When Julius opened the private message, what he saw made everything click into place.

[We have a date tomorrow.]

That was the moment Julius realized who owned the almighty company the whole world had been trying to collaborate with. The company no one could reach.

The company that turned everyone away. Harrison Moretti.

Some of the shareholders noticed the change in his expression immediately.

"CEO, why is your face so cold after reading it?" one of them asked, leaning forward. "Is it bad news?"

Julius closed the message and placed the paper down on the table. His face gave nothing away.

"The meeting ends here," he said. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Confusion moved through the room, quick and uneasy. People exchanged glances, unsure what just happened.

Weren’t they supposed to celebrate? After three years of constant rejection, three years of being turned down over and over again, they finally got the partnership.

So why did their CEO look like someone had just declared war? Something wasn’t right.

After the shareholders left the room, Sarah stepped closer to him.

"Sir—"

Julius cut her off before she could finish.

"Get the car ready."

Sarah blinked. "Where are we going, sir?"

"Home."

On the way back, Julius leaned against the seat and stared out the window. His thoughts didn’t settle.

How did I not suspect it? How did I not see this coming?

Who else could control a company like that? A company no one knows the face of, no one can contact directly, yet everyone in the business world fears and respects?

Who else runs this entire city from the shadows like that? Who else could hold that kind of power?

Julius closed his eyes for a second. Why now?

He wasn’t surprised that it was Harrison. Not really.

That part made sense. Everything about Harrison screamed power and control.

What bothered him was something else entirely.

Why did Harrison reject the first two proposals? Julius knew him well enough by now.

If Harrison agreed to this partnership now, after rejecting it twice before, then he definitely wanted something in return.

Harrison never moved without a reason. And that was the problem.

"Sir, we’re here," Sarah’s voice broke through his thoughts.

Julius opened his eyes and came back to reality. Sarah stepped out first and opened the door for him.

He stepped out without a word and walked toward the house.

The moment he entered, he saw his mother in the kitchen with the maid, preparing dinner together. She looked up at him the second he walked in.

"Go wash up and come down for dinner."

Julius didn’t stop walking. "I’m not hungry. You can eat without me."

His mother didn’t even pause what she was doing.

"That was not a question or a suggestion," she said calmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. "It’s a command. Be downstairs in fifteen minutes."

Julius said nothing. He knew better than to argue with her when she used that tone.

He turned and went upstairs without another word.

Inside his room, he pulled out his phone immediately. He checked his messages. No new notifications.

No message from Harrison.

Julius scoffed under his breath. "That bastard drops a bomb and disappears."

Fifteen minutes later, he went back downstairs. His mother was already seated at the dining table, waiting for him.

The food was laid out perfectly.

The moment she saw him, her eyes narrowed just a bit. She read him too easily.

"There’s something wrong with you," she said directly.

Julius sat down across from her. "Nothing."

She leaned back in her chair, studying him carefully.

"And you expect me to believe that?"

Julius didn’t respond. He picked up his fork and started eating, trying to avoid the conversation.

"I can call Sarah right now if you don’t want to talk to me," his mother added.

Julius stopped and looked up at her. "Why are you both acting the same?"

His mother raised an eyebrow. "Who else is acting like this?"

Julius went quiet.

He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. She watched him for a second, reading the silence between them.

Then she spoke, and her voice was calm but knowing.

"Harrison."

Julius looked at her directly. He wasn’t surprised that she knew Harrison’s name.

His mother had connections everywhere. She could get information from places most people couldn’t even imagine.

That wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that she knew it was Harrison affecting him right now.

That meant she was hiding something. Something important.

"How do you even know about this?" Julius asked, his voice controlled.

His mother tilted her head slightly. "About what?"

"About Harrison," Julius said clearly.

She gave a small smile, the kind that held secrets.

"Oh, who doesn’t know him? The only Enigma that exists in this world. Even the blind know his name."

Julius shook his head. "That’s not what I meant."

He leaned forward slightly. "Do you know Harrison personally?"

She didn’t hesitate. "Yes."

Julius’s eyes sharpened immediately.

"How much do you know about him?"

She took her time before answering, like she was deciding what to reveal. "More than you think."

Julius didn’t look away. He held her gaze firmly.

"And you’re not going to tell me anything?"

She smiled, almost amused.

"You won’t get anything from me, Julius. Figure it out yourself."

Julius stood up from the table. "Thank you for the meal," he said coldly.

He turned and walked away without looking back.

Just as he placed his foot on the first step, his mother’s voice stopped him.

"Don’t keep him waiting too long."

Julius froze. He didn’t turn around, but he listened.

Her voice remained calm and even.

"An Enigma doesn’t have as much patience as you think they do."

Julius didn’t turn back. He didn’t ask what she meant.

He just walked upstairs without a word, his mind racing with questions he couldn’t answer.

The moment he entered his room and closed the door behind him, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

The call connected almost immediately.

"Yes, sir?"

"I don’t care how you do it," Julius said coldly, his voice hard as steel. "Or what it takes."

He paused for a second, then continued.

"I want everything on Harrison Moretti."

"Everything," Julius repeated.

"Every detail. Every connection. Every business deal. I want it all."

"Find out how he and my mother know each other."

He walked to the window, looking out at the city lights below.

"And check if they’ve ever met behind my back. I want dates, locations, everything."

The person on the other end replied immediately, "Yes, sir."

Julius ended the call and stood there for a moment.

Harrison had moved first. Julius wouldn’t fall behind.