The moment the lights flickered, Alex knew something was wrong.
Not just a simple power surge. No, this was different. Calculated. Controlled.
Emilia's fingers tightened around the edge of the counter as she glanced around the darkened penthouse. "Tell me that's just bad wiring."
Alex moved swiftly to his desk, where his security system was displayed on multiple monitors. His fingers flew across the keyboard, checking for breaches. Within seconds, he found it—someone had overridden his firewall.
"We've been hacked," he said, voice low and sharp.
Emilia swallowed hard. "By who?"
Alex didn't answer. He was already tracing the source. Whoever had done this was good—almost too good. But Alex had built his empire on being three steps ahead of everyone else. He bypassed their encryption, following the digital breadcrumbs they thought they had hidden.
Then he froze.
The source of the hack wasn't from an external location.
It was inside the building.
"Someone's here," Alex muttered.
Before Emilia could react, the elevator dinged.
Both of them turned toward the entrance as the doors slid open.
A tall figure in a sleek black suit stepped out, moving with the kind of quiet confidence that set off every warning bell in Alex's mind.
The man had sharp, refined features and piercing gray eyes that locked onto Alex with an unsettling calm.
Emilia stiffened beside him.
Alex's fingers twitched toward the gun in the desk drawer. "I don't believe we've met."
The man smirked. "Oh, but we have."
His voice was smooth, almost familiar.
"I go by many names," the man continued, stepping further into the room. "But you can call me Julian."
Alex's mind raced. He had heard that name before. In the depths of whispered conversations, in reports of men who disappeared without a trace. Julian was a ghost. A legend. And he worked in the deepest levels of the Syndicate.
"I assume you're here to kill me," Alex said, gripping the gun under the desk.
Julian chuckled. "If I wanted you dead, Alex, we wouldn't be talking."
Alex's jaw clenched. "Then what do you want?"
Julian's eyes flicked to Emilia. "Her."
Emilia inhaled sharply. "Not happening."
Julian's smirk grew. "You exposed the Syndicate, Emilia. You embarrassed them. But you didn't destroy them." He took another step forward. "Do you really think the world is that simple? That power can be erased with one broadcast?"
Alex stood, gun now in his hand. "Cut the dramatics. Tell me why you're really here."
Julian sighed, as if disappointed. "You always were impatient."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "What?"
Julian gave him a knowing look. "Think, Alex. You've spent your entire life fighting to stay ahead. Building your empire, securing your place at the top. But have you ever questioned why certain doors opened for you?"
Alex's grip on the gun tightened. "I built this from nothing."
Julian's smirk didn't fade. "Did you?"
Emilia looked between them. "Alex, don't listen to him—"
But Alex wasn't sure.
Because something about Julian's words sent a chill down his spine.
"You've been playing in a game much bigger than you ever realized," Julian said. "And now, it's time you learned who's really been moving the pieces."
Before Alex could react, Julian tossed something onto the table. A sleek black USB drive.
"Plug it in," Julian said.
Alex didn't move. "Why would I do that?"
Julian's gray eyes gleamed. "Because it holds the truth about your family."
The room fell into silence.
Alex's pulse pounded. He had spent years chasing ghosts, trying to understand the mystery of his parents' deaths. If this was real…
"Walk away now," Julian said, voice soft but firm, "and you'll never know who you really are."
Alex glanced at Emilia. Her expression was unreadable, but he could see the fear in her eyes.
He looked back at Julian. Then, against every instinct screaming at him, he reached for the USB.
And as soon as he plugged it into his laptop…
The entire screen filled with one word.
HELLO, ALEX.
Then everything went black.
To Be Continued...