The Latham brownstone hadn't changed.
Lex paused at the gate, staring up at the worn facade of the townhouse. The brick was weathered.
His mother's silver sedan sat parked along the curb, right where he expected it. Lex let out a slow breath before stepping inside.
The smell of rosemary and simmering sauce drifted from the kitchen. His mother cooked when she was stressed. That hadn't changed either.
"Lex?" Her voice carried from the kitchen, soft but sharp with recognition.
Lex shrugged off his jacket, hanging it near the door. "Yeah, it's me."
His mother, Lian Mei Latham, appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands with a dish towel. Her dark hair, tied back neatly, had more gray than he remembered.
"You're home early," she said, stepping closer, her sharp gaze flicking over him as if searching for signs of trouble.
Lex smiled faintly. "Barnie can survive without me for a few hours."
His mother snorted softly. "If he lets you."
Lex kissed her cheek, feeling the tension ease slightly as she rested a hand on his arm.
"Dinner will be ready in an hour," she said, brushing past him as she returned to the kitchen. "Your room's the same. Go put your things away."
Lex hesitated at the base of the stairs, his hand drifting to his jacket pocket—where the envelope from Elias still sat.
"I'll be up in a bit," he called after her.
His old room sat at the end of the hall, untouched by time. The bookshelves, old photographs of years ago.
Lex sat on the edge of the bed, breaking the seal.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
Lex,
If you're reading this, it means you're old enough to start asking the right questions. I hope by now, you understand that Maddux Holdings doesn't belong to Barnie. It belongs to the family—to you.
Your uncle may control the company now, but that won't last forever. He's good at making people believe he holds all the cards. The truth is, he's been borrowing power from this family for years—and one day, the debt will come due.
There's something you need to know. I kept a ledger—one Barnie doesn't know exists. Every deal, every falsified contract, every dollar that passed hands without going through the books—it's all there.
You'll find it in a safety deposit box at Brooklyn Trust Bank, Box 312. The key is hidden behind the second panel in my old office at the brownstone.
If anything happens to me, don't let Barnie walk away clean. This company is yours by right. Take care of your mother—and don't trust anyone too easily.
– Roger
Lex's grip tightened on the letter.
The ledger.
He remembered rumors of it from hushed conversations in the hallways of Maddux Holdings—but no one had ever seen it. Barnie had been meticulous about covering his tracks.
But if his father's ledger still existed…
This changes everything.
Lex folded the letter carefully, sliding it back into the envelope.
The past wasn't just giving him a second chance—it was giving him the tools to win.
Downstairs, he heard his mother humming softly as she stirred something on the stove.
Lex glanced toward the far wall where a small desk sat tucked against the corner. His father's old office.
The second panel.
His heart beat steadily as he rose to his feet, moving toward it.
Barnie's game had just become a lot more dangerous.