THE BILLIONAIRE'S MASQUERADE

Aria stared at the broken silver mask lying on the rug like a severed truth. Another Vale? Her eyes snapped to Lucien. His face had lost all color. Cassian stood in the doorway, soaked in rain, blood dripping from his knuckles. "I told you this wasn't over." Lucien walked toward him slowly. "Where did you get that mask?" "Midnight Archives," Cassian replied. "Behind the vault. There's a hidden corridor. We found a room. Someone's been living there." Aria's pulse raced. "Who?" Cassian looked directly at her. "Your mother's killer." Lucien slammed the door shut and turned back to them, jaw clenched. "That's impossible. My father! he said" "Your father lied," Cassian snapped. "Just like you do." The air between them crackled. "Enough," Aria said firmly, stepping between them. "What do you mean by another Vale?" Cassian exhaled. "His twin." Lucien froze. "That's not true," he whispered. Cassian nodded. "It is. There's another. A brother. Hidden. Raised in secret. The one your mother was trying to expose before she died." Aria's voice cracked. "She died trying to stop him?" Cassian met her gaze. "Yes. And he's alive." Lucien walked to the window, hands in his hair, trembling. "This... this can't be. My father always said I was alone. I remember being alone." "Your father created two heirs," Cassian said. "One for the public. One for the shadows." Lucien's voice was hollow. "And I was the one for the public." A beat of silence. Then Lucien turned to Aria. "We have to find him before he finds you." Hours later, they stood in front of the Midnight Archives-an old, off-limits section of the Blackthorn Library that no one dared to enter after dark. The building loomed like a forgotten cathedral, windows like hollow eyes. Thunder rolled in the sky above. Cassian picked the lock with ease. Inside, the air was thick with dust and forgotten voices. Aria's boots echoed on the marble floor as she followed Cassian and Lucien down a narrow hallway lined with iron bookshelves. "Here," Cassian whispered, pulling back a tattered tapestry. Behind it was a stone wall with a crack. Lucien pressed his hand against it. Click. The wall shifted. And opened. A narrow passage descended into the darkness below the library. Cold air rushed up to meet them. The smell of mildew and something... older. Cassian handed Aria a flashlight. "Stay close." They climbed down a spiral staircase into a cavern of rooms, forgotten by time. Old books, broken furniture, and candle stubs littered the floor. In the center of the room was a massive steel vault door. Lucien stepped forward. "I know this seal." He traced the Vale family crest etched into the surface. A wolf. A crown. And two blades crossed behind it. "I saw this once as a child," he whispered. "But I thought it was just a dream." Cassian crouched beside the door. "It's coded. A blood seal." Lucien nodded. "It needs a Vale's blood to open." Without hesitation, he drew a small dagger from his coat and sliced his palm. He pressed it to the metal. Nothing. The steel didn't even react. Aria's heart sank. "It's not you," she whispered. Cassian stood. "It's not meant for Lucien." Lucien's voice was a whisper. "It's meant for him." Suddenly, a soft click echoed behind them. They turned. At the top of the staircase stood a boy. He looked exactly like Lucien. But colder. His eyes were darker. His hair a shade longer. His smirk sharper. "Well," the boy said, voice smooth like poison, "What took you long enough." Lucien stepped forward. "Who are you?" The boy tilted his head. "I'm the mistake your father buried." His eyes shifted to Aria. "And the reason your mother died." Aria's breath caught. Lucien reached for the dagger. "Don't come any closer." The boy raised both hands. "Relax. I'm not here to kill anyone... yet." Cassian stepped forward. "What do you want?" "Her," the boy said simply. Aria froze. "Why?" she whispered. He smiled, slow, cruel, chilling. "Because your blood unlocks the rest of this vault." Lucien's eyes widened. "No." "Oh yes," the twin said. "Didn't they tell you, Aria? Your mother was the last of the Winters bloodline. Ancient. Pure. Dangerous. Your blood and mine... are the key." He stepped into the room. "And once I open that vault, Blackthorn falls." Aria backed away, heart pounding. Lucien moved in front of her, dagger raised. "You'll have to go through me." The twin just smirked. "I was hoping you'd say that." In a flash, he pulled out a throwing knife and hurled it. Lucien blocked it with his arm barely. Blood sprayed across the floor. Cassian grabbed Aria and pulled her toward the door. "Run!" They bolted up the stairs as Lucien tackled his twin, steel clashing against steel, growls echoing behind them. They made it outside. Rain poured from the sky like punishment. Aria collapsed on the wet grass, gasping. Cassian knelt beside her, checking for injuries. "Is he going to kill Lucien?" she choked. Cassian looked toward the building. "No," he said. "Lucien's too angry to die tonight." Twenty minutes later, Lucien emerged from the archives. Blood on his coat. Mask gone. Face bruised. But alive. Aria ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He didn't hesitate but held her tight, his body shaking. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "For what?" "For everything." She looked into his eyes. "I need to know the truth now," she said. "All of it." Lucien pulled back and nodded. "Then you need to know the Vale Curse." Cassian stepped forward. "And the price of breaking it."