C4 4 — A New Threat

Ethan was just finishing up with the latest intelligence reports when Marcus came into his office with a guarded tablet. The quiet click of the door closing pulled Ethan’s attention from the papers sprawled across his desk for just a second. His morning had been taken up with reports of unusual financial activities, shady business operations and people affiliated with his organization. It was just another normal report that he had come to expect, but the look on Marcus’s face told him this was something to listen to.

“We have a development concerning Serene Gomez.”

Ethan continued reading, his eyes moving steadily across the page as he waited for Marcus to elaborate. Years of dealing with sensitive information had taught him that reacting too quickly often revealed more than necessary, particularly when discretion was essential. He preferred to hear the complete report before deciding what deserved his attention and what could be dismissed as another attempt to stir trouble.

“Go on.”

“She has requested access to her father's private financial records. She also contacted two former associates of Sebastian Gomez. Both refused to meet her.”

Ethan's gaze paused on the report in front of him. Sebastian Gomez had been dead for years, yet his name continued to surface in places where it had no business appearing. His former associates had spent considerable time distancing themselves from the man's affairs, and their reluctance to speak with his daughter came as little surprise. What interested Ethan was not their refusal, but the fact that Serene had managed to reach them in the first place. Whatever she had discovered, it had been enough to lead her toward people who had worked hard to remain beyond her reach.

“Why?”

“They became nervous when she mentioned the Shadow King.”

Ethan finally looked up, his expression settling into the cool composure that had made even experienced businessmen cautious in his presence. The name carried enough weight to make people reconsider their words, their associations, and sometimes their entire understanding of the world around them. Those who knew too much rarely spoke freely, while those who knew too little often underestimated the danger of asking the wrong questions. The fact that Serene had brought up the Shadow King during her inquiries suggested that she was already looking beyond the surface of her father's death.

“Fear makes people careless. Keep watching them.”

Marcus nodded and placed the tablet on Ethan's desk beside the intelligence reports. He remained standing, however, his attention fixed on his employer as though he had yet to deliver the most important part of his report. Ethan recognized the pause and waited without prompting him. Marcus had worked with him long enough to understand that there was little point in withholding information once Ethan had made it clear he expected the full account.

“There's something else. Serene has hired a private investigator to examine her father's murder.”

“Name?”

“Daniel Cruz. Former police intelligence officer. He was dismissed after an internal investigation.”

Ethan rested his fingers against the edge of the report as he considered the information. A former police intelligence officer would understand how to follow a trail without immediately exposing himself, and an investigator with something to prove could be particularly persistent. Cruz's dismissal, however, raised questions that a brief summary could not answer. Depending on the circumstances, it could make him a liability or indicate that he understood precisely how easily the truth could be buried. Ethan had no intention of underestimating a man whose background might prove relevant to an investigation involving Sebastian Gomez.

“Is he reliable?”

“He's persistent. Whether he's trustworthy remains uncertain.”

Ethan slumped back into his chair and let the silence hang in the air between them as he mulled over Serene’s latest manoeuvres. She was going faster than he had imagined, following leads that most people would have given up on before they even made their initial enquiries. Sebastian Gomez’s previous associates had declined to see her, but their reactions had not stopped her from continuing. Instead, she had gone another way, bringing in someone with the experience to look at a homicide that had stayed unsolved in the public glare. Her desire was more harder to ignore as a passing attempt at satisfying her curiosity.

Most people who encountered the rumors surrounding his empire chose to forget them. They understood that some questions were better left unanswered, particularly when the answers might draw the attention of people they had no desire to antagonize. Serene, however, had decided to investigate rather than retreat, and she appeared willing to follow the trail wherever it led. That made her either remarkably brave or dangerously reckless, and Ethan had yet to determine which description suited her better. Either way, her actions had begun to attract his attention, and he needed to understand how far she intended to go.

“Find out everything about Cruz,” Ethan ordered. “But nobody touches Serene or interferes with her investigation.”

Marcus's face changed a little, but he was careful not to show his curiosity too openly. Ethan was not one to give orders for no reason, and his determination that Serene be left unmolested seemed to be more calculated than mere prudence. She'd be good to have on hand, particularly since she kept following up on leads pertaining to Sebastian's death. In contrast, interrupting her development may ruin a chance before they knew what it was worth. Marcus knew better than to question an order until he understood the basis for it, but the situation needed a deeper look.

He paused before speaking.

“You think she may be valuable to us?”

Ethan's eyes moved to the window, where the city stretched out in the afternoon light. From his office, Manila looked orderly enough, the streets thronged with people going about their normal business. But beneath this mundane facade, corporate rivalry, private deals and ancient animosities continued to influence the actions of people who chose to keep their affairs out of the public eye. Ethan had established his business knowing that appearances rarely told the full story, and he'd learned to pay attention to the subtleties that other people missed.

“I believe someone wants her to believe I murdered her father.”

The statement silenced the room. Marcus remained still, the tablet resting on the desk between them, while Ethan allowed the implication of his words to settle. Serene's investigation was no longer simply a matter of a daughter searching for answers about her father's death. Someone had given her a reason to associate the murder with the Shadow King, and the possibility that the accusation had been deliberately planted made the situation considerably more complicated. If the connection had been manufactured, then the person responsible had a specific reason for directing Serene's suspicions toward him.

Ethan had studied Sebastian's death before, examining the available reports and retracing details that others had either overlooked or chosen to ignore. The evidence had never formed a complete picture, no matter how carefully he examined it. Certain details contradicted one another, while others led nowhere, leaving gaps that could not be explained by coincidence alone. Someone had taken considerable care to conceal the truth, and the effort suggested that the real circumstances surrounding Sebastian's death were dangerous enough to warrant such precautions. The unanswered questions had remained, making it difficult to separate what was known from what someone had wanted others to believe.

Serene's return might force that person to make another mistake. Her questions were already reaching individuals who had spent years avoiding the subject, and even their refusals revealed something about what they feared. If she continued pressing forward, those responsible for keeping the truth hidden might eventually feel compelled to protect themselves. Ethan intended to identify them before that happened, particularly if their actions threatened to drag his name into a murder he had not committed. He needed to know who was manipulating the situation and why Serene had become part of it.

His private telephone rang, interrupting his thoughts. Ethan glanced at the screen and recognized Liam's name before answering. Of all the people who could reach him without going through his staff, Liam was one of the few who rarely bothered with formalities. Their friendship had survived enough difficult situations that neither of them felt the need to pretend their conversations were always convenient, and Liam had never been particularly concerned with observing the boundaries that others approached with caution.

“Tell me you're not working again,” Liam said when Ethan answered.

“I'm managing a few problems.”

“Your definition of a few problems usually means someone is about to lose an entire business.”

Ethan almost smiled. Liam had a talent for making even the most serious situations sound like an inconvenience that could be resolved over a drink, and he rarely missed an opportunity to comment on Ethan's tendency to involve himself in matters other people would rather avoid. Their conversations often followed the same pattern, with Liam questioning his priorities and Ethan offering as little information as possible. It was a familiar exchange, one neither of them needed to explain or take particularly seriously.

“Nothing you need to worry about.”

After ending the call, Ethan returned his attention to the documents on his desk, but his gaze soon settled on Serene's photograph. The image offered little insight into the woman herself, yet her recent actions had already told him more than a casual introduction ever could. She had begun asking questions that others had avoided, and she had sought professional help when the first doors closed in her face. Whatever she believed about her father's death, she was determined to investigate it, even if the answers led her into circumstances she did not fully understand.

Ethan studied the photograph for another moment, his expression unreadable as he considered the path she had chosen. He had no intention of allowing an unknown enemy to use her investigation against him, but neither would he prevent her from searching for answers. For now, he needed to understand what Serene knew, what Daniel Cruz could uncover, and who might be waiting for them to discover too much. Until those questions were answered, he would keep his distance and let the investigation proceed under his watch.

“Let's see what you're really looking for, Miss Gomez.”

Serene sat in her father’s study, surrounded by the quiet familiarity of a room that had contained years of his life. Far across Manila, The papers before her gave her a start, but the names scattered over the list offered few quick answers. They were each a tie to the Shadow King, each a step closer to the mysteries that had gone unanswered since her father's murder. Her eyes moved down the list, the names and details she'd acquired while she mulled over her choices.

She had picked her first victim.

The esteemed businessman, Ethan Reyes, Liam Stone’s best friend, had no idea how their paths were about to intersect.