Elias Thorne did not like to waste time. He sat at the head of the long glass table and stared at the men in front of him. The boardroom was silent. The air conditioning hummed softly in the background. Outside the large windows, the busy city looked small. Down there, regular people rushed around in the heavy midday traffic. Up here on the top floor, Elias controlled everything. He tapped his expensive pen on the cool glass. The sharp sound echoed in the quiet room. Seven executives sat frozen in their plush leather chairs.
They were the top directors of his global company, but right now, they looked like terrified children. You have had three weeks to fix this problem, Elias said. His voice was low and steady. He never yelled. Yelling was a sign of lost control. Three weeks, gentlemen. And the profits for the shipping division have dropped another four percent. A bald man cleared his throat. His name was Arthur. He was sweating heavily. Mister Thorne, the union strikes on the coast have slowed down all operations. We are trying to negotiate new terms with the local union leaders right now.
I do not pay you to try, Elias said. I pay you to succeed. Fix the union issue by tomorrow morning or clear out your desks. Arthur nodded quickly and looked down at his hands. Nobody else dared to speak. They knew the rules. Elias Thorne was a predator in a custom suit. He did not accept excuses. He only accepted results. He had spent his whole life building his business into an unstoppable empire. He had no room for weakness. Elias was about to dismiss the meeting when the heavy wooden doors of the boardroom swung wide open suddenly.
He frowned. Nobody ever interrupted his meetings. His head of security walked in. Marcus was a huge man built like a tank. He wore a dark suit and a serious expression. Marcus ignored the staring executives and walked straight to Elias. Sir, Marcus said softly. He leaned down. A package just arrived. It was marked urgent and personal. It bypassed the normal mail screening. Elias narrowed his eyes. Can it not wait for later? We are in the middle of a review. The courier said it was a matter of life and death, sir. It is from the private investigator.
Elias felt a sudden stillness in his chest. He had hired Reynolds months ago for a very private matter. It was a cold trail. He had not expected any results. Elias looked at the frightened executives. Get out. All of you. Have a solution for the shipping division on my desk by eight tomorrow morning. The men stood up so fast their chairs scraped loudly against the floor. They grabbed their files and rushed out of the room. Within seconds, the large boardroom was empty except for Elias and Marcus. Give it to me, Elias commanded. Marcus handed it over.
It was a thick brown envelope. It was sealed with heavy tape. Marcus stepped back and waited in silence. Elias picked up a silver letter opener. He sliced the top of the envelope and dumped the contents onto the glass table. A small stack of papers slid out. There was also a single photograph.
Elias picked up the photograph first.
He felt the air leave his lungs. It was a picture of a little boy playing in a park sandbox. The boy looked about five years old. He had dark messy hair and a very serious expression on his face.
But it was the eyes that made Elias freeze. The boy had piercing, dark eyes. They were the exact same eyes Elias saw in the mirror every single morning. Elias put the photo down slowly. His hands felt strangely heavy. He grabbed the top sheet of paper. It was a report from the private investigator. The words jumped out at him. The subject is confirmed to be Leo Vance. Age five. Mother was Sarah Vance. Sarah Vance passed away two years ago from illness. The child is currently in the legal custody of his aunt. Her name is Maya Vance.
DNA testing confirmed a ninety nine percent match to the provided sample. Elias read the lines again. He read them three times. He had a son. A living, breathing heir. Five years ago, he had taken a rare weekend off in a small coastal town. He had met Sarah. It was brief. It meant nothing to his grand plans. He left and never looked back. He never knew she was pregnant. He never knew she had a child. And he never knew she died. Now, his son was living with a stranger. Elias felt a dangerous fire burn inside him.
He was a man who owned everything he wanted. He controlled ships, towers, and thousands of lives. Yet, his own flesh and blood was out there in the world, living without his permission. Marcus, Elias said. His voice sounded different. It was cold as ice. Yes, Mr. Thorne. Prepare my jet. We are leaving immediately. Where are we going, sir? To collect what belongs to me, Elias said. He picked up the photograph of the boy. Leo. His son. He would find this Maya Vance. He would write her a massive check. He would buy her off right away today.
Nobody kept a Thorne away from his legacy. It was a simple business transaction. But as Elias stood up, his private cell phone began to vibrate violently in his pocket. Only three people in the world had that number. He pulled it out and looked at the screen. The caller displayed an unknown number. He swiped to answer and brought the phone to his ear. Elias Thorne, he answered smoothly. There was heavy breathing on the other end. Then, a soft but fiercely angry female voice spoke. Before she could say a word, a loud explosion shattered his glass windows.