under your weak leadership.”The insult cut deep, but Ethan didn’t flinch. Instead, he leaned forward, calm as death. “Then let’s test it.” Garrick froze. “Test… what?”“Loyalty,