THE HEIR'S AGONY TRIAL BY FIRE

ALLIES AND OLD TIES

Aidan paced the confines of his newly assigned quarters in the Cross estate. The opulent room, complete with silk curtains and gilded furniture, felt like a cage. His mind was a whirlwind of questions—about his father, the company, and most pressingly, the "security breach" that had sent the estate into chaos.

He needed help. Someone he could trust.

Reaching for his phone, Aidan hesitated for a moment before scrolling through his contacts. His thumb hovered over a name: Elliot Hayes.

Elliot was the only person from Pacific West University who had understood him, though their friendship had frayed after a falling-out over a group project. Aidan took a deep breath and dialed.

The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered. "Aidan Harper. Didn’t think I’d hear from you again."

"Elliot, I need your help."

There was a pause, followed by a low chuckle. "Help? Last I checked, you didn’t exactly appreciate my kind of help."

"This is different," Aidan insisted. "I’ve stumbled into something... big. Dangerous."

"Sounds dramatic. You in trouble?"

"Not yet. But I might be if I can’t figure out what’s going on."

Another pause. "Where are you?"

"The Cross estate," Aidan said reluctantly.

Elliot whistled. "The Cross estate? As in William Cross? Billionaire? Dead billionaire? What the hell are you doing there?"

"It’s a long story. Can you come or not?"

"I’ll be there in an hour," Elliot said, and the line went dead.

Aidan let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. If anyone could help him make sense of this mess, it was Elliot.

An hour later, Elliot strode into the room, his backpack slung over one shoulder. His scruffy jeans and hoodie clashed with the elegance of the estate.

"You look out of place," Aidan said, offering a small, strained smile.

"Thanks for the warm welcome," Elliot shot back, dropping his bag on the floor. "Now, spill. What’s so urgent that you’re calling me from the lap of luxury?"

Aidan gestured for him to sit. "I’m... William Cross’s son. Apparently."

Elliot froze, his eyebrows shooting up. "You’re joking."

"I wish I were."

"And this makes you, what, a billionaire overnight?"

"Majority shareholder of Cross Enterprises," Aidan said bitterly. "But that’s not the problem. There’s something wrong here, Elliot. People are acting... off. My half-sister hates me, this guy Victor is gunning for my position, and there’s talk of a breach in security."

Elliot leaned back, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Sounds like you’ve stepped into a viper’s nest."

"Exactly," Aidan said. "I need to know what I’m up against. Can you dig into Cross Enterprises? Their files, Victor’s background, anything suspicious?"

Elliot grinned, pulling his laptop out of his bag. "You had me at ‘dig.’"

As Elliot worked, his fingers flying over the keyboard, Aidan felt the weight of uncertainty pressing down on him. The silence was broken only by the rapid clicking of keys.

"Okay," Elliot said after what felt like an eternity. "This Victor guy? He’s shady as hell. Multiple shell companies, offshore accounts, and a couple of lawsuits that magically disappeared."

Aidan frowned. "What kind of lawsuits?"

"Embezzlement, insider trading... the works. But here’s the kicker—he’s been meeting with someone outside the company. Someone with a history of sabotage."

"Who?"

Elliot’s expression darkened. "Emery Blackwell."

Aidan stiffened. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

"You know him?"

"We were rivals at university," Aidan said, his voice tight. "He was always one step ahead, always looking for an edge. If he’s involved, this just got a lot worse."

Elliot leaned forward. "What’s his angle?"

"Ambition," Aidan said bitterly. "He doesn’t care who he steps on to get what he wants."

Later that night, Aidan found himself face-to-face with Emery Blackwell. The meeting was unplanned—Emery had shown up at the estate under the guise of a business consultant.

"Well, well," Emery said, his voice smooth and confident. "If it isn’t Aidan Harper. Or should I say, Aidan Cross?"

Aidan clenched his jaw. "What are you doing here, Emery?"

"Isn’t it obvious?" Emery said, spreading his arms. "I’m here to offer my expertise to the new majority shareholder."

"I don’t need your help."

"Don’t be so quick to dismiss me," Emery said, his eyes gleaming. "You’ve got enemies, Aidan. More than you know. And you’re woefully unprepared to deal with them."

"I can handle myself," Aidan said, though his voice lacked conviction.

Emery smirked. "Suit yourself. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when things start to fall apart."

As Emery turned to leave, Aidan called after him. "Why are you really here, Emery?"

Emery paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Let’s just say I have a vested interest in seeing how this all plays out. And if you’re smart, you’ll keep me close."

Back in his room, Aidan relayed the encounter to Elliot.

"That guy’s bad news," Elliot said bluntly. "You can’t trust him."

"I know," Aidan said. "But he’s right about one thing—I’m not ready for this. Not yet."

"Then let’s get you ready," Elliot said, his determination clear. "First, we expose Victor. Then we figure out what Emery’s really after."

Aidan nodded, feeling a flicker of hope for the first time. But deep down, he knew the road ahead would only get darker.

Aidan receiving an anonymous message on his phone:

"Trust no one. They’re watching."