VEIL OF DECEPTION

The elevator ascended in silence, the glowing numbers ticking upward at an impossible speed. Ethan felt the weight of the moment pressing down on him. He had entered a world where whispers carried power, and silence held secrets.

The doors opened with a soft chime.

Before him stretched a penthouse unlike anything he had ever seen—a vast expanse of marble, velvet, and glass. The ceiling-to-floor windows revealed a breathtaking view of Azure City, the skyline shimmering beneath the midnight sky.

At the center of the room stood a man. Tall. Refined. Dangerous. His black suit was tailored to perfection, his presence exuding the kind of power that made empires kneel. He turned, and Ethan met a pair of piercing silver eyes that held the weight of untold stories.

"Welcome, Ethan Cross." The man's voice was deep, commanding. The same voice from the call.

Ethan stepped forward, his chest tightening. "Who are you?"

A slow smile played on the man's lips. "I am Dominic Vale. And whether you realize it or not... I am the reason you exist."

Ethan's breath caught. The reason I exist?

Dominic gestured toward a sleek black folder resting on the glass table. "Sit."

Ethan hesitated, but curiosity burned brighter than caution. He sat, his fingers brushing against the folder. The cover bore an emblem—the same golden insignia the driver had worn.

"Open it," Dominic instructed.

Ethan flipped the folder open. His eyes scanned the first document—and the world around him seemed to vanish.

A birth certificate. His name was there. Ethan Cross. But beneath it...

Father: Nathaniel Cross.

Mother: Evelyn Vale.

His blood ran cold. Vale. The same last name as Dominic.

"You're not who you think you are, Ethan." Dominic's voice was quiet, but heavy. "Your life was stolen from you. Your bloodline is not that of a beggar… but of a king."

Ethan's pulse pounded in his ears.

"And now, it's time to take back what was always yours."