Chapter 10 The Shepherd's Shadow

Chapter 10: The Shepherd's Shadow

The interrogation room fell silent after the prisoner whispered the name.

The Shepherd.

Ethan repeated it in his mind, searching his memory, but nothing came back. During the years he had spent investigating the people responsible for destroying his family, he had uncovered dozens of names, shell companies, and criminal organizations. Yet he had never come across anyone known as the Shepherd.

Samuel dismissed the guards, leaving only himself, Ethan, and the prisoner inside the room.

Ethan leaned forward calmly.

"Tell me everything you know."

The prisoner took a deep breath.

"I wish I knew more."

"We never met him."

"We never even heard his real voice."

"Every order came through encrypted messages. Payments were transferred through different companies, and anyone who asked too many questions disappeared."

Ethan studied the man's face carefully.

He wasn't lying.

Years of observing businessmen, negotiators, and liars had taught Ethan to recognize fear. The man sitting before him wasn't afraid of prison.

He was afraid of the person behind the name.

"What was your mission tonight?" Ethan asked.

"The file."

"Who told you it was here?"

"I don't know."

"You must know something."

The prisoner swallowed hard.

"A week ago we received information that Chairman William Carter had finally decided to reveal the truth to his grandson."

Ethan's eyes narrowed.

"So someone has been watching my family."

The prisoner nodded.

"They knew you would return."

Samuel's expression darkened.

"That means we have a leak."

Ethan didn't answer immediately.

He had reached the same conclusion the moment he heard the prisoner's statement.

Very few people had known about his reunion with William Carter before the public announcement.

Someone inside the Carter Group had informed their enemies.

Someone close.

Ethan stood and walked toward the one-way mirror overlooking the interrogation room.

His reflection stared back at him.

For fifteen years, he had believed he was chasing ghosts.

Now he understood that the ghosts had been watching him all along.

"We're done here," he said.

Samuel looked surprised.

"Young Master?"

"Transfer him to a secure location."

"No police."

"No public records."

"If the Shepherd discovers he's still alive, they'll try to silence him."

Samuel nodded immediately.

"I'll personally oversee it."

As Ethan left the room, his phone vibrated.

The screen displayed an unfamiliar number.

He answered without hesitation.

"This is Ethan Carter."

A soft female voice came through the speaker.

"Chairman Carter, my name is Sophia Bennett."

"I apologize for calling so late."

"It's fine."

"There is something you need to know."

Ethan stopped walking.

"What happened?"

"I've been reviewing documents from Black Horizon Capital."

"What did you find?"

Sophia lowered her voice.

"Several of their legal transactions were handled by the same law firm that represented Hawthorne Holdings during your divorce."

Ethan's expression remained calm, but his mind immediately began connecting the pieces.

"Are you saying it was planned?"

"I can't prove that."

"Not yet."

"But the timing is too suspicious to ignore."

"Send everything to Samuel."

"I already have."

The call ended.

Samuel looked at Ethan.

"More bad news?"

"Perhaps."

"Or our first real lead."

Back at Hawthorne Manor, the atmosphere couldn't have been more different.

Gregory sat alone in his study, staring at an old photograph hidden inside his desk drawer.

The picture had faded with time.

It showed him standing beside William Carter and another young businessman more than two decades earlier.

Gregory slowly traced William's face with his finger.

"I never wanted it to happen this way," he whispered.

A knock interrupted his thoughts.

Marcus entered without waiting for permission.

"Grandfather, investors are demanding answers."

"I know."

"Our cash reserves won't last if this continues."

Gregory quietly returned the photograph to the drawer before locking it.

"I'll handle it."

Marcus hesitated.

"Do you know Ethan's family?"

Gregory froze for the briefest moment.

"No."

"Then why did you keep asking about Carter Group before he appeared?"

Gregory's expression hardened.

"You're asking too many questions."

Marcus immediately lowered his head.

"I'm sorry."

After Marcus left, Gregory remained seated in silence.

For the first time in years, fear appeared in his eyes.

He remembered a promise he had made long ago.

A promise he had spent fifteen years pretending never existed.

Meanwhile, Ethan returned to William's study.

His grandfather was still awake, reading through old documents.

"You should be resting," Ethan said.

William smiled.

"I've rested enough over the years."

Ethan sat opposite him.

"Grandfather."

William looked up.

"Did Gregory Hawthorne ever betray you?"

The old man's smile disappeared.

He slowly closed the file in front of him.

"I've asked myself that question every day for fifteen years."

"And?"

"I never found the answer."

William stood and walked toward the window.

"There was a time when Gregory would have risked his life for me."

"What changed?"

"Greed."

He sighed heavily.

"Or perhaps fear."

Ethan remained thoughtful.

"If Gregory knows something, I'll find out."

William nodded.

"But remember this."

"Not everyone carrying a secret is your enemy."

"Sometimes..."

"They're simply too frightened to tell the truth."

The conversation ended when Samuel hurried into the room with unusual urgency.

"Young Master."

Ethan immediately stood.

"What happened?"

Samuel handed him a tablet displaying breaking news.

A luxury vehicle had crashed into a bridge outside the city.

The headline flashed across the screen.

Senior Executive of Carter Group Dies in Late-Night Collision. Police Suspect Brake Failure.

Samuel's voice became grim.

"He wasn't just any executive."

"He managed the company's confidential archives."

Ethan looked at the photograph of the wrecked vehicle.

The impact had been devastating.

No one could have survived.

Then his phone buzzed again.

This time, an anonymous message appeared.

Stop searching for the past.

The next funeral won't belong to one of your employees.

It will belong to your grandfather.

Ethan read the message once before locking the screen.

His eyes turned cold.

"They've stopped hiding."

Samuel looked at him carefully.

"What are your orders?"

Ethan slowly looked out across the dark city where countless lights stretched into the distance.

"They've declared war."

He slipped his phone into his pocket and spoke with quiet certainty.

"Now it's my turn to make the first real move."

Far away, in a dimly lit chapel that had long been abandoned, a man dressed in a black coat stood before a weathered stone statue of a shepherd holding a lamb.

His face remained hidden beneath the shadows of his hood.

A second man approached and lowered his head respectfully.

"The Carter heir is becoming a problem."

The hooded figure smiled faintly.

"I expected nothing less."

"Should we eliminate him?"

The mysterious man slowly shook his head.

"No."

He lit a single candle beneath the ancient statue.

"A lamb that survives the wolves..."

"...often grows into the strongest shepherd."

He turned toward the darkness.

"But every shepherd eventually learns..."

"...that some wolves wear the faces of friends."

The candle flickered.

Then the room fell silent once more.