Ethan sat in his private jet, eyes narrowed as he studied the message again.Celeste Moreau. Paris. Midnight. Come alone.As if that was going to happen.Lisa sat across from him, arms crossed. “This is a trap.”Harris, leaning against the cabin wall, smirked. “Of course it is. But when has that ever stopped him?”Ethan exhaled slowly, rolling his watch strap between his fingers. “She’s not trying to kill me.”Lisa scoffed. “Oh? She just killed your father, launched a war against Elliot Enterprises, and now she’s inviting you to a midnight rendezvous? Yeah, totally safe.”Ethan smirked. “If she wanted me dead, I wouldn’t have gotten an invitation. I’d have gotten a bullet.”Lisa rubbed her temples. “You’re actually going.”Ethan leaned forward. “Not just going. Setting the rules.”He grabbed his phone, sending a quick message. “I’ll meet her. But it’s going to be on my terms.”Paris. Midnight.The private suite in an exclusive hotel overlooked the Seine, bathed in the golden glow of t

Ethan stood in the center of the Elliot estate’s private war room, surrounded by his closest allies—Lisa, Harris, and his top executives. The air was thick with tension.A traitor was among them.Ethan’s gaze swept across the room. Every face. Every movement. Every breath.“Someone in this circle has been feeding The Serpent information,” he said, voice calm but laced with ice. “I don’t need confessions. I don’t need excuses. I need the truth.”Silence.Lisa leaned forward, arms crossed. “Here’s how this works. We’re running full background checks on every one of you—emails, bank records, calls. If there’s even a whisper of betrayal, we’ll find it.”Harris cracked his knuckles. “And when we do?” He smiled coldly. “Let’s just say I’ve been itching to make an example out of someone.”One of the executives, Mason, shifted uncomfortably. “Come on, Ethan. We’ve been with you for years. You really think one of us would—”Ethan’s eyes snapped to him.Mason shut up.Lisa exhaled sharply. “The

The city was silent in the early hours before dawn, but Ethan’s mind was anything but. The weight of his decision pressed against his chest like an iron hand. He stood in his office, staring at the documents spread out before him—the prophecy, the history, the undeniable truth of his lineage.The Serpent wasn’t just a syndicate. It wasn’t just an underworld power. It was a dynasty, and he was its heir.His phone buzzed again. Celeste."Time’s up, Ethan. Make your choice."His jaw clenched. She always knew how to twist the knife. Always knew how to push him toward the fire while pretending to offer him shelter.Lisa's words still echoed in his head. You always have a choice.But did he?Did he really?A knock at the door. Not a timid one. A solid, demanding knock."Come in," he said, his voice steady, masking the chaos in his head.Lisa stepped inside, her eyes dark with frustration. She had been watching him for hours, waiting for him to come to a decision. Now, she wasn’t willing to

Lisa stepped even closer, her voice low and fierce. “You built this empire with your own hands. Not because of some prophecy. Not because of them. You made this happen.”Ethan met her gaze. “And if every move I made was exactly what they wanted all along?”Lisa faltered for the briefest second. But she didn’t back down.“You’re not them,” she said. “You never were.”Ethan exhaled, looking back at the cityscape beyond his window.“I might not have been,” he murmured. “But maybe I have to be.”Lisa’s voice softened. “If you take that throne, you become everything you swore to destroy.”He turned to her. “And if I don’t, everything I swore to protect gets destroyed anyway.”Silence stretched between them.Then, his phone buzzed again."Dawn. The Tower. Last chance."Ethan straightened, the decision solidifying in his mind.“I need you to trust me, Lisa.”She searched his eyes, trying to find something—anything—that told her he wasn’t about to become the very monster he spent his life fig

The bunker was cold, the walls reinforced steel, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder and sweat. Ethan sat at the head of the long table, the dim lighting casting sharp shadows over his face. Around him, his remaining allies—what was left of them—waited for his decision.They weren’t just here to discuss strategy. They were here because the war had left them with no other choice. Celeste had drawn first blood, and if they didn’t strike back now, they would all be dead before the week was over.Ethan exhaled, his fingers drumming against the table’s surface. He had spent his life carving out his own path, refusing to be a pawn in anyone’s game. But now, the pieces were set, and there was only one way forward.War.Lisa broke the silence first.“You know what needs to be done,” she said, her voice cold, unwavering. “We end this.”Her eyes locked onto Ethan’s, daring him to argue.He didn’t.She leaned forward, placing her hands on the table. “You don’t need them, Ethan. You never d