
The airplane had just landed when Conor Grey stepped out of the cabin, dressed in simple, casual clothes that made him look no different from any other traveler.
A loose jacket, dark jeans, and a faintly lazy expression—no one around him could possibly guess that this man was the legendary founder of Phoenix, the one known across the underworld and business world alike as the ‘King of the Gods.´ Beside him walked Nick, his right-hand man whose tense posture contrasted sharply with Conor’s relaxed demeanor. Nick’s eyes moved constantly, scanning every corner of the terminal as though danger could appear at any moment. “Boss,” Nick muttered in a low voice, leaning slightly closer, “you really shouldn’t show your real face here. This is a public airport. Too many people. Too many eyes. If someone recognizes you—” Conor stretched lazily and interrupted him with a faint smile. “Relax, Nick.” His tone was calm, almost amused. “In this world,” he said casually, “there’s no one who can threaten me.” Nick fell silent, though the tension in his shoulders didn’t disappear. After years of following Conor, he knew that his boss’s confidence wasn’t arrogance—it was simply a statement of fact. Still, habits were hard to break. They walked toward the exit of the airport, blending into the crowd of arriving passengers. Golden Sparrow City. Just hearing the name stirred something deep in Conor’s chest. Years ago, this was where everything had begun—memories he hadn’t thought about in a long time, memories he had deliberately left behind. And now, after years of relentless work, battles, and endless responsibilities, he had finally returned. This time, he wasn’t here as the King of the Gods. He was just Conor. A man on vacation. Suddenly— A small figure dashed through the crowd at surprising speed, heading straight toward him. Nick’s eyes sharpened instantly. His body tensed like a drawn bowstring. “Boss, watch out!” But before he could make a move, Conor raised a hand to stop him. “It’s fine.” The next second, a soft thump sounded. A tiny pair of arms wrapped tightly around Conor’s leg. “Daddy!” The crisp, childish voice rang out loudly in the busy terminal. Nick froze. He stared in disbelief at the scene in front of him. A little girl, about three or four years old, clung to Conor’s leg with complete confidence, as if she had finally found someone she had been searching for forever. For a moment, even Conor was slightly stunned. Then he chuckled softly. “Looks like you misjudged the situation, Nick.” Nick’s face twitched awkwardly. Conor crouched down slowly, his expression gentle as he looked at the girl. She had big, bright eyes, a cute round face, and soft hair tied into two small pigtails. She was undeniably adorable. He reached out and lightly patted her head. “Hey there,” Conor said kindly. “I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else. I’m not your dad.” The little girl blinked at him. For a few seconds, she seemed confused. Then her eyes suddenly became watery, and she said pitifully, “But… Mommy showed me your picture.” She pointed at his face seriously. “You’re my daddy.” Conor: “…” For the first time in years, the man who controlled an empire and commanded twelve legendary figures found himself at a complete loss for words. Nick, standing nearby, looked as if his worldview had just collapsed. Boss… had a child? And he didn’t even know about it? Just as Conor was about to explain again, a clear and slightly anxious female voice called out from behind. “Lily!” A woman hurried toward them through the crowd. She was exceptionally beautiful—so much so that even in the busy airport, people unconsciously turned their heads to look at her. Her long hair swayed as she walked quickly, her elegant yet sharp features carrying a faint trace of urgency. When she reached them, she immediately pulled the little girl back. “Lily, how many times have I told you not to run off like that?” she scolded gently, though there was obvious worry in her voice. “What if you get lost?” However, Lily puffed up her cheeks and pointed confidently at Conor. “I didn’t run off!” Her voice was loud and full of certainty. “I found my daddy!” The woman let out a helpless sigh and finally turned to look at Conor, clearly intending to apologize for her daughter’s behavior. “I’m sorry, she—” Her words stopped abruptly. The moment her eyes landed on Conor’s face, everything froze. The apology stuck in her throat. Her expression changed instantly. The softness in her gaze disappeared, replaced by an icy coldness that could almost be felt in the air. Conor noticed it too. He looked at her carefully. The woman’s face… felt strangely familiar. Before he could recall anything, she suddenly stepped forward and pulled Lily behind her protectively. Then she stared at him, her eyes filled with anger that had clearly been buried for years. “So,” she said coldly, each word sharp as a blade, “after all these years, you finally decided to show your face.” Her lips curled slightly. “You bastard.” Nick nearly choked. Conor blinked, stunned. He had faced assassins, warlords, and billionaires who feared him, but this was the first time someone had greeted him like this in public. “What…?” Conor began. But the woman didn’t give him time to speak. Her gaze grew even colder. “Five years ago,” she said slowly. “Sky Grand Hotel.” Her voice carried a chill that made the surrounding air feel heavy. “Have you forgotten what you did that night?”Latest Chapter
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Nick immediately shook his head. “No.” Conor looked at him. Nick stepped forward. “It’s obviously a trap.” “I know.” “Then you’re not going.” Conor gave him a faint smile. “I didn’t say that.” Nick frowned. “Boss…” Conor turned toward Olivia. She was still crying silently. He gently took her hand. “There’s something you need to know.” She looked up. “What?” Conor’s gaze became cold. “Your father’s death may be connected to the reason I disappeared five years ago.” Olivia stared at him. “And if we find the truth?” Conor looked toward the black crown on the screen. “Then we’ll finally know who started this.” The clock on the wall showed 10:47 PM. Just over an hour remained. And somewhere beneath the ruins of Facility Seven… Someone was waiting for the Ghost to return.The silence on the other end lasted several seconds.Then the voice changed.It became sharper.Almost disbelieving.“Conor?”Conor looked out over Golden Sparrow City.“Yes.”The man took a breat
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The underground facility fell into complete silence.Olivia continued staring at the frozen image on the screen.Her father stood beside Ronan.Behind them was a massive Phoenix insignia.She shook her head slowly.“No…”Conor looked at her.Olivia stepped closer to the screen.“That can’t be Phoenix.”“It is.”“How do you know?”Conor pointed toward the upper corner of the photograph.A small identification code was visible.“Every Phoenix facility has a unique designation.”Nick zoomed in.His eyes widened.“Facility Seven.”Conor nodded.“Exactly.”Nick stared at the photograph.“Facility Seven was destroyed five years ago.”“Officially,” Conor replied.Olivia looked between them.“My father was there?”“Yes.”“With Ronan?”“Yes.”Her breathing became unsteady.“But why?”Conor didn’t answer.Olivia turned toward him.“Conor, please.”He looked at her.“I need to know.”“I don’t have all the answers.”“Then tell me what you do know.”Conor remained silent for several seconds.Then
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The Hale estate remained completely dark.Not a single light came back on.The silence was almost unnatural.Daniel stared at his father.“What did you do?”Arthur didn’t answer.“Father.”Still nothing.Daniel stepped closer.“You said Ronan knew what you did.”Arthur slowly closed the old safe.“Enough.”“No.”Daniel’s voice hardened.“You can’t just say that and expect me to stay quiet.”Arthur looked at him.“You don’t understand what you’re dealing with.”“Then explain it to me.”Arthur’s jaw tightened.“Some truths are dangerous.”Daniel glanced at the photographs scattered across the desk.“Is Conor one of those truths?”Arthur looked at the photograph of the young Conor.“Yes.”“Was he really the Ghost?”Arthur nodded.“He was.”“And you knew?”“I suspected.”“You met him before?”Arthur remained silent.Daniel’s eyes widened.“You did.”Arthur finally sighed.“Years ago.”“How many?”“Six.”Daniel stared at him.“That was before he disappeared.”“Yes.”“What happened?”Arthur
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The room remained silent after the screen went black.Olivia stood frozen in front of it.For several seconds, she couldn’t move.Then she slowly turned toward Conor.“Twenty years…”Her voice was barely audible.“He said twenty years.”Conor nodded.“Yes.”“My grandfather has been building this place for twenty years?”“Apparently.”Olivia looked around the underground facility.Thousands of documents.Hundreds of photographs.Entire sections dedicated to powerful families.She walked toward one of the shelves and pulled out a file.Her fingers trembled.“Why would he do this?”Conor took the file from her and opened it.Inside were financial records.“Because this wasn’t just an information center.”Nick approached.“What is it?”Conor looked at the documents.“An intelligence operation.”Nick’s expression darkened.“Ronan was running his own intelligence network.”“Not just that.”Conor pointed at the records.“He was monitoring money.”Nick studied them.“These are bank transfers.
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The old Nelson warehouse stood at the edge of Golden Sparrow City, surrounded by abandoned factories and empty roads.It had been unused for years.No lights.No guards.No employees.Just a massive concrete building sitting beneath the darkness.Conor’s convoy stopped several meters away.Nick stepped out first.He immediately raised his hand.“Everyone stay alert.”Phoenix operatives spread out around the building.Olivia stepped out of the vehicle.Conor immediately looked at her.“Stay close to me.”“I will.”Nick approached.“Boss, there’s no movement.”Conor studied the warehouse.“That’s what worries me.”Olivia looked toward the dark building.“Maybe Ronan isn’t here.”“He was here.”“How do you know?”Conor pointed toward the ground.“His car.”Ronan’s vehicle sat abandoned beside the warehouse.The driver’s door was open.The keys were still inside.Olivia’s expression tightened.“Why would he leave his car?”“He didn’t.”Conor walked closer.“He was taken.”Nick immediately
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The room fell into a terrifying silence.Olivia stared at the screens.The words remained frozen against the black background.WELCOME BACK, GHOST.Her breathing became shallow.She slowly turned toward Conor.“Ghost?”Conor didn’t answer.“Conor…”His eyes remained fixed on the screen.“Who is the Ghost?”Still nothing.Olivia took a step closer.“Why did they call you that?”Conor finally looked at her.His expression was calm.Far too calm.Olivia’s voice trembled.“You knew this would happen, didn’t you?”“No.”“But you knew something was wrong.”“Yes.”“You knew about my grandfather.”Conor nodded.Olivia’s tears finally fell.“Why didn’t you tell me?”“Because I wanted to protect you.”“Protect me?”Her voice broke.“You kept something like this from me because you wanted to protect me?”Conor stepped closer.“Yes.”Olivia shook her head.“I have spent my entire life believing my grandfather was simply a difficult old man.”She laughed bitterly through her tears.“He was greedy.
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