Chapter 1 Disguised As A Man

"Welcome back!" On either side of the walkway, men dressed in black suits bowed low as a woman approached.

Her stride was smooth and self-assured, the wheels of her suitcase trailing behind her in a steady rhythm.

A trench coat hung from her shoulders, and dark sunglasses hid most of her face. Even so, the air around her was charged with cool authority.

She paused, and then slid off her glasses, revealing eyes that sparkled with quiet determination.

With a small wave, she signaled, and a man hurried over, offering her a phone.

"Avery, did you touch down alright?" a man's voice asked from the other end.

"Ashton, was it really necessary to roll out the red carpet? Are you trying to make headlines about the underworld queen coming back to town?" said Avery, pinching the bridge of her nose, her annoyance obvious.

Ashton Scott let out an amused laugh on the other end. "What did you expect? The only daughter of the Shadow Kingpin returns-of course, it has to be an event."

She lowered her voice, her eyes sharp. "I'm not here for applause. My only reason for coming back is to find out who was behind my father's murder. The last thing I need is every pair of eyes on me."

"Relax, I've already made sure no one will suspect a thing." Ashton assured her, his tone light and almost teasing.

Avery's gaze shifted to the Cullinan waiting by the curb. The driver, without missing a beat, stepped out and opened the door, head bowed in silent respect.

Sliding into the back seat, Avery crossed one leg over the other and fixed her gaze out the window. "Alright, Ashton. What kind of plan are you running this time?"

"You'll see soon enough," Ashton responded, amusement clear in his voice.

She frowned. "Seriously, what's that supposed to mean?"

As the car eased away from the curb, she heard Ashton say, "Check your phone. I just sent you everything you need."

Once the call ended, her phone buzzed with an incoming document. The file spun a wild tale. "Avery Hudson, missing youngest son of the Hudson family, finally discovered after years of fruitless searching. The Hudsons had traced their son to the Cooper household, where he'd been raised. The Coopers were tragically wiped out by their enemies, and Avery was the only one who made it out alive."

None of it made sense. Avery's thoughts spun as she tried to piece it together.

What did this mean?

Before she could process it further, another message from Ashton popped up. "Your father's death ties back to the Hudson family. From now on, your identity is the Hudson family's lost son."

A cold chill swept through her. She snapped her eyes to the driver, who caught her gaze in the mirror and offered a sly grin.

She sat up straighter, tension flooding her voice. "What is this supposed to be? What are you trying to pull?"

Suddenly, the driver yanked the wheel hard, sending the Cullinan crashing straight into a tangle of shrubs and branches.

The world spun violently. Avery's head slammed against the seat, and everything went dark.

...

A frantic voice cut through the haze. "Avery, wake up! Please, don't do this to me!"

Blinking through the fog, Avery looked up and saw a pair of anxious eyes hovering over her.

She struggled to make sense of things. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Walter. I'm your second brother. I'm so sorry. If I hadn't let my guard down, you would have never been abducted," said Walter Hudson, squeezing Avery's hand, his relief obvious.

Brother? Abducted?

A low ringing filled her ears, disorienting her all over again.

But as she focused on the man's face, she recognized him-the Hudsons' second son, looking at her like he'd finally found something precious.

Now she found herself cast in the role of Avery Hudson-the long-lost son the Hudson family had been searching for.

"You're awfully quiet. Are you feeling alright?" asked Walter, his voice thick with worry as he hovered by her side. He pressed the back of his hand to her forehead, searching for any sign of fever.

"It's nothing serious-just a headache," she replied, keeping her voice steady.

Honestly, this whole act was starting to give her a real migraine.

There she was, once the feared leader of the Umbra Collective, now forced to play the part of the Hudson family's long-lost son. The lengths she had to go for the truth bordered on ridiculous.

But discovery wasn't an option. The Hudson family treated their youngest like a treasure, and if anyone caught on to her deception, she wouldn't get a second chance.

Walter was still too worried to sit still. "Somebody get a doctor in here, right now!" he called out, running off himself to speed things up.

Alone for a moment, Avery checked her disguise. Her chest was bound so tightly it hurt, her long hair gone, chopped short for the sake of blending in. For a woman who cared about her looks, the discomfort was nothing compared to the sting to her pride.

Avery had ruled the powerful Umbra Collective-now she was just a juggler, faking her way through a boy's life. If her enemies ever saw her like this, they'd never let her forget it.

"Doctor, my brother says his head hurts. Can you take a look at him, please?" Walter insisted, practically guiding the doctor straight to Avery's bedside.

The doctor leaned in, his eyes gentle as he studied her face. "Alright, young man, I'll need to check your heart and lungs. Would you mind lifting your shirt for me?"