The booming tunes echoing from inside the house were the only hint Alex needed to figure out that his girlfriend Mia was actually throwing a birthday bash.Yet she had explicitly told him she wouldn't do any such thing. Alex just couldn't wrap his head around why she would lie right to his face. They had been going out for half a year already.Alex shoved the front door open and spotted Mia dancing around with a bunch of her buddies.A heavy sinking feeling hit his stomach. He shouted out Mia’s name over and over again, but she couldn't hear him at all because the speakers were blasting way too loud.He sprinted over to her, grabbed her hand, and she instinctively gripped his fingers back, spinning around to flash him a sweet grin.The second she laid eyes on the angry look stamped across Alex’s face, though, that smile vanished completely.“Why on earth did you show up here?” Mia asked in a super calm, icy voice.Alex stared at her. “I thought you told me you weren't going to celebra

Sophia shot him a burning, furious glare. "What kind of crazy question is that? I ought to be asking you the exact same thing!"The bedroom door swung open almost immediately, and Tyler sauntered in with a wide, mocking grin plastered across his face. "I always knew you were sneaking around with random guys behind our backs. I just never understood why grandfather kept refusing to believe me.""What the hell are you even talking about?!" Sophia snapped, pure panic bleeding into her voice. "I didn't do a single thing! I don’t even have a clue how this total stranger ended up in my bed!" she argued frantically.Tyler smirked, pulling his phone out of his pocket to snap a quick photo of the scene. Alex watched the chaotic drama unfold, his hungover brain completely failing to process what was actually happening around him.Sophia scrambled off the bed, looking desperate. "Please, don’t do this. I swear on my life I have no idea how any of this happened!" she pleaded, lunging toward him.

Alex narrowed his gaze at him, wondering if he might know this bizarre visitor, yet the wrinkled face remained completely foreign to his eyes.His jaw practically unhinged when Mr. Kane dropped straight down to his knees. “Greetings, Hercules. It is an extraordinary honor to look upon you and hear your voice,” he beamed, slowly pulling himself back up to his feet.Alex stayed deeply skeptical, struggling to swallow any of this nonsense. It blew his mind that a filthy rich tycoon like Mr. Kane would bow to someone like him, let alone refer to him as a master.Yet, this insane encounter pointed to a terrifying reality: something was seriously broken in his past. His life before the orphanage caretakers found him was a complete blank space, buried under a thick layer of fog.“Where in the world have you been hiding?” Mr. Kane grinned from ear to ear.“For a full decade, we hunted everywhere. To think I’ve finally tracked down the true heir of Hercules! Who would have ever guessed I’d fin

Alex didn't say a single word back, just picked up a cup of wine and took a slow, heavy sip while a dark mood weighed on his chest.He didn't even have the patience to trade insults with them. His entire mind was stuck on the loved ones he had lost.“Damn it!” Ryan cursed under his breath. “What a total moron.”Alex snapped his head toward him, a sharp flash of irritation burning in his gut. Right then, he felt like breaking the rest of that guy's nose.True to form, Sophia refused to speak to Alex for the rest of the evening until they reached the curbside cars outside.She abruptly stopped walking and spun around to glare at him. “Let's get one thing straight—there is no way in hell I’m going home with you. I refuse to live in a dump like that,” she snapped.Alex stared at her coolly for a second. “I am your legal husband after all, why shouldn't you?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.Sophia let out a dry, mocking scoff. “Are you serious right now? Is this because my grandfather hande

Alex felt a little flash of annoyance, but he decided to let it slide. Seth always loved twisting things around to make trouble.Right then, a slick Bugatti Centodieci rolled up into the parking lot. Alex and the others looked over as Mr. Kane stepped out, but he wasn't alone, another guy walked out right beside him.This new guy was Gregory, the big boss of the city's top clothing brand and also the head of a massive mafia crew.Alex’s eyes went wide. He had heard plenty of crazy stories about Gregory. He just never imagined the person he was supposed to meet tonight would actually be him.No, the real question bouncing around in his head was why Gregory wanted to see him in the first place. Was it bad news or what?Gregory was tall and built tough, a lot like Alex. He was just a tiny bit taller, with a handsome face that looked sharp and clean.He was wearing a custom Dormeuil Vanquish II suit worth $95,319. Literally everything about him screamed big money. Alex had heard his name