The Forgotten King

Chapter 5: The Wolf Returns

Adrian spent the next week preparing. He couldn't do this alone. He needed people he could trust, and more importantly, he needed inside information about Sterling Tower's security system.

That's when he remembered someone from his past—David Park, a former hacker who had gone legitimate years ago. David now worked as a cybersecurity consultant for major corporations. Adrian had known him through a mutual friend, and they had stayed in loose contact.

Adrian used a secure line to call David, being deliberately vague about what he needed. But David was smart enough to understand that something serious was happening. They arranged to meet at a place where neither of them would be easily recognized—a gaming arcade in the entertainment district.

"Adrian, you look like you've been through hell," David said, sliding into the seat next to him. They were playing a racing game, though neither was really focused on it.

"I need your help," Adrian said quietly. "And I need you to understand that what I'm asking could be dangerous."

Adrian explained the situation without going into every detail. He told David about his mother, the poisoning, and the dangerous drug about to be released. He left out the personal drama with Victoria, keeping it focused on the broader crime.

David was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "Sterling Tower has some of the best security I've ever seen. Getting into their systems without being detected would be extremely difficult. But not impossible."

"Can you do it?" Adrian asked.

"Maybe. But I'd need physical access to their network. And I'd need someone inside who could help. Someone who knows the building, someone who has access to restricted areas."

Adrian had been thinking about this. There was only one person who fit that description—someone he hadn't wanted to involve, but who might be their only chance.

His name was Thomas Sterling, Victoria's younger brother.

Adrian had met Thomas only a handful of times, but he had always seemed different from the rest of the Sterling family. He was quieter, more thoughtful, and most importantly, he had once drunkenly admitted to Adrian that he didn't approve of his father's business practices.

"I might know someone," Adrian said. "But approaching him is risky. If he's loyal to his family, he could betray us immediately."

"Then you need to make sure he's not loyal to his family," David said practically. "You need to make sure that what you're asking him to do aligns with his own moral compass."

The next day, Adrian left the safe house for the first time in a week. He took precautions—changing his appearance, using public transportation, watching carefully for any signs of being followed. He made his way to the hospital where Thomas Sterling worked as a surgeon.

Adrian waited in the hospital café until Thomas appeared, still in his surgical scrubs. He looked tired, which meant he had probably just come out of a long operation. Adrian approached him carefully.

"Thomas? Do you remember me? Adrian Kane. I'm married to your sister Victoria."

Thomas looked up, surprised. He seemed to struggle with recognition for a moment, then nodded. "Of course. We met at the family dinner a couple of years ago. What brings you here?"

"I need to talk to you about something important," Adrian said quietly. "Somewhere private. Is there somewhere we can go?"

Thomas hesitated, clearly sensing that something was wrong. "Let's go to my office."

Once they were alone, Adrian made a decision. He couldn't lie to Thomas, but he also couldn't tell him everything. He needed to give him enough information to appeal to his conscience without putting him in immediate danger.

"I need to ask you something," Adrian began. "And I need you to answer honestly. Do you know what Vitalis is? Really, I mean. Not the official story."

Thomas's face went pale. "How do you know about Vitalis?"

"Do you know what it is?" Adrian repeated.

Thomas stood up and walked to the window. His shoulders were tense. "I have suspicions. I've seen some of the research notes. I've noticed some inconsistencies in the formula. But I haven't confirmed anything."

"I can confirm it," Adrian said, pulling out a tablet. He showed Thomas some of the files from his mother's USB drive—the parts that explained what Silendox really was and what it did.

Thomas's face grew darker with each document he read. When he finished, he slumped back in his chair. "Oh my God. They're going to poison people. They're actually going to poison people."

"Millions of them," Adrian confirmed.

"This is insane," Thomas whispered. "I need to go to the authorities. I need to—"

"You can't," Adrian interrupted. "Not yet. The Sterlings have people everywhere. If you go to the police now, the evidence will disappear, the records will be destroyed, and your father will probably have you committed to a psychiatric hospital to discredit you."

"Then what do you want from me?" Thomas asked, finally looking at Adrian directly.

Adrian took a breath. "I need your help to gather evidence. Real, undeniable evidence that can't be hidden or covered up. And I need your help to do it from inside Sterling Tower."

Thomas stood up and walked to the door, locking it. Then he turned back to Adrian. "You're asking me to betray my family."

"I'm asking you to save innocent people," Adrian corrected. "Your father has already murdered at least four people that we know of. He's about to poison millions more. Whatever loyalty you feel toward your family, it shouldn't extend to that."

Thomas was quiet for a long time. Then he said, "I want to see more of the evidence. I want to understand exactly what we're dealing with."

Adrian spent the next two hours in Thomas's office, going through the files with him. By the end, Thomas was convinced. He was also terrified, but he was convinced.

"Okay," Thomas said finally. "I'll help you. But we need to be very careful. My father is not someone to be taken lightly. If he discovers what we're doing, he won't hesitate to eliminate all of us."

"I know," Adrian said. "That's why we need to move quickly. The launch event is in two weeks. We need to have everything ready before then."

They spent the next hour planning. Thomas would help them access the restricted areas of Sterling Tower. David would handle the cybersecurity aspect and retrieve the evidence from their computer systems. And Adrian would make sure everything came together perfectly.

But as Adrian left the hospital, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to go very wrong. He had involved too many people now. Too many variables. Too many opportunities for things to fall apart.

That evening, Adrian received a phone call from an unknown number. When he answered, he heard the voice of someone he hadn't expected to hear from.

"Adrian? It's me. It's Victoria."

Adrian's heart stopped. "How did you get this number?"

"I have my ways," Victoria said, and there was something different in her voice. Something that sounded almost like fear. "We need to meet. I have something to tell you. Something that you need to know."

Adrian didn't know whether to trust her. Was this a trap? Or did Victoria actually want to help him?