Sophia stared at the glowing screen on the nightstand. Gary Morgan. The name had not appeared on her phone in four years. Her father vanished one night with every dollar he could carry and left behind nothing but gambling debts and a dead grandfather who could not survive the shock.Diane ripped the blanket off her tear soaked face and sat bolt upright."Answer it," Diane screamed. "Put it on speaker so I can curse that worthless dog until his ears bleed."Sophia's trembling finger pressed the speakerphone button. A cheerful, booming voice filled the hospital room instantly."Hello, my beautiful daughter," the voice sang out. "This is Slick Gary speaking. Your father has returned.""Slick Gary?" Sophia repeated. Her brow furrowed deeply."I changed my name," Gary explained with breezy confidence. "Slick Gary suits a man of my current stature much better. I am now the personal advisor to the Prince of Sha Kingdom."Diane's face went from grief to volcanic fury in less than a second."Y

AJ sat on the overturned bucket in the fishing boat cabin, his brown eyes wide and earnest."I really am a prince," AJ said. He pressed one sardine stained hand against his chest. "My family ruled for three generations before the coup. I simply fell on difficult times."Slick Gary clapped him on the shoulder with a warm, encouraging grin."That is exactly the spirit, Your Highness," Gary said. "To fool others, you must first believe it yourself. And you already do, which makes our job much easier."Richard leaned forward on his bucket, his sunburned face carrying the intense focus of a man whose survival depended on the next forty eight hours."Our next stop is the Harlow Furniture woodworking factory," Richard said. "I need to rush produce a batch of high end furniture to dress up the prince's image.""We do not have a dollar between us," Gary pointed out. His grin did not falter."I paid our boat fare by prying out one of my own gold teeth," Richard reminded him, tapping the fresh g

Nathan stepped through the cafeteria door and froze the moment he saw Victoria and Ethan sitting together at the table. His eyes went wide and his mouth hung open for a full two seconds before he managed to speak."Victoria?" Nathan blinked hard as if checking whether he was dreaming. "What are you doing at my factory?"Victoria stood up and smiled at her cousin. She had not seen him in almost two weeks, and the change in his appearance was noticeable. His usually neat hair was messy and unwashed. His designer jacket had sawdust on both sleeves. Dark circles sat beneath his eyes like bruises."You look terrible," Victoria said gently.Nathan scratched the back of his head and let out a tired laugh."Yeah, well, turning in your own father does not exactly win you popularity contests," Nathan said. He dropped into the nearest chair and stretched his legs out. "The whole family treats me like a stray dog now. Aunts, uncles, cousins. They all whisper behind my back like I am some kind of

The back warehouse was enormous. Stacks of exotic timber lined the walls from floor to ceiling, covered in heavy tarps and preserved with industrial grade wrapping. The smell of aged wood filled the air, rich and deep and almost sweet.Ethan walked slowly through the rows, running his fingers along the grain of each piece. His eyes were sharp and focused, evaluating every plank with the precision of someone who understood wood the way most people understood breathing."I will take all of it," Ethan said.He pulled a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and began writing. His pen moved quickly but every stroke was deliberate. When he finished, he handed the paper to Nathan."These are the processing instructions for the boxes," Ethan said. "The treatment method, the sealing technique, the curing process. Every step must be followed exactly."Nathan looked down at the page. The instructions were detailed and specific in ways he had never seen before. Storing miraculous medicines like t

Gary reached for his waist where a pocket knife should have been. His fingers found nothing but an empty belt loop. Without missing a beat, he turned, spotted a loose brick sitting in the corner of the warehouse, and snatched it up. He squared his skinny shoulders and puffed out his chest, holding the brick at his side like a weapon."You should be grateful the Morgan family even let a stray like you eat at their table for four years," Gary snarled. He pointed the brick at Ethan's face. "And instead of showing gratitude, you bit the hand that fed you. Just like the ungrateful mongrel you are."Ethan looked at the brick. Then he looked at Gary's trembling hand. Then he looked at Gary's face. A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, the kind of smile a person makes when something is genuinely, deeply funny."Gary Morgan," Ethan said. His voice was light and almost friendly. "The last time I saw you, my mother kicked you out the front door of her clinic with a broom. You trippe