Three years was a long time to stay dead.Long enough for people to forget your voice.Long enough for your enemies to become comfortable.Long enough for the woman you loved to stop looking over her shoulder.But three years was also long enough to build something nobody could take away from you.I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of my office, watching the city wake beneath me.The skyline had changed.I had changed with it.My reflection stared back at me from the glass.Black suit.White shirt.No tie.A scar ran from beneath my left ear toward my jaw, the final reminder of the accident that had almost ended my life.Three years ago, I had been Adrian Vale.Today, the financial world knew me as Adrian Black.The founder of Blackstone Capital.A company that had quietly acquired stakes in dozens of businesses across the country.Nobody knew who was behind it.That was intentional.“Mr. Black.”I turned.Noah Reed entered the office carrying a tablet.He had been the f

I spent the entire night telling myself that Sophia Bennett meant nothing to me.It was a lie.A dangerous one.By eight the next morning, I was sitting in the back of my car, watching the entrance of Bennett Holdings.Noah sat beside me.“You don’t have to go in personally.”“I do.”“Why?”“Because I want to see her.”Noah looked at me through the rearview mirror.“To ask about Daniel?”“Yes.”He didn’t believe me.Neither did I.The glass doors opened.Employees began entering the building.Then she appeared.Sophia.Three years hadn’t changed her as much as they had changed me.She still carried herself with quiet confidence.Still walked like she knew exactly where she was going.But something was different.She looked tired.Not physically.Emotionally.I watched her enter the building.“Let’s go.”The car stopped.I stepped out.The moment I entered the lobby, several employees looked at me.I ignored them.I walked straight toward the reception desk.“I need to see Sophia Benne

I didn’t sleep that night.There was too much I didn’t know.And every answer seemed to create another question.At two in the morning, I sat alone in my penthouse with the city glowing beneath me.The flash drive was on the table.So was the photograph Sophia had given me.Victor.Marcus.My father.And the unknown man.I stared at the photograph again.Then I noticed something I hadn’t seen before.A small logo on the man’s watch.A silver wolf.I picked up my phone.“Noah.”He answered immediately.“Yes?”“I need you to investigate a symbol.”“What symbol?”“A silver wolf.”There was a pause.“Any particular company?”“I don’t know.”“Send me a picture.”I took a photograph of the watch and sent it.“Find everything.”“I’ll start now.”I ended the call.Then I opened my laptop.The old Vale International account was still saved on one of my encrypted drives.I hadn’t accessed it since returning.Tonight, I did.The system requested a password.I entered the one I had used three yea

The engine outside roared once.Then silence.I moved toward the window.The street was empty.Whoever had been outside was gone.Sophia came up behind me.“Adrian.”I turned.“You knew.”She shook her head.“Not everything.”“But enough.”Her eyes dropped.“I knew your father wanted you to disappear.”“Why?”“Because he believed someone inside the family was planning to kill you.”“Who?”“I don’t know.”“You keep saying that.”“Because it’s the truth.”I stared at her.Three years ago, I would have trusted every word she said.Now, trust was something I couldn’t afford.I walked back to the table and picked up my grandfather’s letter.“Where is my father?”Sophia hesitated.“I don’t know.”“That’s not an answer.”“He disappeared two years ago.”My eyes narrowed.“What?”“Your father left the country.”“Why wasn’t I told?”“You were presumed dead.”“I was still his son.”“He thought keeping you dead was the only way to keep you alive.”I laughed bitterly.“That sounds convenient.”Sop

The basement was colder than I remembered.I pushed through the emergency door and found myself in a narrow corridor lined with old storage rooms.At the end stood a steel door.SERVER ROOM — AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY.I pulled the handle.Locked.I took out my phone.“Noah.”“I’m here.”“I need access to the server room.”“I can bypass the electronic lock.”“How long?”“Give me thirty seconds.”I waited.Behind me, footsteps echoed from the staircase.They were coming.“Faster.”“I’m trying.”The keypad flashed.ACCESS GRANTED.I opened the door and slipped inside.Rows of servers hummed in the darkness.Noah’s voice came through my phone.“Third rack on the left. Bottom compartment.”I moved quickly.“There’s a drive here.”“Take it.”I pulled the drive free.Every light in the room went red.An alarm started screaming.Noah swore.“They detected the intrusion.”“I noticed.”“Get out.”I turned toward the door.It slammed shut.Locked.I rushed to it and pulled the handle.Nothing.