Some truths destroy enemies.
Some truths destroy love.
The storm outside hadn't stopped.
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the massive Valentino estate like a warning.
Inside Ares's study, the silence felt suffocating.
Elara stared at the tablet lying on the desk.
That photo.
Her younger self.
And the man standing beside her father.
Damien Volkov.
The most dangerous enemy Ares had.
Her voice trembled.
"Ares… I swear I didn't know."
Ares didn't reply immediately.
He stood near the window, tall and unmoving, his expression unreadable.
Only his eyes betrayed something darker.
Calculation.
Suspicion.
Danger.
"You didn't know," he repeated slowly.
Not a question.
A statement.
But one that sounded like a test.
Elara stepped closer.
"My father never told me anything about his work. After he died, everything disappeared. Files… contacts… everything."
Luca crossed his arms.
"That's convenient."
Elara shot him a glare.
"You think I'm lying?"
Luca didn't answer.
Because in Ares's world, trust didn't exist.
Only evidence did.
Ares finally turned toward her.
"Your father worked for Volkov for eight years."
The words hit like a bullet.
"What?"
Ares picked up the tablet again and tapped the screen.
Documents appeared.
Contracts.
Financial transfers.
Old corporate records.
"All confirmed."
Elara's hands trembled.
"This… this can't be real."
But deep inside—
Something felt horribly familiar.
Memories she had ignored for years.
Late-night phone calls.
Her father locking his study door.
Arguments she was never allowed to hear.
Ares watched her carefully.
Every reaction.
Every breath.
Because if she was acting—
He would know.
"Ares," she whispered.
"Do you really think I'm your enemy?"
For a moment…
The room went completely silent.
The man known for destroying empires looked at the woman he had married.
The woman he had protected.
The woman he had trusted.
And suddenly—
Every memory felt questionable.
Luca broke the silence.
"There's more."
Ares's gaze sharpened.
"What."
Luca hesitated.
Then said quietly—
"Volkov knows about her."
Elara froze.
Ares's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper.
"How."
"We intercepted a message," Luca said.
"He's looking for her."
Ares's eyes darkened.
Outside the thunder roared again.
Because this wasn't coincidence anymore.
This was a hunt.
And Elara was suddenly the center of it.
Ares walked toward her slowly.
Each step heavy with something dangerous.
"Elara."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"If Volkov is searching for you…"
He stopped inches away.
"…then you're either the key to destroying him."
His fingers lifted her chin slightly.
"Or the weapon he planted inside my life."
Elara's heart pounded.
"You think I'm a spy?"
Ares didn't answer.
Because the truth was worse.
He wanted to believe her.
But his world had taught him something brutal.
Love could be manipulated.
Trust could be weaponized.
And enemies were patient.
Very patient.
Suddenly—
The security alarms exploded through the estate.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Luca grabbed his phone.
"Ares."
"What."
"Perimeter breach."
The guards' voices shouted through the communication system.
"Unknown vehicles approaching the estate!"
Ares's expression turned lethal.
"Volkov."
Luca nodded.
"Looks like he found her faster than we expected."
Elara's blood ran cold.
Ares turned toward the door.
His voice became pure command.
"Lock down the estate."
"Arm the security teams."
Then he looked back at Elara.
His eyes burning with something intense.
"You stay with me."
Because whether she was innocent—
Or the biggest lie of his life—
Ares Valentino was not letting anyone take her.
Not even his most dangerous enemy.
Outside the gates of the Valentino estate…
Black cars slowly rolled through the rain.
And inside one of them—
Damien Volkov smiled.
Because the game had finally begun.
The past is hunting Elara.
And Ares is about to discover a truth that could destroy everything.