THE HEIR'S AGONY TRIAL BY FIRE

unveiling shadows

The revelation sat heavy in Aidan’s chest like a boulder crushing his ability to think straight. His heart pounded relentlessly, a mix of anger and disbelief coursing through his veins.

William Cross was alive.

He leaned back in his chair, the faint glow of his laptop screen illuminating the dark room. The online search result stared back at him, mocking his assumptions. William Cross—alive, well, and apparently thriving in the city under the name “Victor Langley.”

Aidan whispered the name under his breath, testing how it felt.

“Victor Langley,” he said again, louder this time. It tasted bitter, wrong, as if William had erased not only his past but also his family.

---

The sound of the door creaking open startled him. Clara stood in the doorway, her face pale and eyes rimmed with exhaustion.

“You’re still up,” she said, her voice flat.

Aidan quickly minimized the screen, guilt flashing across his face. “Couldn’t sleep,” he replied, hoping she wouldn’t press.

Clara’s gaze lingered on him, suspicious but too drained to argue. She crossed the room and sat down at the edge of his bed.

“Aidan… promise me you’ll stop this,” she said, her voice trembling.

“I can’t, Mom.”

“You have to,” she insisted. “You don’t know what you’re walking into.”

Aidan folded his arms. “And whose fault is that? You’ve kept me in the dark my entire life. Now I find out he’s alive? You expect me to just let it go?”

Clara’s breath hitched, and for a moment, Aidan thought she might burst into tears. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and glared at him.

“You think this is about my pride? Or your curiosity? It’s about survival, Aidan! Their family destroyed us once. Do you want them to do it again?”

---

Her words struck a nerve, but Aidan didn’t back down.

“You’ve been running scared for decades, Mom,” he said coldly. “But I won’t. If he’s out there, I need to know why he left us. I need to know why he didn’t fight for us.”

Clara’s hand shot out, gripping his wrist. “And what if you don’t like the answers, Aidan? What if it’s worse than you imagined?”

Aidan met her gaze, his jaw tightening. “Then at least I’ll know the truth.”

Clara let go of his wrist, her shoulders sagging in defeat. “You’re just like him,” she muttered, almost to herself. “Stubborn. Reckless.”

---

The next morning, Aidan couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. He wanted to believe his anger was righteous, but a part of him feared his mother was right. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from diving deeper.

Using the scant details he’d found online, he began piecing together Victor Langley’s life. It didn’t take long to discover that Langley was a successful businessman who owned a string of luxury hotels. His face—a slightly older, more polished version of the man in the photograph—smiled back at Aidan from glossy articles and promotional material.

“That’s him,” Aidan murmured, his stomach twisting.

---

By afternoon, he had a plan. He’d confront Victor Langley in person.

Clara caught him at the door, her eyes wild with desperation. “Where are you going?”

“For a walk,” Aidan lied.

“Don’t lie to me!” she snapped. “I know what you’re planning. Don’t do this, Aidan. Please.”

“Mom, you can’t stop me.”

“I can try,” Clara said, blocking his path. “You don’t understand what you’re risking!”

“What I’m risking?” Aidan barked. “How about what he risked by abandoning us? How about what you risked by hiding this from me?”

Clara flinched as if he’d struck her. “I was trying to protect you.”

“From what? The truth?”

“No, from them!” Clara’s voice broke. “You think William left because he wanted to? He had no choice, Aidan. And if you go digging where you don’t belong, neither will you.”

---

Her words stopped him in his tracks.

“What do you mean?” he asked cautiously.

Clara hesitated, her hands trembling. “They control everything—the Cross family. They don’t just ruin lives, Aidan. They erase them.”

Aidan’s blood ran cold. “Erase them?”

Clara nodded. “William tried to fight them. He tried to stay. But they threatened me, threatened you—”

“Wait,” Aidan interrupted, his voice rising. “They knew about me?”

“Yes,” Clara admitted, tears spilling down her cheeks. “And they made it clear that if he didn’t leave, they’d make us both disappear.”

---

Aidan staggered back, his mind reeling.

“So he left to protect us,” he said numbly.

Clara nodded. “And if you confront him now, they’ll come for you too. Don’t you understand? The Cross family doesn’t leave loose ends.”

Aidan’s hands clenched into fists. “I don’t care. They don’t scare me.”

“They should,” Clara said sharply. “Because they’re not just powerful—they’re untouchable.”

---

Despite Clara’s warnings, Aidan couldn’t let it go. That evening, he found himself outside one of Victor Langley’s hotels, his heart pounding in his chest.

He watched from across the street as expensive cars pulled up, dropping off well-dressed guests. Security guards stood at attention, scanning the area with hawk-like precision.

“This is crazy,” Aidan muttered to himself.

But he couldn’t turn back now.

---

Inside the hotel, the atmosphere was suffocatingly luxurious. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, and the air smelled faintly of roses and money. Aidan kept his head down, weaving through the crowd.

He didn’t know what he’d say if he found William—Victor—but he knew he had to try.

As he approached the reception desk, a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“Looking for someone?” a deep voice asked.

Aidan turned to see a man in a sharp suit, his expression unreadable.

“I, uh…” Aidan stammered. “I’m just here to—”

“Mr. Langley doesn’t take walk-ins,” the man said coolly.

Aidan’s heart sank. “I just need a moment of his time.”

The man’s grip tightened. “That’s not how this works. Leave now, or I’ll have security escort you out.”

---

Before Aidan could respond, a voice cut through the tension.

“Let him go.”

Aidan turned to see William—no, Victor—standing at the top of a grand staircase, his gaze locked on Aidan.

“Mr. Langley,” the man said, his tone deferential.

“I said, let him go,” Victor repeated, descending the stairs.

The man released Aidan, but his eyes remained cold and suspicious.

Aidan’s heart raced as Victor approached, his expression a mixture of curiosity and caution.

“You’ve been looking for me,” Victor said, his voice calm but firm. “Why?”