My grandfather gave me a check on my birthday and said with laughter that it was a "joke," that it was worth nothing. Everyone laughed, even my parents. But the next day, when I took it to the bank just out of curiosity, the cashier turned pale, called the manager, and suddenly everyone looked at me as if I had discovered a secret that no one should know. That fake check... turned out to be real.

I stared into the dark, damp vault, completely paralyzed by the impossible revelation unfolding before me.

The man chained to the wall slowly raised his head, his face bruised and covered in thick grime.

He possessed the exact same eyes as the man who had raised me, but his aura was incredibly dangerous and sharp.

"Welcome to the family business, Daniel," the chained man rasped, his voice deep and commanding.

The mayor stepped forward, aiming his weapon directly at the chained man's chest.

"Your real grandfather refused to give me the decryption codes to the syndicate's global accounts," the mayor gloated.

"So I let Arthur play house with your fake parents to ensure I always had leverage over him."

I looked over at the people I had called Mom and Dad my entire life.

They were weeping silently, confirming they were nothing more than hired actors in this twisted, decade-long psychological game.

My entire life was a carefully constructed lie to protect the greatest vault breaker in the world.

"Give me the global codes, Salvador, or I shoot the boy right now," the mayor threatened, pressing the gun to my temple.

The real Salvador strained against his heavy steel chains, pure fury radiating from his dark eyes.

"The code is not in my head, you corrupt fool," Salvador spat defiantly.

He looked directly into my terrified eyes, a proud, sharp smile breaking through his bloody face.

"I hid the master code inside the routing numbers of a fake birthday check."

The mayor quickly patted my tuxedo pockets, aggressively snatching the faded paper check from my jacket.

As the mayor stared greedily at the numbers, Elena suddenly groaned from the floor and kicked the mayor's knee with brutal force.

The mayor screamed in pain, dropping his gun and the precious check onto the concrete floor.

The Clumsy Maid Bathed His Dog—Then The Mafia Boss Said She Wasn’t Leavi...

She found her husband with another woman and walked away so quietly that...

The Mafia Boss Asked a Disabled Widow If She Was Okay

I dove wildly for the weapon, grabbing the heavy pistol and aiming it directly at the corrupt politician's heart.

"Nobody moves, or the mayor dies right here," I roared, finally embracing my true, dangerous bloodline.

Chapter 7 - The Bloodline