The Midnight Thief

Chapter 1

The heavy iron gates of the Vance estate felt like prison bars to Leo as he dragged his shattered body across the gravel. Inside the grand, sprawling mansion, a massive celebration was roaring to life. Sophie, Gregory’s eldest daughter, was throwing a lavish party because her debut movie had just become a massive box office hit. Critics and fans were praising her brilliant performance as a woman trapped between a toxic boss and a cruel boyfriend.

Leo stood hidden in the dark shadows of the courtyard, clutching his broken ribs and nursing his ruined knees. Just weeks ago, he had been a dedicated, hardworking man inside the family empire. Now, he was treated like a stray dog while Sophie drank champagne, fed cake by her wealthy parents and her hulking new lover, Andres.

"I haven’t been this happy in a long time," Sophie beamed, wiping a fake tear of joy from her eye as flashes popped all around her.

Gregory clapped her on the shoulder, his proud grin hiding a ruthless heart. "Hard work always pays off, my girl. Multiple producers are already offering you six-figure deals."

From his hiding spot, Leo gritted his teeth, his hands curling into tight fists. They were celebrating success built on lies and stolen labor, while he had been starved, beaten, and locked away in a damp shed to rot. He had spent months playing the obedient fool, believing his loyalty would eventually earn him respect. Instead, they had broken his bones and thrown him away like trash.

Inside the bright ballroom, Andres suddenly smirked, glancing toward the southern side of the estate. "You know, it’s been over a month since we banished that beggar to the old cottage. With his knees broken, I bet he’s already starved to death."

Sophie laughed coldly, swirling her glass. "Let’s go see the corpse. Take a big chunk of cake and throw it on the dirt. Let him lick it if he wants to survive."

Leo’s breath hitched. They were coming for him. Even in his ruined state, they couldn't leave him in peace.

He didn't wait for them to reach the door. Using every ounce of his remaining willpower, Leo forced his battered legs to move, crawling and stumbling away from the blinding lights of the mansion toward the dark, overgrown woods. He couldn't let them find him cowering like a victim again. If he was going to survive this nightmare, he needed to get out of this cage and start planning his revenge.

Back in the mansion, Sophie, Andres, and Victoria marched down the path to the abandoned cottage behind the tall trees. They expected to find a rotting body. Instead, when their terrified maid forced open the squeaking wooden door, the room was empty.

"He’s gone!" the maid gasped, stepping back in shock.

Panic flashed across Sophie’s face. "What if he goes to the media? What if he exposes everything we did?"

Andres gritted his teeth, his fists clenching. "We can’t let that happen. We must find him and silence him before he ruins us!"

High up in the branches of an ancient oak tree, completely hidden by the midnight shadows, Leo watched them search the empty room below. He felt no fear—only a cold, burning fire racing through his veins. His body still ached from the brutal beating Andres had delivered weeks ago, but a strange, terrifying new strength was waking up deep inside him.

They thought he was a weak, broken beta who would crawl away and die in the dirt. They were dead wrong.

Leo gripped the rough bark of the tree, his fingernails digging deep into the wood with terrifying force. Let them search. Let them panic. He had survived their worst, and now, the hunted was about to become the hunter.

"You took everything from me, Sophie," Leo whispered into the cold night wind, his eyes narrowing with deadly resolve. "Now, I’m coming back for every single thing you own."