VEIL OF DECEPTION

The city pulsed with energy, but for Ethan, everything was sharpening into a single focus.

He sat in the back of a sleek, black Bentley, fingers tapping rhythmically against the leather seat. The King of Spades card lay beside him on the armrest, its presence an unspoken challenge.

Someone was watching. Someone who understood the game.

And that made things interesting.

"Who do you think sent it?" Dominic asked from the driver's seat, his tone casual, but his eyes sharp in the rearview mirror.

Ethan turned the card over between his fingers. It wasn't Elias. That man was too arrogant, too reactive. Whoever this was, they were patient, calculating. A different kind of threat.

"Someone with a sense of humor," Ethan mused.

Dominic smirked. "Or someone planning to slit your throat."

Ethan leaned back. "Either way, I'm curious."

The Bentley pulled into an underground parking lot beneath The Onyx Club, one of the most exclusive nightlife spots in the city. Owned by Mikhail Orlov, a man whose name carried whispers of blood and power.

Tonight, Ethan had an appointment.

Not with Orlov himself—he wasn't that foolish.

But with someone who had access to the Syndicate's inner circles. Someone who could lead him to the real enemies behind his father's downfall.

—

Inside The Onyx Club

The air was thick with money, perfume, and the scent of something more dangerous.

Ethan walked through the velvet ropes like he owned the place, past security, past the flashing lights and thrumming bass. Eyes followed him—some curious, some wary.

At the VIP section, a man in a silver suit waited with a glass of whiskey in hand. Vincent DeLuca.

Former hedge fund manager. Now a middleman for the city's most powerful crime families.

Ethan slid into the booth across from him, unbuttoning his jacket. "Vincent."

"Ethan," Vincent said smoothly. "Didn't think you'd actually show up."

Ethan smirked. "I like surprises."

Vincent took a sip of his drink. "Then you'll love what I have for you."

He slid a flash drive across the table.

Ethan picked it up, studying it. "What's on it?"

"Bank records. Phone calls. Hidden assets. Everything tying Elias Harrington to the Syndicate." Vincent leaned in, voice lowering. "But that's not the interesting part."

Ethan waited.

Vincent smirked. "You're not the only one after him."

Ethan's grip tightened around the flash drive. "Who else?"

Vincent chuckled, sitting back. "Let's just say… you're not the only ghost in this city looking for revenge."

Another player. Another unknown piece on the board.

Ethan's heart beat steady, cold. Fine. Let them come.

Because this wasn't just about Elias anymore.

It was about burning the whole game to the ground.