Chapter 113 A Dangerous Offer

Chapter 113 A Dangerous Offer
Varkos

I stood in front of what remained of the burnt factory, staring at the blackened skeleton that had once been the heart of my family's empire. 

Smoke still curled into the morning sky. The walls were barely standing, the windows had shattered, and the machinery inside had been reduced to twisted pieces of metal.

For generations, my family had operated this factory.

I had spent years making sure the Draven name remained powerful because of what came out of those gates.

And now…

It was all gone.

My fists tightened at my sides.

“I won’t ask again.” My voice hardened. “How did this happen?”

The three guards standing before me immediately stiffened.

"Alpha, we…” One of them swallowed hard. “We don't know."

A quiet laugh escaped me, but there was no trace of humor in it.

"You don't know?"

They shook their heads quickly.

"No, Alpha. We swear. We didn't see anyone."

"Then how did a factory that has stood for generations suddenly burn to the ground?" 

My gaze moved from one frightened face to another. Silence stretched between us before the oldest guard finally spoke.

"We heard something before the fire started.” His voice trembled. "From the bushes behind the factory. We thought someone had broken into the compound."

"And?"

"We ran toward it." He turned and pointed toward the trees. "All three of us went to check. "When we came back, the fire had already started."

For a brief moment, I stared at him. My jaw clenched so tightly it felt as though my teeth would break.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"We're telling the truth, Alpha.” The answer came without hesitation. "We swear, sir. We didn't see anyone."

Slowly, I looked back at the ruins of what remained of the factory.

Something wasn't right.

There had never been a fire here before in all the years my family had owned the factory.

Then suddenly, in the middle of the night, it had burned to the ground.

Who must have done this…

"I think we already know who did this."

A familiar voice came from behind me.

Slowly, I turned toward the sound.

Kenna.

She stood beside Lady Ravenna, her arms folded across her chest. 

"Ginnie disappeared for five years," Kenna continued. "And all of a sudden, she returns married to one of the richest men in the country.”

Lady Ravenna’s eyes hardened.

"Exactly." She spoke quietly as she took a slow step toward me. “She couldn't hurt us before. But now she is married to Adrian Veynas. She has the influence to make something like this happen.”

A humourless laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

“You seriously think Ginnie burned my factory?"

"Who else?" Kenna demanded. “Don’t tell me you believe she's innocent?"

"That’s enough!” My voice cracked through the air. “There's no way Ginnie would do this."

"You don't know her anymore." Lady Ravenna's words landed harder than I expected. “The Ginnie I saw that night has changed into something else.”

I looked away.

Because part of what she had said was true.

Five years had gone by without knowing where she was. And then suddenly she appeared.

Married to Adrian Veynas.

Could she really have done this?

No.

I quickly pushed the thought away.

Before I could respond, headlights appeared through the smoke. A black luxury SUV rolled through the gates and came to a stop.

My head immediately snapped toward it.

Speak of the devil.

Adrian Veynas.

The moment he stepped out, he looked around at the destruction, and concern immediately crossed his face.

"Mr. Varkos.” He walked toward me "What happened here?”

I exhaled a shaky breath.

"The factory caught fire last night."

"God." His eyes widened as he stepped closer. “We need to investigate what happened."

"That's what I'm trying to do."

Adrian was silent for a moment, looking back briefly at the ruins before he turned to me.

"This is going to cost you millions to rebuild.”

My jaw tightened.

“Tell me about it.”

"But I can help."

My eyebrows pulled together.

“I…” The words barely left my lips. “I don’t understand.”

Adrain didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he stepped closer until there was barely any space between us.

"I can lend you the money to rebuild the factory.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. For a moment, I thought I had misheard him.

I searched his face for the slightest sign of hesitation. 

There was none.

“Mr. Veynas, rebuilding this factory will cost millions."

"I know."

"Why would you help me?”

He gave a small shrug.

"Because we're partners." His voice dropped to a low whisper. “And I know how important this factory is to the Draven family.”

I looked toward the ruins.

He was right.

Without it, my family's income would suffer badly. The factory wasn't just another business.

It was the backbone behind every development in Bleeding Rose.

Without it, our finances would take a devastating hit. And rebuilding it would take time, money, and resources.

Everything I didn't have in abundance anymore.

Adrian Veynas knew that.

Perhaps that was why his offer unsettled me. He had chosen the exact moment when I had nowhere else to turn.

"Think about it," his voice pulled me back. “I’ll be waiting for your decision, Mr. Varkos.”

He extended his hand.

After a brief hesitation, I shook it.

"Thank you."

He nodded, then released my hand. Without another word, he turned and walked toward his SUV. A few steps later, he stopped and glanced back over his shoulder.

"Whatever happened here…” He spoke quietly. “I hope you find the culprit responsible."

I nodded.

"So do I."

He got into the SUV and pulled away. I remained where I was, watching it disappear through the gates.

Something about his offer bothered me.

Why would a man willingly offer millions to rebuild another man's destroyed factory?

Especially when he had only recently become my business partner.

I rubbed a hand across my face, trying to calm the questions running through my mind.

Could Ginnie have convinced him?

Speaking of her…

Lady Ravenna and Kenna had wanted to plant the seed of doubt inside my head.

And now it was growing.

I hated even considering it.

But I couldn't ignore the possibility.

Just a few days after her return, my family's factory had burned down.

Was this some kind of revenge?

"No."

I refused to believe it.

But doubt had already entered my mind.

And once doubt found a place inside you, it was difficult to silence. And until I knew the truth, I couldn't trust anyone.

Not even Ginnie.

"Whoever did this…” My hand curled into a fist. “I'll find you. And you’ll pay dearly for it.”

I took one last look at the remains of everything my family had built before turning away.

But Ginnie’s face remained in my mind.

And for the first time since she had returned to Bleeding Rose, a terrifying question surfaced inside me.

What if she really was behind this?