“You were brilliant, but easy to control. You had no powerful family, no influence, and no leverage, and my father called our marriage the safest investment the company ever made.” Ryan stared at her in shock, but her words didn't soften. “Your inventions were not only the return but your blood as well,” she finished. Ryan opened his mouth, but nothing came out; only a broken laugh escaped, weaker this time. He felt his eyes burn as reality settled in. Six years of marriage reduced to business terms. “All I ever wanted was to give you everything," Ryan's voice cracked with pain. “And you did,” Zoula replied. “You gave my son a kidney.” Ryan’s world shattered. Like glass breaking endlessly around him Before the full weight of the betrayal could settle, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway. Two nurses rushed into the room, panic visible even through their masks. Behind them stood two men in dark suits, members of the Zhou family’s private security. Zoula’s smile vanished whe

The diner was called Mel's, and the smell hit Ryan before he was through the door. The room lingered with grease and coffee and something sweet, pancakes maybe, and for a moment he thought he might actually cry.He couldn't. Crying was for people who still had tears left.Harrison led them to a booth in the back away from the windows and other customers. Ryan slid in, and the vinyl squeaked beneath him. The contrast was almost funny: this clean, bright place with its checkered floors and gleaming counters and him, still carrying grave dirt in places he couldn't wash out.A waitress appeared by their side. Her dyed blonde hair was going dark at the roots, and her tired eyes had seen too many early mornings and too-small tips. She shifted her gaze to Ryan, and her expression changed from "customer" to "problem" that he’d seen a hundred times since crawling out of that hole."What can I get you?" Her voice was flat, not rude, but close.Harrison spoke before Ryan could. "Two of everythin

Ryan sat motionless with the device feeling heavy in his hand. The diner sounds returned, forks clattering, someone laughing, and the waitress asking another table if they wanted dessert.Harrison, with his coffee untouched and long-cold, waited patiently.Minutes passed, and Ryan didn't move."Zhou is buying Aether?" he finally spoke, and his voice didn't sound like his own."Next month. The final signatures are scheduled for the 15th," Harrison replied, with a quiet and careful tone. "If they succeed, everything your father built becomes theirs, including the evidence he collected.""Evidence that could destroy them." He raised his gaze again."Yes,” Harrisson replied.Ryan's hands were shaking again, not from hunger this time, but from something bitterer, heavier. Rage against Zoula, Christopher, and the hospital."They buried me alive," he whispered as if he were finally coming to terms with reality.Harrison's face tightened. "I know."“What!” Ryan looked up sharply. "You know?"

The words hung in the air like smoke, ones that Ryan's brain refused to process. Sister? He didn't have a sister. He was an only child. His mother had told him a hundred times."I don't have a sister,” Ryan repeated, forcing out a breath."You do." Harrison's voice was quiet but firm. "Half-sister. Your father's daughter with the woman he was forced to marry. The Volkov daughter."The name hit like a physical blow, and Ryan's chest tightened."Her name is Katerina Volkov," Harrison continued. "She's eighteen years old and was born three years after your father was forced into marriage. She's been with the Volkov family her entire life."Ryan's hands curled into fists beneath the table. "And you're just telling me this now?""I'm telling you now because you're ready, and tomorrow, you'll see her." Harrison's eyes were steady. "She's part of the deal to merge Aether with Zhou Industries. The Volkovs are using her as leverage. If the merger goes through, she gets a seat on the board, but

She turned to Ryan. "Sir, please accept our sincerest apologies. Your entire stay will be complimentary—""I don't need free rooms." Ryan's voice was ice. "I need to know that when I come down tomorrow, I won't be greeted by someone who judges people by their clothes instead of their card."Ms. Voss nodded slowly. I turned to the blonde."Clean out your locker."The blonde burst into tears, real tears, streaming down her perfect face. "Please! I have bills, I have rent, I have a daughter. I can't lose this job—""Should have thought of that before you treated a guest like garbage." Ms. Voss's voice was final. "Security will escort you out."Two men in suits appeared from nowhere. Took the blonde by the arms. Led her away, sobbing, past the crowd of guests who watched in stunned silence.No one spoke or moved. The only sound was the blonde's sobbing, fading as she was pushed through the lobby doors.Ms. Voss turned back to Ryan. Her face was professionally blank, but something flickere