picture from a magazine he'd never afford. He lay in the oversized bed, his mind replaying yesterday's meeting with Victor Langston his father. The word still felt like a lie, bu

T-shirt staring back from a world of wealth. He pulled on his jeans and button-up, the only decent clothes he had, a

fect slices, some kind of egg dish that smelled too rich. Victor sat at the head, reading a tablet, his face pale but composed. Another person was th

e tablet down. "Good morning. Th

ure stiff. "Nice to meet you," she

ing across from he

food. "Help yourself. W

him, her expression was hard to read with a part curious, and a part suspicious. He wond

. "Langston Enterprises isn't just money, Ethan. It's power, influence

"I don't get why you think I'm th

e more like me than you know. You're stubborn,

d, then caught himself. Elise raised

're here, Ethan. That means somethin

ed in his head: You deserve the truth. He needed to know more, to understand why

d behind, saying she had work to do. Ethan caught her watching him as they left, her eyes sharp, like she was siz

floors and people in suits moving fast, talking in hushed tones. Victor led Ethan to the top floor, where a b

his voice carrying weight. "He's

ower. Victor walked him through the company's work-tech startups, real estate deals, energy projects across the globe. The numbers were dizzying:

with a slick smile and eyes that didn't match it. "So, Ethan," Hal

s seat. "I fix cars

ng glances. Hale's smile widened, but it felt

sharp. "Ethan's here to

ss the glint in his eyes. This g

with a desk the size of a car and windows showing half of Manha

s in his pockets. "It's... big.

r said. "With time

u care? You didn't want me for twenty-eight

"I made mistakes, Ethan. I thought staying away w

ked herself to death while you sat here. And now you're dying,

re right. I failed you. But this is your birthright

g. "I don't even know what

tay a week, learn the business

now what he was going back to. A life of scraping by, of watching Sarah struggle? He thought of Ava,

lly. "A week. But I'm n

smile on his lips. "T

at his phone. He needed to talk to someone who wasn't part of

her voice warm.

d. "This place is like another planet. An

ment. "That's huge, Et

ake over his company, like I can just step

," Ava said. "Take it one ste

he's sorry, but I don't know if I believe him. And there's this woman, E

You're showing up out of nowhere,

stare, Claudia's fake smile, Hale's smirk all felt lik

e still you, Ethan. Don't l

grounding him. "I'l

e said, an

She was hiding something, he was sure of it. And Victor's world felt like a puzzle with pieces he

ght stuck with him: whatever cam