VEIL OF DECEPTION

Ethan stared at the document, his fingers gripping the paper so tightly it nearly tore. His mind refused to accept it. Nathaniel Cross. Evelyn Vale. The names felt like ghosts—familiar yet completely foreign.

He looked up at Dominic Vale, his silver eyes calm, unwavering. "This has to be a mistake," Ethan muttered, shaking his head. "My parents died when I was a kid. They weren't... anyone important."

Dominic's lips curved into a knowing smile. "That's what they wanted you to believe."

Ethan's breath hitched.

Dominic reached for a crystal decanter and poured a glass of amber liquid, pushing it toward Ethan. "Your father, Nathaniel Cross, was once the wealthiest man in this city. A man so powerful that governments and mafias alike bowed before him." He paused, letting the words sink in. "And your mother... was my sister."

The glass in Ethan's hand trembled. Sister? That meant—

"Yes," Dominic continued, reading his thoughts. "You're my nephew. A Vale by blood. The heir to a legacy buried beneath betrayal and greed."

Ethan's pulse thundered in his ears. This was insane. His life had been nothing but struggle, rejection, and survival. If he came from power, why had he been abandoned?

Dominic leaned back, swirling the liquor in his glass. "Nathaniel Cross built an empire worth trillions—an empire so vast it threatened the hidden rulers of this world. The Syndicate. The men who operate from the shadows, controlling everything." His voice darkened. "They couldn't let him live."

A chill crawled up Ethan's spine.

"They orchestrated his downfall," Dominic continued. "Destroyed his businesses. Seized his assets. And when that wasn't enough…" His silver eyes locked onto Ethan's. "They took your parents' lives."

Ethan's chest tightened, anger bubbling beneath his shock. "Then why was I left alive?" His voice was raw, laced with something dangerous.

Dominic exhaled slowly. "Because your mother made a deal before she died. She begged me to keep you hidden. To let the world believe you were nothing—just another orphan lost in the system."

Ethan's fingers dug into the table. A lie. My whole life was a lie.

Dominic leaned forward, his gaze piercing. "But the Syndicate made a mistake. They thought erasing you would be enough. They thought you'd stay broken, forgotten." His voice dropped to a whisper. "They never expected you to rise."

Ethan's vision blurred—not with confusion, but with the burning need for retribution.

"Tell me what I have to do." His voice was steady, cold.

Dominic's smile was slow, approving. "Good. Because the moment you walked through that door… you declared war."

He pushed another file toward Ethan.

"Your first target is Lucas Vanderbilt."