Ethan's POVThe Sterling estate's dining room could have fit my old apartment three times over. Crystal chandeliers hung from ceilings painted with scenes I didn't recognize. Probably something historical. Probably worth more than I'd ever earned in my life.I sat across from my grandfather, still getting used to calling him that. Sterling Cross. My blood. My family.He looked smaller tonight than he had this morning. Frailer. The overhead lighting cast shadows under his eyes that made him look ancient."You're not eating," he said, gesturing at my plate. Some kind of fish with sauce I couldn't pronounce. "The chef will be offended.""I'm still not used to this." I picked up my fork. Heavy. Silver. Real silver, probably. "Two days ago I was eating ramen in a hotel room. Now I'm here.""You belong here." His voice was firm despite his age. "This is your birthright, Ethan. Everything you see, everything Zenith Corporation owns, it should have been yours from the beginning."I took a bit

Ethan's POVThe safe house smelled like dust and old furniture. Sophia had rushed me here in an unmarked car, taking routes through the city I'd never seen. No phones allowed. No communication with anyone except her encrypted radio."How long do I have to stay here?" I asked, watching through blackout curtains as her security team swept the perimeter."As long as it takes." Sophia was on her tablet, fingers flying across the screen. "The estate is a crime scene. Police are crawling all over it. We can't risk you being there when they start asking questions.""What about my grandfather?""Stable and unconscious. The medical team moved him to a private facility under a false name." She didn't look up from her screen. "The poison was a custom compound and it was designed to mimic a heart attack. If Dr. Kim hadn't recognized the symptoms, he'd be dead."I sank into the couch with springs creaking under my weight. This place was nothing like the hotel suite or the estate. This was bare wal

Ethan's POV"Dad!"Michael's scream tore through the warehouse as Gerald's body hit the concrete. The sound echoed off the walls, bouncing back at us like an accusation.I stood frozen, watching the blood pool beneath Gerald's chest. Dark. Spreading fast."No, no, no." Michael dropped the gun. It clattered across the floor. He fell to his knees beside his father. "Dad, wake up. Please wake up."Gerald's eyes were open. Staring at the ceiling. His breathing came in short, wet gasps.I finally moved, dropping beside them. "Someone call an ambulance!""Already done," Sophia's voice came through my earpiece. "ETA seven minutes."Seven minutes. I looked at the blood. At the hole in Gerald's chest. Seven minutes might as well be seven hours."Dad, I'm sorry." Michael pressed his hands over the wound. Blood seeped between his fingers. "I didn't mean to. I swear I didn't mean to."Gerald's hand moved. Weak. Trembling. It found Michael's arm and gripped it."Michael," he whispered. His voice w

Ethan's POV"She's on every channel."Sophia threw the remote control across the room. It hit the wall and clattered to the floor. On the screen, Lena sat on a talk show couch, dabbing her eyes with a tissue."He was obsessed with me," Lena said to the host. "From the very beginning. I tried to be kind, tried to let him down gently, but he wouldn't accept it.""This is the third interview today," Sophia said. "Morning shows. Afternoon talk shows. Tonight she's scheduled for prime time news."I watched Lena perform. Because that's what it was. Just a performance. The tears came at exactly the right moments. Her voice broke at precisely calculated intervals."He would show up at my apartment unannounced," Lena continued. "He'd buy me expensive gifts I never asked for. He made me feel guilty for not loving him the way he wanted."The host leaned forward. "Like the Dior handbag?""Yes." Lena reached beside her, pulling out the purse. The same one I'd bought for Valentine's Day. "He spent

Ethan's POV"Welcome, Ethan Sterling."The voice echoed through the empty warehouse. I couldn't see who uttered the expression. The space was spacious, dark except for a single light in the center. It illuminated a chair, and in that chair sat my grandfather."Grandfather!" I started running toward him."Stop." The voice was calm and commanding. "Just try another step and I'll help you put a bullet in his skull."I froze, sweat dripping under my underwear like a flood. My heart hammered against my ribs."That's even better." A figure stepped into the light. Older man, he should be in his 70’s. He wore an expensive suit, and his silver hair was perfectly styled. He walked with the composure of someone who'd never faced any shit in his life. "Do you know who I am?""Victor Blackwell.""Very good." He let out a fake smile which didn't reach his eyes. "I've wanted to meet you for so long. The lost Sterling heir, who should have stayed lost."I looked at my grandfather. His face was bruise