Adam Swift's POVThe courtyard remained silent. No one dared move. No one dared speak. The fear hanging in the air was almost tangible.Derek Carter was still kneeling before me, his expensive suit stained with dirt and sweat. The proud man who had once commanded soldiers and intimidated businessmen now looked like a broken shell of himself.Beside him, Damien Carter lay on the ground, groaning in pain, unable to stand after what I had done to him. Around us, hundreds of people watched in terrified silence. I tightened my grip on my sword.This was the moment I had waited ten years for. Another enemy. Another debt to collect.Derek noticed my movement. The color immediately drained from his face."P-Please..." His voice trembled. "Don't kill me."I stared down at him without emotion. For ten years, I had imagined moments like this. The men responsible for my family's destruction begging for mercy. The men who had shown none to my father. None to my brother. None to me.Yet now they wa

Adam Swift's POVThe four men stared at me. For a moment, the street became completely silent.Then the leader burst into laughter. A loud, mocking laugh that echoed through the crowd. The others quickly joined him. Their laughter filled the narrow street.The old man lowered his head. The teenager looked at me with confusion. Even some members of the crowd shook their heads. They thought I was making a mistake. A dangerous one.The leader wiped a tear from his eye. "You want me to let him go?"I nodded. "Yes."The man laughed again. "And who exactly are you?"I remained calm. "Someone giving you a chance."The smile immediately disappeared from his face. The crowd felt the change. So did his companions. The atmosphere suddenly became heavy. The leader's eyes narrowed."A chance?"I took another step forward."Let the boy go."The man holding the teenager tightened his grip. "What if I refuse?"My gaze settled on him. "Then you'll regret it."The street became quiet again. The old man

Adam Swift's POVThe engine of the black military vehicle hummed softly as we drove through the quiet streets of Quinzerland.Outside the tinted windows, the city glittered beneath the evening sky. Towering skyscrapers pierced the clouds, luxury hotels illuminated the avenues, and streams of traffic flowed through the heart of the capital. Ordinarily, I would have been studying every street, every rooftop, every possible threat.Tonight, my thoughts were elsewhere. Taylor. For ten years, I had buried every memory of my younger brother beneath hatred. I had convinced myself that mourning him was the only way to survive.Now Derek Carter has shattered that belief with a few simple words. Your brother is alive. I closed my eyes briefly. Could it really be true? Or had Derek simply found the perfect lie to save his own life?Dax broke the silence. "I've finished the preliminary investigation."I turned toward him. "What did you find?"He placed a tablet on the table between us. "The Hayes

Adam Swift's POVThe applause echoed through the grand ballroom as William Hayes concluded his speech.Guests rose to their feet, offering a standing ovation.William acknowledged them with a modest smile before stepping down from the stage. Almost immediately, influential businessmen, politicians, and philanthropists surrounded him, eager to shake his hand.Within seconds, he disappeared into a sea of distinguished faces. Only one member of the Hayes family remained alone. Ethan.He quietly excused himself from a group of reporters and walked toward the terrace overlooking the city. His movements were calm. Unhurried. Almost as though he needed a moment away from the endless conversations.I watched him disappear through the glass doors.Dax stepped beside me. "Are you going after him?"I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I picked up a glass of sparkling water from a passing waiter."I only want answers."Dax gave a slight nod. "Just don't let hope make the decisions."I offered hi

Ethan Hayes' POVSleep had never held much power over me. Long before the first rays of sunlight reached the Hayes estate, I was already awake. The world was at its quietest before dawn.It was the only time when expectations disappeared, when titles no longer mattered. In those peaceful hours, I wasn't the adopted grandson of the Hayes family or the young heir expected to attend charity galas and business functions.I was simply myself. The memory of the previous evening lingered as I stood on the balcony overlooking the gardens.The conversation with Adam refused to leave my thoughts. It was strange.I had attended countless events over the years and met people from every walk of life. Some were powerful, some influential, and others unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.Yet none of them had left an impression like the quiet stranger I had spoken to beneath the night sky. There had been no reason for our conversation to matter. And yet… It did. I let out a slow breath before push