Adrian spent the next twenty-four hours chasing ghosts.
Hale's information led him to archives buried deep beneath the city, old records that had long been forgotten. What he found there made his skin crawl.
A man named Victor Wolfe, a billionaire who had risen to power in the early 1900s—only to be utterly ruined overnight. His wealth stolen. His allies turned against him. His fiancée taken by his enemy.
History was repeating itself.
Adrian leaned back in the dimly lit archive room, staring at the faded photograph of Victor Wolfe. A man who could have been his twin.
This wasn't coincidence. This wasn't just revenge.
This was a curse.
A debt, unpaid for a century. A cycle that had repeated itself again and again. And now, it had come for Adrian.
But curses could be broken.
And Adrian Wolfe wasn't about to let fate decide his end.
He clenched the photograph in his hand, eyes dark with resolve.Adrian Wolfe had always believed in logic, in power, in the ability to control his own destiny. But now, as he pieced together the fragments of his downfall, a truth more unsettling than any corporate betrayal stared him in the face. **This had happened before.**
And it would happen again—unless he stopped it.
---
Shadows of the Past
The name **Victor Wolfe** lingered in Adrian's mind like an echo from another life. A man who had built an empire, only to watch it crumble overnight. A man who had lost everything to an enemy who should not have won. A man who could have been his mirror image, separated by a century.
Coincidence? No. Adrian had never believed in coincidence.
He ran his fingers over the faded photograph, the resemblance chilling. **Someone had orchestrated this downfall before, and now, they had done it again.**
But history wasn't just repeating itself. **Someone was pulling the strings.**
And Adrian intended to cut them.
---
**Gathering the Pieces**
By the time the sun rose, Adrian was on the move. He had nothing left—not in the eyes of the world. But power wasn't just in wealth. Power was in knowledge. And Adrian knew how to wield it.
His first stop was an old private banker, **Gareth Monroe**—a man who had once managed secret accounts for the elite, the kind of wealth that never saw the light of day.
Monroe barely recognized him at first, then let out a low whistle. "Wolfe. Thought you were finished."
Adrian sat across from him, calm despite the storm in his blood. "Not yet."
Monroe smirked. "What do you need?"
"Information," Adrian said. "And money."
Monroe leaned back. "You don't have money anymore."
Adrian slid a document across the table. Monroe scanned it—and his expression shifted.
"A shell fund?" Monroe raised a brow. "Clever. You stashed this offshore, tied to no personal accounts." He chuckled. "You always did think ahead."
Adrian gave a humorless smile. "How much is still there?"
Monroe tapped his keyboard, scanning numbers. "A little over **fifteen million**."
Adrian exhaled. Not enough to rebuild an empire—but enough to start a war.
---
**Tracking the Enemy**
Adrian's next move was finding Damien Lancaster. His former rival had moved swiftly, taking over Wolfe International's assets and claiming Adrian's throne. But it wasn't just business.
**It was personal.**
And Adrian wanted to know why.
The answer came sooner than expected. A message, left in his hotel room—a place no one should have known he was staying.
**Stop digging, Wolfe. You won't like what you find.**
Adrian smirked. **So they were watching him.**
Good. Let them.
Because he had no intention of stopping.
---
**The First Move**
Ethan had always been loyal. Even now, after everything, he didn't hesitate when Adrian called.
"I need a way in," Adrian told him. "Lancaster's financials. His connections. His weaknesses."
Ethan sighed. "You realize he's more powerful than ever?"
Adrian's eyes were cold. "Then we take that power from him."
Ethan hesitated. Then, a slow exhale. "There's one thing," he said. "A **private auction**. Underground. High-stakes players. Lancaster is rumored to be attending."
Adrian's mind sharpened. "Location?"
Ethan hesitated. "Paris."
A slow smirk played at Adrian's lips. **Perfect.**
---
**Paris—The Game Begins**
The auction was held in a hidden venue beneath an old chateau, a place where power wasn't just displayed—it was exchanged. Deals were made with whispers, fortunes traded with glances.
Adrian stepped inside, dressed in a sleek black suit that fit him like armor. He wasn't here to bid.
He was here to **hunt.**
Across the room, **Damien Lancaster stood, surrounded by wealth and power.** The man who had taken everything from him.
Adrian watched, waiting. Studying. Then, slowly, he made his move.
He approached the bar, casual, calculated. The bartender barely looked at him as he ordered a drink.
Then—**a whisper.**
"You shouldn't be here, Wolfe."
Adrian didn't turn. He didn't react. Instead, he sipped his drink, his voice cool. "Funny. I was thinking the same thing about Lancaster."
The stranger beside him chuckled softly. "You really don't know what you're dealing with, do you?"
Adrian finally turned, meeting the gaze of **a woman he did not recognize—but who clearly knew him.**
Her eyes were sharp, intelligent. Dangerous.
"Who are you?" Adrian asked.
She smirked. "Someone who wants to see Lancaster burn just as much as you do."
Adrian studied her. "And why is that?"
Her expression darkened. "Because I know what he did. And I know what's coming."
A pause.
Then, she leaned in, her next words barely above a whisper.
**"You think this is about revenge, Wolfe. But this is so much bigger than you."**
Adrian's pulse remained steady, but his mind raced.
This wasn't just about Lancaster.
It never had been.
And now, he was about to find out just how deep the rabbit hole went.It 's time to fight back
---