The rain started again.
Soft at first.
Then heavier.
The sound of it hitting the tall glass windows of the Valentino estate made the silence inside feel even darker.
Elara stood near the vault entrance, still holding the photograph.
Her father's face stared back at her from the image.
Cold.
Unfamiliar.
Almost like a stranger.
"This isn't possible…" she whispered.
Adrian was standing a few steps away, watching her carefully.
His expression remained calm, but his mind was already working.
Planning.
Calculating.
War had a rhythm.
And Adrian Valentino knew that rhythm better than anyone.
"Elara," he said quietly.
She looked up at him.
Her eyes were filled with confusion.
"You need to understand something."
"What?"
Adrian walked toward the large vault table and placed both hands on it.
"This isn't just about your father."
Elara frowned.
"Then what is it about?"
Adrian's voice dropped lower.
"Power."
The word echoed in the silent room.
Elara shook her head.
"My father isn't interested in power."
Adrian gave a faint, humorless smile.
"Everyone is."
Before she could respond, Adrian's phone vibrated again.
Another unknown number.
He stared at the screen for a second.
Then answered.
"Yes."
For a moment there was only silence on the other end.
Then a voice spoke.
But it wasn't the voice from before.
This one was younger.
Sharper.
Almost amused.
"Well… that was faster than expected."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Who is this?"
The man chuckled.
"You're asking the wrong question."
Adrian's voice turned colder.
"Then tell me the right one."
"The right question," the stranger said slowly, "is why you're still alive."
Elara felt a chill run down her spine.
Adrian leaned against the table slightly.
"If this is another one of Suryavanshi's games—"
"Oh no," the man interrupted.
"This isn't his game."
Adrian froze.
"What do you mean?"
The voice became quieter.
More dangerous.
"Your problem isn't Suryavanshi anymore."
Adrian's eyes darkened.
"Explain."
The man laughed softly.
"You really don't see it yet?"
Adrian said nothing.
The voice continued.
"Your former partner has been planning something for fifteen years."
Elara's heart pounded faster.
Adrian spoke carefully.
"What is he planning?"
The answer came slowly.
"A replacement."
The word felt strange.
Adrian frowned.
"For what?"
The man replied with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"For you."
Silence filled the vault again.
Adrian's expression hardened.
"That would be a mistake."
"Oh I agree," the voice said casually.
"But your enemies don't."
Elara stepped closer to Adrian.
"What does he mean?"
Adrian didn't answer her.
Instead he spoke into the phone again.
"Who are you?"
The voice paused.
Then finally answered.
"Someone who doesn't want to see you die."
Adrian almost smiled.
"That's rare."
"Yes," the man replied.
"It is."
Another short silence followed.
Then the man said something unexpected.
"You should check your security cameras."
Adrian's eyes narrowed instantly.
"Why?"
"Because," the stranger replied calmly,
"your war just walked through your front gate."
The call ended.
Adrian immediately turned toward the main security screen in the vault.
He activated the system.
Multiple camera feeds appeared.
Front gate.
Driveway.
Garden.
And then—
The entrance road.
A single black car slowly rolled through the gates of the Valentino estate.
None of the guards stopped it.
Which meant something was very wrong.
Elara stared at the screen.
"Why aren't they stopping the car?"
Adrian zoomed the camera closer.
The car door opened.
One man stepped out.
Tall.
Dark coat.
Calm posture.
The security guards around him weren't reacting.
They simply stepped aside.
Like they had been ordered to.
Elara frowned.
"Who is that?"
Adrian didn't answer.
Because he recognized the man.
Even after fifteen years.
His jaw tightened.
"Impossible…"
The man on the screen slowly removed his sunglasses.
His face became clear.
Elara looked at the monitor.
Then her breath stopped.
She had seen that face before.
In photographs.
Memories.
Childhood.
Her voice barely came out.
"…Dad?"
The man standing outside the mansion looked directly at the camera.
Like he knew they were watching.
Then he smiled.
Not warmly.
Not kindly.
But like someone who had waited a very long time for this moment.
Inside the vault, Adrian whispered something under his breath.
"He shouldn't be here."
Elara turned to him.
"What do you mean?"
Adrian's voice was colder than she had ever heard before.
"Because the man standing outside…"
He looked back at the screen.
"…is supposed to be dead."
At that exact moment—
The mansion lights suddenly shut off again.
Total darkness.
The security screens went black.
And somewhere inside the estate…
A door slowly opened.
Someone had just entered the house.
And this time…
It wasn't an enemy hiding in the shadows.
It was the man who had started the war.