Chapter 2 2

Ace walked out of the apartment building, the humid Chicago night air clinging to his skin like a damp sheet. He carried nothing but a single duffel bag.

A neighbor, Mr. Henderson, was smoking on his porch. The old man squinted at Ace, confused by the late hour and the bag. Ace didn't acknowledge him. His eyes were scanning the street, checking sightlines, checking shadows. Old habits didn't just die; they waited.

Three blacked-out Cadillac Escalades turned the corner in perfect formation. They moved with the aggressive silence of predators. They pulled up to the curb, idling with a low, menacing rumble that vibrated in Ace's chest.

The rear door of the lead vehicle opened. A man stepped out.

Sen.

The Hubbard family butler looked exactly as he had five years ago. His suit was impeccable, not a wrinkle in sight. He wore white gloves that seemed to glow under the streetlights. His eyes were sharp, hawk-like, missing nothing.

Sen bowed deeply. It was a gesture of old-world deference that looked completely alien on this cracked sidewalk.

"Welcome back, Young Master Ace," Sen said. His voice carried, clear and precise.

Ace flinched. The title felt like a shackle snapping around his wrist.

"Just Ace, Sen. Let's go before the neighbors start calling the cops."

Ace tossed his bag to a driver and slid into the back of the Cadillac. The door closed with a solid thud, sealing out the noise of the city. The interior smelled of expensive leather and cedarwood, a scent that instantly transported him back to a childhood of cold hallways and silent rooms.

A tablet was mounted on the partition in front of him. The screen flickered to life, showing a live video feed.

Harve Hubbard sat in his study in New York. He looked older. The lines around his mouth were deeper, the skin under his eyes sagging with the weight of the empire he controlled.

"You look like hell, son," Harve said. He was staring at Ace's flannel shirt and the drywall dust on his jeans.

"I look like someone who worked for a living. You should try it sometime," Ace shot back.

Harve didn't take the bait. He leaned forward. "I heard about the girl. Brittni Ramirez. Do you want her company liquidated? A few calls, and her credit lines disappear."

Ace felt a momentary spark of anger in his chest. It was hot and sharp, but he suffocated it instantly. "No. I want her to watch me rise from the ashes. I want her to see exactly what she threw away."

"As you wish," Harve said. "The 'Homecoming Protocol' is in effect. Your old accounts are reactivated."

Ace's new phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out. A notification from the private bank.

Deposit: $50,000,000.00.

Ace stared at the zeros. They meant nothing. They were just ammunition.

"I'm not back for the money, Harve," Ace said, his voice dropping an octave. "I want the files on my mother's death. The real files."

Harve's face stiffened on the screen. He looked away for a fraction of a second. "That is a dangerous path, Ace."

"I've spent three years in Black Sites in Eastern Europe," Ace said. "'Dangerous' is my middle name."

Sen, sitting in the front passenger seat, turned and handed back a sleek, black device. "Your new phone, sir. Custom encryption. Your new identity is already live. To the world, you are the returning Prodigal Son."

Ace took the phone. He looked out the tinted window as the motorcade sped past a billboard. It was an ad for Brittni's tech startup, Ramirez Solutions. Her face was plastered ten feet high, looking confident and visionary.

He realized how small her world was. How fragile.

The motorcade turned onto the bridge crossing the Chicago River. The dark water churned below.

Ace unlocked his old phone. He went to the gallery. He selected every photo of Brittni-the selfies, the dinner dates, the candid shots of her sleeping. He hit delete. Then he went to the trash folder and emptied it.

He rolled down the window. The wind roared into the quiet cabin.

He tossed the phone out. It tumbled through the air, a small black brick, and vanished into the river without a splash.

Ace rolled the window up. He didn't look back.