Jin Varras had learned to swallow his pride the same way he swallowed the Morrison family's leftovers, cold, bitter, and alone in the kitchen.
He stood in the corner of the dining room, hands clasped behind his back, watching twenty of the city's wealthiest elites feast on Wagyu beef and vintage wine. The Morrison Estate's chandelier cast golden light across the table, illuminating faces he'd once dined with as an equal. There were partners from Halloway & Kane, CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, and politicians whose campaigns he'd once helped fund.
Now they didn't even see him.
"More wine, please."
Jin moved forward, lifted the bottle from the sideboard, and refilled the woman's glass without a word. She didn't thank him or look at him. He was furniture, a shadow, less than the servants his father-in-law actually paid.
At the head of the table, Robert Morrison held court like a king addressing his subjects. Sixty-two years old, silver hair, a smile that had closed billion-dollar deals and buried anyone foolish enough to oppose him. He wore his wealth like armor with his custom suit, platinum cufflinks, and a watch that cost more than Jin had earned in his entire career.
"The city council vote is Tuesday," Robert was saying, cutting into his steak. "I've secured eight votes. We'll have the waterfront development approved by end of month."
Murmurs of approval around the table. Someone raised a glass.
"And the environmental impact report?" a woman asked. It was Senator Patricia Hawthorne, and Jin recognized her. He'd helped draft talking points for her last campaign.
Robert waved his hand dismissively. "Handled. Our legal team made sure the report was... favorable."
Polite laughter. Everyone at this table knew what "handled" meant. Someone had been paid off. Evidence had been buried. The truth had been negotiated into compliance.
Jin's jaw tightened as he retreated to his corner.
"Daddy?"
The small voice cut through the adult conversation like a knife through silk. Every head turned toward the source.
Lily Morrison stood in the dining room doorway, four years old, wearing pajamas with cartoon stars. Her dark hair was messy from sleep. She rubbed her eyes, confused by the bright lights and strange people.
"Daddy, why aren't you eating with everyone?"
The table went silent.
Jin's heart stopped. He started to move toward her, but Robert Morrison's voice froze him in place.
"Lily, sweetheart." Robert's tone was saccharine, paternal. "What did Grandmother tell you about interrupting when we have guests?"
"But Daddy..."
"Your father is helping us tonight." Robert smiled, but his eyes were ice. "He's being useful. Isn't that right, Jin?"
Twenty pairs of eyes turned to look at Jin. Some were curious, some pitying, and most indifferent.
Jin forced himself to nod. "That's right, Lily. Go back to bed. I'll come tuck you in later."
"But..."
"Lily." Vanessa Morrison's voice was sharp. Jin's wife, though she barely deserved the title anymore, stood from her seat at the table. She was beautiful in the way expensive things were beautiful, polished, perfect, and untouchable. She wore a designer dress and professional makeup. The woman he'd married five years ago was still there, somewhere, beneath all that Morrison family varnish.
But she wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Come on, honey," Vanessa said, taking Lily's hand. "Let's get you back to bed."
Lily looked back at Jin as her mother led her away. "Goodnight, Daddy."
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
The moment they disappeared upstairs, the conversation resumed as if nothing had happened. Jin became invisible again.
"Such a sweet child," someone said.
"Yes." Robert took a sip of wine. "She'll be fine once... well. Once things are settled."
Jin's hands clenched behind his back.
He knew what "settled" meant.
Divorce. Custody. The complete erasure of Jin Varras from the Morrison family legacy.
It was happening and had been happening for months. Ever since Jin had made the mistake of trying to expose what Halloway & Kane had done to his sister.
Ever since he'd chosen truth over survival.
---
The dinner ended at 11 PM. Jin cleared plates while the guests filed out, each one ignoring him completely. He was background noise, a servant, the former senior partner at Halloway & Kane, reduced to clearing his father-in-law's table scraps.
When the last guest departed, Robert Morrison loosened his tie and poured himself a scotch.
"Jin. Study. Now."
Not a request but a command.
Jin set down the tray of dishes and followed his father-in-law into the study, a room that smelled like leather and old money. There were floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, a mahogany desk that had belonged to Robert's grandfather, and a safe hidden behind a portrait of some Morrison ancestor who'd made his fortune in railroads and human misery.
Marcus Morrison was already waiting inside. He was Vanessa's older brother, thirty-four years old, ambitious, and cruel in the casual way the wealthy could afford to be. He worked at Halloway & Kane and had been promoted to senior associate two years ago, around the same time Jin's career had started its death spiral.
Marcus smiled when Jin entered. It wasn't a kind smile.
"Close the door," Robert said.
Jin did.
The click of the latch sounded like a cell door closing.
Robert sat behind his desk, swirling his scotch. Marcus leaned against the bookshelf, arms crossed, looking like a man about to watch something entertaining.
"We need to talk about your future," Robert began.
"I don't have a future." Jin's voice was flat. "You made sure of that."
Robert's expression didn't change. "You did that to yourself, Jin. When you decided to pursue this... conspiracy theory about your sister's death."
"Maya was murdered."
"Maya overdosed." Robert's tone was patient, condescending. "The medical examiner confirmed it. The police confirmed it. The case is closed."
"The medical examiner was bribed. The police were paid off. And Halloway & Kane orchestrated the entire cover-up." Jin took a step forward. "You know this. You're part of it."
Marcus laughed. "Jesus, he really has lost it."
Robert raised a hand, silencing his son. "Jin. I understand you're grieving. Maya's death was tragic. But this obsession is destroying you. It's destroying this family."
"I don't give a damn about this family."
"Then think about Lily."
The words hit Jin like a punch to the gut.
Robert leaned forward, his eyes sharp. "You have a daughter, Jin. A beautiful, innocent little girl who deserves a stable home. But instead, she has a father who's been secretly investigating his own law firm. Who's been harassing partners. Who's been stealing confidential documents."
Jin's blood went cold. "How did you..."
"Marcus works at Halloway & Kane." Robert gestured to his son. "He's been keeping an eye on you. Making sure you didn't do anything... foolish."
Marcus pushed off from the bookshelf, pulling a folder from his jacket. He tossed it onto Robert's desk.
Jin recognized it immediately.
It was his investigation file with every piece of evidence he'd collected on Maya's murder. There were witness statements, financial records, and emails connecting Halloway & Kane to the Helix Pharma cover-up. Five years of meticulous work.
All of it, copied and delivered to his father-in-law.
"You went through my things," Jin said quietly.
"We had concerns," Marcus said. "Turns out we were right to be concerned. You've been building a case against the firm. Against our family's business partners."