Ethan's voice trembled, though he tried to keep it steady. "What happened?"
She sighed. "A mission your father once took—years ago. It involved an ancient ritual. He reported it was a dead end. But the client thought otherwise. They found him. Found Amanda. Found you all."
Ethan clenched his fists, but his face remained calm. Inside, he felt something boiling. Something that wasn't just his—but also belonged to this body. This blood.
"They weren't ready," Natasha continued. "Too long in peace and far from the shadows. They were… caught. The next thing we heard—was that they were dead."
There was silence.
Then Ethan finally asked, "Who was the client?"
Natasha's lips curled into a dark smile.
"It was Lyon Tusk… but you might know him better as the father of your former classmate—Alex Tusk."
****
Ethan hadn't intended to care about Alex. He was just another pawn in a world already filled with threats. But the moment Alex sent people after him, that changed.
