Ceil hadn't moved in minutes. Velena could see the storm raging behind his eyes, but his body remained still—controlled, unshaken. At least that's what he wanted her to believe.
She took a slow step forward. "Ceil."
No response.
Her throat felt dry. "Say something."
Still nothing.
Lucian shifted uncomfortably in the background, his usual calm demeanor shaken. Velena's grip on the table tightened. "Ceil, listen to me. I know this—"
"Do you?"
His voice cut through the air, sharp and cold.
Velena froze.
Ceil finally turned, his piercing gaze locking onto hers. "You know?" he repeated, quieter this time, but just as lethal.
She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Because the truth was—she didn't. Not all of it. Not enough. And Ceil knew it.
THE FALL OF A KING...
Ceil exhaled slowly, pressing his palms against the desk. "My entire life, I believed I was fighting for the truth."
Velena's heart pounded. "Ceil—"
"I hunted down every man I thought was responsible," he continued, his voice eerily calm. "I built an empire on the ashes of that night. I swore I would avenge my father."
A humorless chuckle escaped his lips.
"And now you're telling me... he was the one pulling the strings all along?"
Velena felt a lump form in her throat. "I don't know the full story yet, but—"
"But, what?" Ceil's gaze darkened. "But I should believe you? On what basis? A memory you just recovered? A name whispered in the dark?"
Velena swallowed hard. "I wouldn't lie about this."
Ceil studied her for a long moment. Then, slowly, he shook his head. "No, I don't think you would."
The tension in the room shifted. It wasn't anger anymore. It was something much worse. Disbelief. Betrayal. Like a man realizing everything he had built was nothing more than a house of lies.
THE PIECES START FALLING INTO PLACE...
Lucian cleared his throat. "Ceil. We need to act."
Ceil blinked, pulling himself back to reality. "On what?"
Lucian hesitated before pulling up another screen. "I dug deeper into your father's records. And I found this."
A document appeared on the monitor.
A contract.
Velena stepped closer, reading the details. Ceil did the same, and his entire body went rigid. Because at the bottom of the document... there was his father's signature. Right next to Andrew Steel's.
Velena inhaled sharply. "Your father and Andrew... they were working together?"
Ceil didn't answer. He didn't move. But Velena could see the realization hitting him. The rage settling in.
His father hadn't just been involved. He had been in control. And Ceil had spent years hunting the wrong enemy.
THE MESSAGE THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING...
Before anyone could speak, Ceil's phone vibrated.
A single text message flashed on the screen.
Unknown number: Are you ready to see the truth?
Velena felt a chill crawl up her spine.
Ceil didn't hesitate. He typed back.
Ceil: Who is this?
A pause.
Then—
Unknown number: The one you should have killed years ago.
Velena's stomach dropped.
Lucian swore under his breath. "It's him."
Ceil's grip on the phone tightened. "Where?"
Another message popped up.
Unknown number: Come find me, Ceil. If you are not afraid of the truth.
Then—
A location.
A place Velena recognized instantly. Because she had been there before. 15 years ago. The night everything changed. The night Ceil's father died.
And now—they were going back.