Part 2: The Secret Beneath the Mansion
The boulevard became eerily silent.
Victor Grant didn't look angry.
He looked terrified.
For the first time in his life, the billionaire appeared completely powerless.
Liam stared at the man who had stepped out of the armored convoy.
"Dad..." he whispered.
The stranger nodded.
But his eyes never left Victor.
Ten years.
Ten years everyone believed Ethan Cross was dead.
Yet here he stood.
Alive.
Breathing.
And judging by Victor's expression...
Far more dangerous than anyone imagined.
"No..." Victor muttered.
"This can't be happening."
Ethan took a slow step forward.
"It already happened."
The crowd watched in stunned silence.
Several guests quietly pulled out their phones.
Some were already livestreaming.
Others simply couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Victor suddenly turned toward Liam.
"Get away from him."
Liam frowned.
"What?"
Victor's voice cracked.
"Get away from him NOW."
That was when Ethan smiled.
Not a warm smile.
Not a friendly smile.
The kind of smile that made people uncomfortable.
The kind that suggested he knew something everyone else didn't.
"You still haven't told him, have you?" Ethan asked.
Victor froze.
A muscle twitched in his jaw.
Liam looked between them.
"Told me what?"
Nobody answered.
The silence felt heavy.
Dangerous.
Finally Ethan reached into his coat.
The crowd gasped.
Several security guards immediately moved forward.
But Ethan simply pulled out a worn photograph.
An old photograph.
He held it toward Liam.
Liam took it.
The moment he looked down, his stomach dropped.
The photo showed three men standing together.
One was Ethan.
One was Victor.
And the third man...
Was Liam's father.
"What is this?" Liam asked.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"The reason Victor tried to run you over."
Victor suddenly lunged forward.
"Don't!"
Too late.
Ethan flipped the photograph over.
A date was written on the back.
October 14.
Ten years ago.
The same day Ethan supposedly died.
Liam felt his pulse racing.
"What happened that day?"
Victor shook his head.
His face had turned pale.
"Don't ask that question."
Ethan ignored him.
"Because your father wasn't trying to save me."
Liam froze.
"What?"
The crowd collectively gasped.
Ethan stepped closer.
"He was there."
Silence.
"He watched everything happen."
Liam felt as if the ground had vanished beneath his feet.
"No."
Ethan nodded slowly.
"Your father knows exactly who tried to kill me."
Victor's breathing became uneven.
Ethan looked directly at him.
"And it wasn't just you."
The billionaire's eyes widened.
"Stop."
Ethan continued.
"There were four of you on that yacht."
Victor staggered backward.
"STOP!"
Ethan pointed toward the massive mansion at the end of the boulevard.
"The evidence is still there."
Liam tightened his grip on the photograph.
"What evidence?"
Ethan's expression darkened.
"The fourth man."
Victor's entire body went rigid.
Liam noticed it instantly.
"The fourth man?" he asked.
"Who is he?"
Ethan looked straight into his eyes.
Then he spoke six words.
The six words that made Victor collapse to his knees.
"The fourth man is your father."
The crowd exploded into chaos.
Liam stood frozen.
His mind refusing to process what he had just heard.
Then his phone vibrated.
Unknown Number.
One new message.
He opened it.
A single photo appeared on the screen.
The image showed his father.
Taken less than an hour ago.
Standing beside a private jet.
Next to a man whose face had been crossed out in red.
Underneath the photo was a message.
RUN.
THEY KNOW ETHAN IS ALIVE.
And below that...
Another message arrived.
This one sent from his father's phone.
Liam's blood ran cold.
May you like
Because the message contained only four words.
DON'T TRUST ETHAN.
