The Forgotten King

Chapter 1: The Unwanted Farewell

The office was cold and sterile, much like the woman who sat across from Adrian Kane. She was beautiful, yes, but her eyes held no warmth anymore. Adrian adjusted his simple grey shirt and waited. He had been expecting this for weeks now, but hope had kept him from accepting it fully.

"Adrian, we need to talk about our marriage," Victoria Sterling said, her voice as sharp as a blade. She was the CEO of Sterling Corporation, and she spoke to him the way she spoke to her employees—with authority and little patience.

Adrian had loved this woman for five years. They had been married for three of those years. When Victoria's family business was on the verge of collapse, he had been there. He had given her advice, helped her make the right decisions, and supported her through endless nights of work. Her success was their success, or at least that was what he had believed.

"I'm listening," Adrian said quietly.

"I want a divorce." Victoria didn't waste time with pleasantries. She slid a thick envelope across her mahogany desk. "My lawyer has prepared everything. All you need to do is sign."

Adrian felt something crack inside his chest, but he remained calm. This was Victoria, after all. She never did anything without careful planning. "Why?" he asked, though he already suspected the answer.

"Because we're not compatible anymore," Victoria said, standing up and walking to the floor-to-ceiling windows of her office. Below them, the city sprawled out like a kingdom she had conquered. "I've grown. I've become someone important. And you... you're still the same person you were when we met."

"I see." Adrian picked up the envelope. "Is there someone else?"

Victoria's jaw tightened, but she didn't deny it. "There's Marcus Nolan. He's the heir to the Nolan family business. We have more in common."

Marcus Nolan. Adrian had heard the name whispered in business circles. The man was powerful, connected, and everything Adrian was not. He was born into wealth while Adrian had to build his way up from nothing.

"And what about everything we built together?" Adrian asked, his voice steady despite the pain.

"You didn't build anything, Adrian. I did." Victoria turned to face him, and her words were like poison darts. "You just... existed. You were convenient when I needed support, but now I don't need you anymore."

Adrian looked at his wife—or soon-to-be ex-wife—and realized he didn't know her at all. The woman he had married, the one who used to laugh at his jokes and hold his hand, was gone. In her place was someone hungry for power, someone willing to discard him like yesterday's newspaper.

"I won't sign these," Adrian said, placing the envelope back on the desk.

Victoria's eyes flashed with anger. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me. I won't sign until you tell me everything. I deserve that much."

"You deserve nothing," Victoria hissed. "I'm offering you ten million dollars and a penthouse in the downtown area. That's more than generous for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Adrian stood up. "I'm your husband, Victoria."

"Not for long." She pressed a button on her intercom. "Send in Lydia."

The door opened, and Victoria's secretary walked in with a cold smile. Lydia had always looked at Adrian with disdain, and now Adrian understood why. She had probably known about Marcus Nolan before he did.

"Take him to the waiting room," Victoria instructed. "And make sure he understands that his refusal will only make things worse. I have very good lawyers, Adrian. I can take everything from you, including any claim to our shared assets. You'll end up with nothing."

Adrian felt the weight of her words. She was right, of course. She had the power, the resources, and the connections. He had none of those things. But he also had something she didn't have anymore—his integrity.

"I want to know how long this has been going on," Adrian said as Lydia gestured for him to leave.

Victoria didn't answer. She had already turned back to her computer, dismissing him entirely. He was no longer worth her time.

As Adrian walked out of the office, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from an unknown number: "Adrian Kane? We need to talk about your mother. It's urgent."

His mother had died three years ago, just before he married Victoria. But the timing of this message, combined with everything that had just happened, made him pause. Something felt wrong. Very wrong.

What did this mysterious message mean? And why would someone contact him about his mother now?