Ethan hurriedly left the party, his head still buzzing with the laughter and light conversations he had just left behind.The praise he’d received from family friends and journalists had barely lifted his spirits.There was something gnawing at the back of his mind, something much more pressing.He needed answers—and tonight, not even a moment of peace was allowed.He jumped into the car, dialing the number of the private investigator without a second thought."Yeah?" came the investigator’s voice, rough and clipped, as if he'd been waiting for this call.Ethan gritted his teeth."You better have a good reason for dragging me away from my wife, and this better be worth it. What’s going on?"The investigator didn’t waste any time."I’ve got the results, Ethan. You were right to be suspicious of Nikolai. I’ve gone over his records, and there are some shocking discrepancies. The birth records? They don’t match up. The name, the dates—they don’t make sense."Ethan raised an eyebrow."What

Two days later, Ethan’s phone buzzed with the news he had been waiting for: they had caught Nurse Howard trying to flee from a train station.Apparently, she thought she could just slip away without anyone noticing.The police had her cornered, and she had no choice but to confess.Ethan didn’t waste a moment. He stormed into the interrogation room like a lion ready to devour a mouse.The nurse, pale and shaking, was sitting in the corner, her hands cuffed to the chair.Her eyes darted around, clearly regretting every decision she had ever made in her pathetic life."You’re going to talk, sweetheart," Ethan said, his voice icy."And you’re going to tell me everything. Now."The nurse flinched, but it didn’t stop her from trying to squirm her way out of the situation."I don’t know anything! You’ve got it all wrong!"Ethan slammed his fist on the table, causing the poor woman to jump."Don’t play games with me. You injected my father with some kind of drug, which put him in a coma. And

Ethan had spent the past few days caught up in a whirlwind of chaos—Irina Romanov, the nurse, his father’s condition, and everything in between.But nothing, absolutely nothing, prepared him for the day he was blindsided by the very people he thought he could trust.The evening had started out normal enough.Ethan was on his way back to his office, his mind running through all the new pieces of information he had gathered. Nikolai's parentage.Irina's twisted revenge.The mysterious connections that kept reappearing, each more tangled than the last.As he stepped into his car, the sharp sting of cold metal against his neck made him freeze in place.It wasn't a gun—worse.The feeling of being paralyzed, trapped in place by some invisible force, sent a cold shiver down his spine."Ethan Reed," a voice drawled, way too smug for someone holding a knife to his throat."You really should stop trusting people. It’s going to cost you."Ethan’s eyes darted around the dark parking garage, but h

The night air was thick with tension as Ethan sped through the streets, his hands gripping the steering wheel with white knuckles.His mind was racing, the words from Irina Romanov echoing in his head.this whole time, he had been working against him?The rage coursing through his veins was so intense, Ethan could almost feel his heart beating in his throat. He needed answers, and he needed them now.The Elliot estate loomed in the distance as he pulled into the driveway, tires screeching as he slammed on the brakes.He didn’t bother with formality or trying to appear composed.Tonight, there would be no pretending. No politeness. Just the truth—and whatever consequences came with it.Inside, the family was gathered around the dining table, talking in hushed tones, their faces lit by the soft glow of the chandelier.Ethan stormed through the front door, ignoring the startled looks from the servants and the family members who turned to see him.His uncle, Thomas Elliot, sat at the head

The Elliot estate was eerily quiet when Lisa found the note on her vanity.Its edges were rough, as if torn hastily, and the handwriting was jagged and angry.Her heart skipped a beat as she read the words:“Stay out of this, Lisa. You’re meddling in things you don’t understand. Next time, it won’t just be a warning. —J.E.”J.E.? There was only one person with those initials—Jonathan Elliot, Ethan’s conniving and perpetually envious cousin.The man was like a peacock with a broken tail, strutting about despite his obvious inadequacies, always trying to one-up Ethan and failing miserably.Lisa’s hands tightened around the letter, fury bubbling to the surface.She wasn’t going to let some spineless snake threaten her.With the note still clutched in her hand, Lisa stormed into the grand dining hall where the family had gathered.Her fiery entrance made everyone look up from their conversations.Jonathan, sitting smugly at the far end of the table, froze when he saw her."Jonathan Ellio