The Mafia Heir’s Secret

Rain had been falling over Vesper City for three hours. It turned the streets into mirrors, stretching the glow of neon signs across the pavement and washing the city in a cold silver light. From the highest floor of Voss Tower, Adrian Voss watched the storm through a wall of glass. He had always disliked thunderstorms. Not because of the noise. Because thunder reminded him that even the strongest things could shake. His phone rang. Adrian glanced at the screen. Uncle Leon. He answered. “Where are you?” A pause. Then Leon's voice came through, unusually restrained. “Adrian, come to the estate. Now.” Adrian frowned. “Why?” Another pause. “Your father is missing.” The words seemed to make the entire room silent. Adrian stood. “My father?” “His convoy never arrived at the meeting.” “That doesn't mean he's missing.” “I know.” Leon sounded different. Afraid. Adrian grabbed his coat. “I'm coming.” The Voss estate stood beyond the northern edge of the city, surrounded by tall iron gates and old trees that twisted toward the sky. By the time Adrian arrived, several black vehicles were parked outside. Men in dark suits stood beneath umbrellas. Nobody spoke. That frightened him more than anything else. The Voss family had ruled the city's underground world for nearly three decades. Their name was spoken carefully in places where people normally spoke freely. Adrian had spent most of his life trying to stay away from it. His father, Victor Voss, had never allowed him to forget what the family was. “Power isn't inherited,” Victor once told him. “It is maintained.” Adrian never understood the meaning. Not until tonight. He entered the mansion. Leon was waiting in the study. “Where is he?” Leon looked at him. “We don't know.” Adrian's jaw tightened. “Then find him.” “We've already searched the roads. His vehicles were found abandoned.” “Where?” “Near the old harbor.” Adrian stared at him. “Any witnesses?” “No.” “Security footage?” “Gone.” Adrian slowly walked toward his father's desk. Victor's chair was empty. On the desk sat a single black envelope. His name was written across it. ADRIAN. He opened it. Inside was one sentence. When the crown falls, don't trust the hand that catches it. Adrian read it twice. Then a third time. “What does this mean?” Leon said nothing. Adrian looked up. “You know something.” “I know enough to tell you that your father wasn't taken by an ordinary enemy.” Before Adrian could respond, the lights went out. The mansion plunged into darkness. A distant alarm sounded. Then came the unmistakable sound of hurried footsteps. Leon reached for the weapon hidden beneath his jacket, but Adrian stopped him. “Wait.” A shadow moved beyond the study doors. Everyone froze. The door opened. A young woman stood there. She wore a dark coat soaked by rain, and her expression was calm despite the chaos around her. Adrian didn't recognize her. “Who are you?” She looked directly at him. “My name is Mara Vale.” “And why are you here?” “Because your father asked me to find you.” Adrian stared. “When?” “Three days ago.” She reached into her coat and placed a small envelope on the desk. Adrian opened it. Inside was a photograph. His father stood beside three men. One was Leon. The second was a stranger. The third was someone Adrian recognized immediately. Damian Cross. The leader of the Cross family. The Voss family's oldest rival. Adrian slowly raised his eyes. Mara spoke quietly. “Your father's disappearance wasn't the beginning of this.” She looked toward the dark hallway. “It was the beginning of the war.”