Ethan stood motionless in the dimly lit hallway, staring at his phone. The words echoed in his mind, refusing to settle: "Mr. Langston… We’ve been looking for you for a very long time."His mind raced as he tried to make sense of the message. "Langston?" That name sounded vaguely familiar, but it was buried deep in the corners of his memory.Ethan wanted to call the number back, but something stopped him. He wasn’t sure who had just reached out to him, but instinct told him to proceed with caution.Still, he couldn’t afford to get distracted. He had returned to the penthouse for one reason only, to confront Sarah. The lights were on inside when Ethan reached the apartment. He slipped his key into the door, the cold metal trembling in his grip. He pushed the door open, the soft creak reverberating in the luxurious foyer.The sound of voices, laughter, drifted from the living room. Ethan's jaw clenched as his anger flared. Sarah wasn’t even hiding it anymore. She was laughing with Dani

The cold pavement pressed against Ethan’s knees as he knelt, surrounded by faceless men in the shadows. His breath came in shallow gasps, his mind racing as he grappled with the realization that his father’s enemies had finally found him. The man standing before him, his voice low and menacing, remained hidden in the darkness, yet his presence was suffocating.“I knew you’d eventually come out of hiding,” the man said, his tone smooth and calculated. “You thought you could reclaim what was yours? Pathetic.”Ethan’s mind whirled. Who was this man? Why now? Why here? But most of all, his thoughts raced back to his wife, Sarah, and her family, the Forresters. They were still his priority. His anger at their betrayal burned in his chest, fueling the need for revenge.He clenched his fists, feeling his body tense as adrenaline surged through him. The men around him tightened their grip, but Ethan’s mind was already formulating a plan.“You made a mistake by coming after me,” Ethan growled

A painful throb pulsed through his skull as he slowly regained consciousness, the metallic tang of blood filling his mouth. His vision blurred, only fragments of the world around him coming into focus, shattered glass, a crumpled dashboard, and the unmistakable acrid stench of gunfire. He blinked rapidly, his mind catching up with the chaos that had just unfolded. They had been ambushed. The attack had come out of nowhere, swift and brutal. Victoria was beside him, slumped over the steering wheel, blood trickling from a gash on her forehead. “Victoria,” Ethan croaked, his throat dry and hoarse. He reached out, shaking her shoulder, panic seeping into his chest. She groaned and stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “I’m… fine,” she muttered, though her movements were slow and pained. Ethan scanned the area outside the car. They were still in the heart of the city, but the street was eerily deserted. No witnesses. Whoever had orchestrated the attack had ensured that they were alone

As Ethan watched the men talk to the woman with vigor, it made him wonder what her business with them really is. Immediately he saw them begin to bully her, he attempted to go and help, but Victoria held him back. It was too much of a risk.But why target this woman?He glanced back at her, standing a few feet away with wide, fearful eyes. She looked fragile, vulnerable, yet her composure under fire had been impressive. There was something about her that kept nagging at Ethan’s mind, like a puzzle he couldn’t solve. He’d been focused on revenge for so long that he hadn’t allowed himself to see anything, or anyone, else. And yet, here she was, in the middle of his war, dragged into the conflict for reasons he didn’t understand.As soon as the men had gone, Ethan immediately came out of hiding to assist her, especially judging from how rattled she was.“Who are you?” she asked.“I could ask you the same thing,” he replied, her voice shaking but steady. “What us your dealings with those