For three years...
Damien Laurent imagined this moment.
The moment he would finally see his brother again.
He imagined anger.
Questions.
Answers.
He imagined himself demanding to know why Julian left.
Why did he disappear?
Why did he let everyone believe he was gone?
But now that Julian was standing in front of him...
Damien felt something he never expected.
Relief.
Followed by anger.
A dangerous kind of anger.
"You’re alive."
Julian looked at him.
His expression was filled with regret.
"Yes."
Damien laughed quietly.
But there was no humor in it.
"That's all you have to say?"
Julian looked away.
"I know how this looks."
"How does it look?"
Damien stepped forward.
"Do you have any idea what I went through?"
The room became silent.
Ava watched from behind.
She had never seen Damien like this.
Not the billionaire.
Not the powerful businessman.
Just a brother who had been abandoned.
"I searched for you."
Damien's voice cracked slightly.
"Everywhere."
Julian swallowed.
"I know."
"You know?"
His expression hardened.
"You knew?"
Julian closed his eyes.
"Yes."
That answer hurt more than anything.
Ava looked between them.
There was so much history in the room.
So much pain.
So many things left unsaid.
"Why?"
Her voice cut through the silence.
Both brothers looked at her.
"Why did you disappear?"
Julian studied her.
Then looked at Damien.
"You really don't know."
Ava frowned.
"Know what?"
Julian sighed.
"Your father never told you."
Damien immediately stepped forward.
"Stop talking in riddles."
Julian looked at him.
"That's what he wanted."
"Who?"
"Our fathers."
The words changed the room.
"Our fathers?"
Julian nodded.
"Everything that happened started with them."
Ava felt cold.
"What does my father have to do with your family?"
Julian looked at her.
And his answer made her heart stop.
"Your father wasn't a victim of Laurent Industries."
Silence.
"He was protecting it."
Ava stared.
"No."
Julian looked sorry.
"I wish I was lying."
Damien's anger returned.
"Explain."
Julian walked into the room.
Slowly.
Like every step carried a memory.
"Twenty-five years ago, our fathers built something together."
"What?"
"A system."
Ava frowned.
"What kind of system?"
Julian looked at the files.
"The kind that could control billions."
Damien's expression changed.
"This isn't about money."
"No."
Julian shook his head.
"It's about power."
Ava looked at Damien.
"And where do we fit into this?"
Julian became quiet.
Too quiet.
Then he said:
"You were both part of the plan."
The words felt impossible.
"Me?"
Damien stared.
"And Ava?"
Julian nodded.
"Your fathers believed that together, you two could protect everything they built."
Ava stepped back.
"Together?"
Julian looked at them.
"They planned your lives before you even knew each other."
The room went silent.
Because suddenly everything felt different.
The partnership.
The investigation.
The way they were brought together.
Was it really a coincidence?
Or had someone planned it?
Damien looked at his brother.
"Why come back now?"
Julian's face darkened.
"Because they found me."
"Who?"
Julian looked toward the window.
The fear in his eyes was real.
"The people who destroyed our family."
Ava's voice became softer.
"Who are they?"
Julian looked at her.
And for the first time...
She saw fear in someone other than Damien.
"Someone you trust."
Ava froze.
"What?"
Julian continued:
"The person behind everything has been close to both of you for years."
Damien's jaw tightened.
"Name them."
Julian looked at his brother.
Then at Ava.
"I'm sorry."
A pause.
"But the person you're looking for..."
"Is already inside your life."
Before anyone could react—
The lights went out.
Again.
Ava's heart dropped.
Not because of the darkness.
Because this time...
They weren't alone.
A voice came from the hallway.
Calm.
Familiar.
And terrifying.
"Julian."
Ava froze.
Because she knew that voice.
Damien knew it too.
And when the lights came back on...
The person standing at the door made both of them realize one thing.
The enemy had never been outside.
They had been invited in.