C1 1 — The Funeral

Heavy rain fell over the cemetery, drenching the gathering black umbrellas around the fresh grave. Serene Gomez stood motionless at the edge of the burial mound, her gaze locked on her father's coffin as it slowly descended into the earth. The steady beat of rain on the umbrellas did little to drown out the sound of mourners shifting around her. She had come back to Manila after years in Europe, only to bury the man she had loved and feared and adored all her life.

Sebastian Gomez had been a formidable man, a name to be reckoned with in the business world, and a name that struck dread in the hearts of anybody who dared stand against him. Ruthless judgements, calculated risks and an unflinching resolve to stay on top had built his empire. He'd earned more than enough money over the years to assure his family's future, but he'd also made himself innumerable enemies with his influence. Yet no one had foreseen his unexpected death, least of all at the area where he should have been safest.

Three weeks previously, Serene had gotten a phone call that had destroyed whatever tranquillity she’d found in Europe. The caller told her her father had been killed in his own home, a home that he himself had authorised with armed guards, monitoring systems and security measures. By the time she reached Manila the attackers were gone without a trace of convincing evidence. The police inquiry had revealed almost nothing, and the few leads they had followed had gone cold before they could provide anything of value.

Someone had wanted Sebastian Gomez dead, and whoever had orchestrated the murder had possessed the resources and knowledge to carry it out without leaving a clear trail. Serene could not accept that her father’s death would become another unsolved case, buried beneath official reports and empty promises. She had returned to Manila for a reason, and she had no intention of leaving until she uncovered the truth. Whoever had taken her father from her would eventually answer for it.

“Miss Gomez,” Arturo Villanueva, her father’s former security chief, approached her after the funeral. His black suit was damp from the rain, and his expression remained carefully composed, though the tension in his face was difficult to miss. He had served Sebastian for years and had been one of the few men entrusted with overseeing the security of the Gomez estate. “You should return to the mansion. There are matters we need to discuss.”

Serene turned to face him, her expression cold despite the grief weighing heavily in her chest. “Then tell me what happened to my father.”

Arturo hesitated, his gaze shifting briefly toward the grave before returning to her. For a moment, he appeared to be weighing his words, as though even the smallest mistake could have consequences neither of them could afford. “He was killed by professionals. Whoever did this knew his security arrangements.”

Serene studied his face, searching for any indication that he was withholding something important. “Who had access to them?”

“Several trusted men.”

Her eyes narrowed as she considered his answer. If the attackers had known the estate’s security arrangements, then someone had either betrayed Sebastian or provided information that should never have left his inner circle. Neither possibility was acceptable, and she had no intention of allowing anyone to dismiss it as an unfortunate coincidence. “Then I suggest you find out which one betrayed him.”

That evening Serene went back to her father’s study, the space where he had spent endless hours running his business and making decisions that affected the lives of many people. Everything was just how he had left it. The documents on his desk were organised in neat piles, the heavy curtains on the windows. The air was thick with the familiar aroma of leather and polished wood, but she had no time for reminiscing. She went through the room systematically, rummaging through the drawers and the things he had kept close to him, determined to find something the detectives could have overlooked.

Beneath a stack of documents, she discovered an envelope bearing her name. The sight of her handwriting on the front was enough to make her pause, though she quickly gathered herself and opened it. Inside was a short letter, its contents written in a manner that suggested her father had intended it to be read only if something happened to him.

“If anything happens to me, trust no one who claims to know the truth. There are powers in this world even powerful men cannot challenge.”

Serene read the words several times, her fingers tightening around the paper as their meaning settled over her. Her father had been a man who rarely admitted that anything lay beyond his control, yet the warning suggested he had been aware of a threat he could neither confront openly nor dismiss. Whatever he had discovered, he had considered it serious enough to leave instructions for her in secret. Beneath the warning was a name, written with the same deliberate precision as the rest of the letter.

The Shadow King.

Serene had heard rumors about him during her years in Europe, though the stories had varied depending on who was telling them. Some described him as the unseen authority behind the underworld’s most powerful organizations, while others claimed he operated through intermediaries so carefully chosen that even his closest associates might never see his face. He was said to control intelligence networks, financial channels, and private security operations that reached far beyond any single country. Nobody knew his true identity, but even ruthless criminals feared him, and those who spoke of him rarely did so without first checking who might be listening.

“Was he responsible for my father’s death?” she asked Arturo.

The older man’s face paled, and the change in his expression was immediate enough to catch her attention. He had faced dangerous situations throughout his career, yet the name seemed to unsettle him more than the details of Sebastian’s murder. His reaction only deepened the unease surrounding the letter, although it offered no definitive answer to her question.

“Miss Gomez, some names are dangerous even to speak.”

Serene folded the letter carefully, keeping the paper between her fingers as she lifted her gaze to meet his. She had spent the past three weeks surrounded by unanswered questions, guarded statements, and people who seemed more concerned with what they could safely say than with what had actually happened. If the name on the letter frightened those who had once served her father, then she would have to find another way to uncover the truth. Fear, however justified, would not be enough to make her abandon her search.

“Then I’ll make sure everyone remembers mine.”

She had returned to Manila to uncover the truth and avenge her father, and she was prepared to pursue every lead that might bring her closer to the person responsible. The Shadow King had become the first name connected to the mystery, but Serene had no intention of accepting suspicion as proof. She would find out who he was, what he knew, and whether he had played a role in Sebastian Gomez’s murder.

She did not yet know that the man she intended to destroy was closer than she imagined.