Chapter 23 – The File of Shadows
The file felt heavier than it should.
Ethan carried it upstairs as though it were made of stone, his chest tight with every step. He didn't know whether to open it or throw it into the fire. But the need for answers clawed at him, louder than fear, louder than doubt.
He locked himself in the bedroom, the golden glow of the bedside lamp casting long shadows across the room. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he flipped the cover open.
Page after page was filled with documents, contracts, confidential reports. Words blurred together—subjects, dosage, containment, compliance. Each line tightened the knot in his stomach.
He read about Omegas drugged and tested, their instincts manipulated for profit. He read about families who'd disappeared after speaking out, about scientists funded in secrecy, about government officials bribed into silence.
And then he saw the Zhou Corporation's seal.
Adrian's company wasn't just connected—it was central.
Ethan's hands shook, his breath coming shallow. His mate—his husband—had been tied to this horror from the beginning.
But then, deeper in the file, another name appeared over and over.
Leon Feng.
Ethan froze, scanning the pages. Leon wasn't a savior. He wasn't an innocent whistleblower. He was implicated in the earliest stages, investing heavily in the project before breaking away and blaming Adrian's side for everything.
Ethan's thoughts spun wildly. Leon had accused Adrian of being the monster, but the evidence suggested they both had blood on their hands.
He pressed a hand to his chest, the ache spreading. Who am I supposed to trust?
---
The door opened without warning.
Adrian stepped inside, his expression grim, his gaze fixed on the open file.
"You shouldn't read too much at once," Adrian said quietly. His voice lacked its usual coldness.
Ethan looked up, his eyes burning. "Why? Afraid I'll see what you've done?"
Adrian's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away. "I didn't put that file in your hands to protect myself. I gave it to you because I'd rather you hate me with the truth than love me with lies."
Ethan laughed bitterly, though his throat ached. "That's easy for you to say. You already have everything. Power, control… even me. All I have are scraps of truth from two men who can't stop lying."
Adrian's eyes darkened. He crossed the room slowly, stopping just close enough that Ethan could feel the warmth radiating from him.
"You think I'm keeping you in the dark because I don't trust you?" Adrian said, his voice low, rough. "The truth is, Ethan, I've been keeping you in the dark because the moment you know everything, you'll never forgive me."
Ethan's breath caught. "Then tell me. All of it. Now."
For a long moment, silence filled the space between them. The Alpha's control, so unshakable in front of the world, trembled at the edges here, in this room, with him.
Finally, Adrian said, "I was young when my father forced me into the project. Too young to stop it. By the time I took over, it was already an empire of blood. I tried to cut ties, but the machine was too big. Pull one piece out, and the whole world collapses."
Ethan's heart pounded. "So you stayed. You profited. You let it continue."
Adrian flinched as though struck. "…Yes."
The admission hung heavy in the air. Ethan's chest constricted, his throat closing around words he couldn't form.
"But don't mistake silence for acceptance," Adrian continued, voice harsher now. "I've been dismantling it piece by piece. Quietly. Carefully. Because one wrong move doesn't just kill me—it kills every Omega still trapped in that system. Including you."
The room tilted. Ethan pressed a hand against the bedframe, trying to steady himself. Adrian's explanation made sense. Too much sense. But it didn't erase the fact that countless Omegas had already suffered under his watch.
"You could've told me," Ethan whispered. "From the start. You could've trusted me."
Adrian's hand twitched, as though he wanted to reach out but stopped himself. "I couldn't risk Leon using you against me. He's been circling you since the engagement. If he knew you held the truth, he'd—"
"He already knows," Ethan cut in sharply.
Adrian froze. His eyes narrowed, storm brewing within them. "You told him?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. But he told me. He said you're still part of the project, that you'll never change."
Adrian let out a low, humorless laugh. "Of course he did. Did you check the file thoroughly, Ethan? Did you see his name?"
Ethan's stomach flipped. "…Yes."
"Then you know," Adrian said coldly. "Leon isn't your savior. He's the one who built the foundation of the project in the first place. I may have been born into its shadow, but he chose it. He funded it. And now, he hides behind a mask, pointing fingers at me."
Ethan's pulse raced. The lines between right and wrong blurred until he couldn't see them anymore.
"I don't know what to believe," he admitted, his voice breaking.
Adrian finally closed the distance, his hand brushing against Ethan's cheek with startling gentleness. "Believe this: Leon will use you. I will protect you. Even if you hate me for the rest of your life, I'll protect you."
The warmth of his touch was at odds with the cold truth in the file. Ethan's eyes burned with unshed tears, torn between instinct and reason, anger and longing.
He shoved Adrian's hand away, clutching the folder tightly to his chest. "Then give me time. If you want me to believe you, I need more than promises. I need proof."
Adrian's jaw set, but he nodded once. "Then I'll give you proof. Whatever it takes."
---
Later that night, when the house was silent and Adrian had retreated to his study, Ethan sat by the window, staring at the city lights.
The file lay open in his lap, its pages whispering horrors he couldn't unsee.
And in the shadows of the city, Leon made another call.
"Did he read it?" a voice on the other end asked.
Leon smirked. "Oh, yes. And now, he's questioning everything. Just as planned."