The Billionaire Heir's Revenge

Chapter 9: The First Hunter

Rain poured over the city.

Dark clouds covered the night sky.

The atmosphere felt heavy.

Dangerous.

Inside a luxury limousine, Ethan sat across from Isabella Kingsley.

The vehicle moved through the city's most exclusive district.

Neither spoke for several minutes.

Ethan's thoughts remained focused on one thing.

Project Phoenix.

The conspiracy.

The hidden enemies.

And the family he had never known.

Finally, he broke the silence.

"Why help me?"

Isabella looked out the window.

"Because my grandfather owes your family a debt."

"What kind of debt?"

"The kind people spend their entire lives trying to repay."

Her answer only deepened the mystery.

Before Ethan could ask more questions, the limousine slowed.

Ahead stood an enormous estate hidden behind iron gates.

Private security guarded every entrance.

The Kingsley Estate.

One of the most heavily protected properties in the country.

The gates opened.

The limousine entered.

---

Inside the main mansion.

A servant guided them through several hallways.

Eventually, they reached a private study.

Bookshelves covered every wall.

Historical artifacts filled glass displays.

The room radiated power and history.

Near the fireplace sat an elderly man.

Despite his age, his presence felt overwhelming.

His eyes remained sharp.

Dangerously sharp.

This was Harrison Kingsley.

Patriarch of the Kingsley Family.

One of the most influential men alive.

The moment Ethan entered—

The old man stood.

To Ethan's surprise, Harrison slightly bowed.

A gesture of respect.

"Welcome, Ethan Blackwell."

Ethan nodded politely.

"Mr. Kingsley."

The old man smiled.

"Sit."

Everyone took their seats.

The atmosphere quickly became serious.

Harrison studied Ethan carefully.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

Then he sighed.

"You look exactly like your father."

Ethan froze.

His father?

This was the first person who had ever mentioned him.

"What was he like?"

The old man's smile faded.

"He was brilliant."

The room fell silent.

"He was also stubborn."

"And fearless."

Harrison looked toward the fireplace.

"As a result, he made enemies."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"Enemies powerful enough to destroy an entire family?"

The old man nodded slowly.

"Yes."

A chill spread through the room.

Harrison continued.

"Fifteen years ago, several elite families discovered something."

"What?"

"The Phoenix Archive."

The name immediately caught Ethan's attention.

"What is it?"

Harrison hesitated.

Then answered.

"No one knows."

Silence.

Ethan frowned.

"You're telling me an entire conspiracy formed around something nobody understands?"

"Not exactly."

The old man leaned forward.

"What people know is this."

"The Phoenix Archive contains information worth more than all the wealth on Earth."

Ethan stared.

Even for him, that sounded absurd.

More valuable than one hundred trillion dollars?

Impossible.

Yet Harrison's expression remained completely serious.

"The moment rumors spread, powerful families began hunting for it."

"Did my family possess it?"

Harrison nodded.

The answer landed like a bomb.

Everything suddenly made sense.

The assassinations.

The disappearances.

The secrecy.

Project Phoenix.

Someone believed the Blackwell Family possessed the archive.

And they were willing to kill for it.

---

At that exact moment.

Several miles away.

Inside an abandoned building.

A sniper assembled his rifle.

His movements were calm.

Precise.

Professional.

On a nearby table sat a photograph.

Ethan Blackwell.

The sniper loaded a magazine.

Then spoke into a communication device.

"Target confirmed."

A distorted voice replied.

"Eliminate him."

"Understood."

The sniper smiled.

A cold smile.

One that suggested he had done this many times before.

---

Back at the Kingsley Estate.

Harrison continued speaking.

"After the attacks began, your grandfather launched Project Phoenix."

Ethan leaned forward.

"What was its purpose?"

"To protect the final heir."

The answer was immediate.

The final heir.

Him.

For years, he had unknowingly been the center of an enormous operation.

Harrison continued.

"Dozens of loyal families participated."

"The Kingsleys were one of them."

Suddenly—

Boom!

A deafening explosion shook the mansion.

The windows shattered.

Alarms immediately activated.

Security personnel rushed through the hallways.

Everyone jumped to their feet.

"What happened?"

Before anyone could answer—

A guard burst into the room.

His face was pale.

"Patriarch!"

"We're under attack!"

The atmosphere instantly changed.

Harrison's expression became grim.

"How many?"

"We don't know."

"Security cameras are down."

The room fell silent.

Ethan's eyes sharpened.

They had found him.

Already.

---

Outside the estate.

Chaos erupted.

Gunfire echoed through the rain.

Security teams exchanged fire with unknown attackers.

Several black SUVs crashed through the outer gates.

Masked men poured out.

Armed.

Organized.

Deadly.

This wasn't a random attack.

This was a military-style operation.

Inside the mansion, Isabella's face turned pale.

"They came this fast?"

Harrison nodded.

"Faster than expected."

Ethan remained calm.

Strangely calm.

Perhaps because after everything he had learned tonight—

Fear seemed pointless.

A second explosion rocked the estate.

The lights flickered.

Then went out completely.

Darkness swallowed the mansion.

Only emergency lights remained.

The atmosphere became terrifying.

Then—

A red laser dot appeared on Ethan's chest.

Everyone froze.

Sniper.

"DOWN!"

Harrison roared.

Ethan moved instantly.

Boom!

The rifle fired.

The bullet shattered a marble pillar behind him.

Stone fragments exploded across the room.

Isabella screamed.

Security guards rushed forward.

The study descended into chaos.

Outside, thunder echoed across the city.

Inside, Ethan's heartbeat accelerated.

This was no longer a corporate battle.

No longer a business war.

Someone wanted him dead.

And they were willing to kill anyone standing in their way.

Across the estate, the sniper calmly chambered another round.

His expression remained emotionless.

Through his scope, he tracked Ethan's movement.

Then he smiled.

"Found you."

His finger tightened on the trigger.

Meanwhile, hidden deep beneath Blackwell Global Headquarters—

A secure vault suddenly activated.

Ancient systems that had remained dormant for fifteen years came online.

Red warning lights flashed.

A computerized voice echoed through the darkness:

"Phoenix Protocol activated."

"Primary heir under attack."

"Initiating Phase Two."

And in a hidden compartment—

A sealed file slowly emerged.

On the cover were six words:

THE TRUTH ABOUT ETHAN BLACKWELL

The secrets buried for fifteen years were finally beginning to awaken.