Chapter Seventy Two

Chapter Seventy Two
London, three days after Arion’s return from Geneva.

A light rain was falling that morning as Arion entered the main boardroom of McCallen Hotels. The sound of his leather shoes echoed against the marble floor, bouncing off the cold, modern glass walls. At the far end of the oval table, Harriet was already seated with an air of arrogance, flanked by Theodore McCallen and a few anxious board members.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Harriet began calmly, “today we will discuss strategic steps for McCallen Hotels’ expansion into the Middle East market.”

But Arion cut in immediately.

“No,” he said sharply. “Today, we discuss who has infiltrated this company with the intention of destroying it from within.”

All eyes turned to him. Harriet gave a thin smile. “Arion, this is not the time for melodrama.”

“You’re right,” Arion replied coldly. “It’s time for the truth.”

He tossed a folder onto the table. Papers scattered across the polished surface—email transcripts, bank transfers, even transcripts from the recordings on Selene Dubois’ flash drive. Some board members eagerly grabbed the documents, reading with widening eyes.

“Philippe Vasseur. A familiar name to anyone who’s read the criminal history of European family businesses,” Arion continued. “Harriet didn’t just know him. She worked for him. Even before she met my father.”

“You have no direct proof,” Harriet snapped, though her voice was less composed now.

“A voice recording from Richard McCallen himself. His voice names Philippe, names you, and names Theodore.” Arion turned to his cousin. “What was your plan, Theo? Get rid of me, then become their puppet CEO?”

Theodore’s face went pale. “You’re insane.”

“The only insane one here was my late father for ever trusting either of you.”

An older board member, Graham Ellis—known for his neutrality—spoke up. “If these allegations are true, Harriet’s position as executive supervisor must be suspended until a full investigation is completed.”

“This is slander!” Harriet stood up, but her voice lacked conviction.

“Then prove it false,” Arion challenged her. “Let’s submit everything to an independent legal firm. Including the recording. I will petition the court to annul the appointment letter signed when my father was under heavy sedation.”

A tense silence filled the room.

Graham finally said, “I agree that further investigation is necessary. Until then, Harriet—you will be suspended from your role as executive supervisor.”

Harriet stared in disbelief, but she couldn’t fight back. She looked at Arion, her eyes like fire ready to burn.

After everyone had left, only Arion and Harriet remained in the room.

“This isn’t over,” Harriet whispered.

“You’re right,” Arion said. “But this time, I’m in control.”

That night, Arion stood in his private study, gazing at an old family photo on the wall. His father—Richard—stood tall in the center. Next to him, a teenage Arion. And in the far right corner, another small boy who had disappeared from their lives long ago: Lucas McCallen.

Arion stepped closer, removed the photo from the wall, and opened the frame. On the back, in his father’s handwriting, it read: “Lucas is gone… but if he ever returns, protect him.”

Lucas—his half-brother—had disappeared in a boating accident off the Italian coast as a child. The entire family believed he had died. But clearly, his father had never lost hope.

“Selene said ‘be careful with your cousin’,” Arion muttered. “But what if she wasn’t talking about Theodore?”

The thought dug deeper as Simon entered the room.

“I found something,” Simon said, placing a folder on the desk. “About Harriet… and about Lucas.”

Arion looked at him sharply. “Lucas?”

Simon nodded. “There’s a possibility he’s still alive. More than that—there’s evidence that Philippe Vasseur has been searching for someone suitable to impersonate a McCallen heir. There’s a name… a man called Lucien Vale. Trained, groomed, and now surfacing in underground financial circles with links to Harriet and Philippe.”

Arion repeated the name slowly. “Lucien…”

Simon added, “We can’t be certain yet, but DNA could confirm everything. We need to find this man.”

Arion stood, his footsteps steady. “Track him down. If he really is Lucas, then this battle is far more complex than I thought.”

Simon looked grave. “And if he’s not?”

Arion exhaled. “Then Harriet and Philippe have created a false heir. And I’ll have to destroy them before they destroy my family’s name.”

A few days later, Istanbul.

In the lounge of a luxury hotel, a tall man with a sharp jawline and gray eyes sat alone, reading a French newspaper. His name: Lucien Vale.

No one truly knew who he was. But that night, he received an unmarked envelope containing two items: a childhood photo of Arion and Lucas McCallen… and a handwritten note:

“It’s time to return. Harriet is waiting. The world belongs to those who dare to claim the legacy left behind.”

Lucien stared at the photo for a long time.

The boy’s face in the photo... looked just like him.

And in his eyes, something began to stir—something like belief.

Back in London.

Arion had just finished preparing for a major press conference to address the internal changes at McCallen Hotels. He was determined to restore the company’s reputation and erase Harriet’s influence completely.

But the night before the conference, he received a short message from an unknown number:

“Are you ready to meet your brother again, Arion?”

Attached was a photo of a grown man standing on a hotel balcony in Istanbul—Lucien Vale.

Arion stared at the image.

This war had only just begun.