Chapter 2 My Final Mission

Miles's POV

It had been ten years since I went abroad to study, train, and prepare myself for the day I would inherit everything my father had built.

As the private jet began its descent, I stared through the window at the familiar city coming into view below. Countless memories should have come rushing back after so many years away.

Instead, I felt nothing. Home had never been a place. It had always been another battlefield.

The moment the aircraft came to a stop, the cabin door opened, and my father's head of security greeted me with a respectful bow.

"Welcome back, Mr. Ravengard."

I nodded before descending the stairs.

A convoy of black luxury SUVs was already waiting on the tarmac.

For a brief moment, I assumed we were heading home. After all, ten years was a long time. I thought my father would at least welcome me back to the mansion before discussing business.

I was wrong.

The driver glanced at me through the rearview mirror.

"Mr. Marcus Ravengard instructed us to bring you directly to Ravengard Group Headquarters, sir."

I wasn't surprised. Business had always come before family. It was the first lesson my father had ever taught me.

The convoy left the airport and made its way through the city until the towering headquarters of the Ravengard Group came into view.

To the public, it represented my family's wealth and success. Only a few knew it was also the face of the criminal empire my father had ruled from the shadows for decades, an empire that would one day be mine.

The SUV stopped at the executive entrance, where security officers were already waiting.

"Welcome back, Mr. Ravengard."

As I entered, employees turned to greet me. The elevator was waiting, and when I reached the executive floor, the boardroom doors opened.

More than twenty executives rose from their seats.

At the head of the table stood Marcus Ravengard, Chairman and CEO of the Ravengard Group.

My father looked exactly as I remembered him. Calm, powerful, and unreadable.

His sharp gaze settled on me before he addressed the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he began. "Today marks an important milestone for the Ravengard Group."

He gestured for me to stand beside him.

"My son, Miles Ravengard, has officially returned after ten years abroad. Effective immediately, he will assume the position of Executive Vice President of the Ravengard Group."

The room erupted into applause.

One by one, the board members congratulated me.

I accepted every handshake with a polite nod, offering little more than a brief "Thank you."

When the meeting finally ended, the last executive quietly left the boardroom.

Only my father and I remained. Silence settled between us.

Marcus approached the panoramic glass wall overlooking the city, his gaze fixed on the skyline before he finally spoke.

"I didn't bring you home simply to make you Executive Vice President."

His voice was calm.

"This company is already yours."

He slowly turned to face me.

"So is everything that exists beneath it."

I met his gaze.

"I'm listening."

He walked back to his desk and opened the top drawer. From inside, he removed a thick brown envelope and slid it across the polished wood.

"This is your final assignment."

I looked down at the envelope but didn't open it.

"What happens after I complete it?"

"I step down. You become CEO, and everything I've built becomes yours."

He paused, his gaze never leaving mine.

My fingers rested on the envelope.

"What do you want me to do?"

Marcus's expression became colder than I had ever seen.

"Open it."

I pulled out the file. The first thing I saw was a photograph of a beautiful young woman who looked innocent and completely unaware that her life had already been decided.

The moment I saw her face, I knew exactly who she was.

She was the same young woman who often appeared in the photos Margarette had sent me over the years. Although I had never met her in person, I knew she was the girl my father had taken in after the death of his former right-hand man.

"Her name is Ella Carter," my father said.

I looked from the photograph to him.

"Make her fall in love with you, earn her trust, and recover the documents her father died protecting."

His voice remained calm, as though he were discussing nothing more than another business transaction.

Then he looked me straight in the eyes.

"And once you've obtained what we want..."

He paused, his piercing eyes never leaving mine.

"Kill her."

The order didn't surprise me. In our world, emotions had no place. Every mission ended the same way. You completed the assignment, eliminated the target, and walked away without looking back.

My father leaned back in his chair, his expression calm, as though he had just instructed me to close another business deal.

"There's one more thing you need to remember, Miles," he said.

His voice remained steady, but the warning behind his words was unmistakable.

"Make her believe you're the man she can depend on. Become the center of her world."

He paused for a moment before continuing.

"But never make the mistake of falling in love with her yourself."

His sharp eyes locked onto mine.

"The moment you fall in love with your target..."

Another brief silence filled the room.

"...you've already failed."

I held his gaze without hesitation.

"I won't fail."

A faint smile appeared on my father's lips.

"I know you won't."

He leaned back in his chair, his expression calm and unreadable.

"I know you're tired from your trip, but tonight we're hosting a welcome celebration. I've invited several important guests."

He paused before continuing.

"For the past ten years, I've made sure Ella never saw you. I wanted her to remain curious about the man she had never met. Now the time has come for the two of you to finally meet."

His sharp eyes locked onto mine.

"Make a good impression. Be at your best, son."

I gave him a confident smile.

"I will. Besides, I'm always at my best."

A faint smirk crossed his face.

"She'll be working as your executive assistant."

I simply nodded.

"Don't let her distract you."

His voice turned serious again.

"And from this moment on, stay away from other women. You can have anyone you want after the mission is over, but until then, your focus belongs to Ella."

He folded his hands on the desk.

"I've spent years putting every piece of this plan into place after Conrad's death. Don't disappoint me, Miles."

His gaze hardened.

"The future of our empire rests in your hands."

"I understand."

He gave a satisfied nod.

"You may go now. Get some rest and be home before seven. The celebration begins tonight."

I nodded once before leaving his office.

The moment the door closed behind me, I let out a slow breath.

Ten years of preparation had led to this. One woman stood between me and everything I had been trained to inherit.

I headed toward the elevator, already considering how I would approach her.

Apparently, I wouldn't have to wait long.

Someone hurried around the corner.

"I'm so sorry..."

Before either of us could react, she crashed into me.

The paper cup flew from her hands, and hot coffee splashed across the front of my white dress shirt and expensive suit.

The executive floor fell silent.

"Oh my God..." she gasped.

She immediately crouched down, frantically picking up the fallen cup before rummaging through her bag for a pack of tissues.

"I'm so sorry," she said in a panic as she tried to wipe the coffee from my suit. "I wasn't paying attention."

Her hands trembled.

“The chairman asked me to bring him coffee,” she murmured anxiously. “I’m going to be in so much trouble.”

She let out a shaky breath before finally looking up. The instant her eyes met mine, every trace of color drained from her face. Her hand froze midair, still clutching the tissue, and her lips parted, but no words came out.

For a long moment, she simply stared at me in stunned silence. "Y-You..." she whispered.

I looked down at her without saying a word, taking in her wide brown eyes, long dark hair, and delicate features.

Ella Carter.

The photographs hadn't done her justice. She was far more beautiful in person than I had expected, with an innocence in her eyes that made it difficult to look away.

I stared a second longer than necessary before forcing my gaze to the coffee stain on my shirt.

She was beautiful, but that changed nothing. Ella Carter was my target, and that was all she would ever be.

I lifted my gaze to her frightened eyes.

"I didn't realize the HR Department hired clumsy employees nowadays."

Her face paled. "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean to—"

"Then learn to watch where you're going."

I stepped around her without another word and continued toward the elevator.

She remained exactly where I had left her, too stunned to move.

So much for making a good first impression.