Chapter 10 The Swan Project

​The Discovery

​Alex's eyes remained fixed on the old newspaper clipping. The bold headline read SWAN PROJECT, and the words seemed to burn into his mind. He slowly looked up at his head of security.

​"What exactly is the Swan Project?"

​The man shook his head. "I've searched every company archive. There are no records, no files. It's as if it never existed."

​Alex frowned. "That's impossible. Swan Group documents everything." He paused before adding, "Unless..."

​The security chief finished the thought. "Unless someone deliberately erased it."

​Confronting Kendall

​Half an hour later, Alex stood outside his father's private office. He knocked once, and a voice from inside called, "Come in."

​Kendall Swan looked up from behind his desk. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

​Without a word, Alex placed the newspaper clipping in front of him. Kendall adjusted his glasses and glanced down. The instant his eyes landed on the words SWAN PROJECT, the color drained from his face.

​Alex noticed immediately. "You know what it is."

​Kendall slowly folded the newspaper. "Who gave you this?"

​"Our security team. They found it while investigating the warehouse."

​For a long moment, Kendall remained silent.

​"Dad... what is the Swan Project?"

​The older man rose from his chair and walked to the window, standing there with his back to Alex. Nearly a full minute passed before he finally spoke. "It's a name I hoped I would never hear again."

​Alex's heartbeat quickened. "So it was real."

​Kendall gave a slow nod. "It was."

​"What was it?"

​"It began as a confidential business expansion," Kendall explained. He shook his head. "No, it became something much bigger. Twenty-six years ago, Swan Group was preparing to enter the international market. We partnered with several powerful investors. Then one night... our headquarters was attacked."

​Alex stiffened. "What?"

​"Someone broke into our research division. They stole highly confidential documents, and one of my closest friends was murdered."

​Alex stared at him in shock. "You never told me."

​"I buried that chapter of my life. The police never found the people responsible; they simply disappeared."

​Alex swallowed hard. "The Black Phoenix..."

​Kendall's expression instantly hardened. "So you've seen the tattoo. You know what it means?" He nodded slowly. "It belonged to an underground organization. They called themselves... The Phoenix Circle."

​Silence filled the room as Alex quietly repeated the name. "The Phoenix Circle..."

​Kendall's eyes grew cold. "They specialized in corporate espionage, blackmail, kidnapping, and murder."

​Alex stood frozen, struggling to believe everything he had just heard. "They still exist?"

​Kendall slowly shook his head. "No one knows. Most people believe they disappeared years ago." 

He paused, his expression growing grim as he looked directly into his son's eyes. "But if that tattoo has resurfaced... then they're back."

​The Delivery

​Across the city, Javier stood in the kitchen, helping Nina prepare dinner. For the first time in days, the apartment felt peaceful. A genuine smile spread across Nina's face as she looked at the vegetables on the cutting board.

​"You've cut these into completely different sizes," she teased.

​Javier glanced down and chuckled. "Don't judge my cooking."

​Before either of them could say another word, the doorbell rang.

​"I'll get it," Nina said.

​She opened the door, but no one was there. Only a small brown package rested on the doormat. She looked down the hallway, but it was entirely empty. "No sender," she murmured.

​Carrying the package inside, she placed it on the dining table. Javier frowned. "Who would send this?"

​Nina looked at him. "Should we open it?"

​Javier hesitated for a moment before nodding. Carefully, she opened the package. Inside was a single, plain flash drive—no letter, no note, and no name.

​Nina frowned. "What is this?"

​Javier picked up the flash drive and turned it over in his hand. Before either of them could examine it further, Nina's phone vibrated with an incoming call from an unknown number. She answered cautiously. "Hello?"

​The same mysterious female voice spoke from the other end. "Watch the video."

​Javier stiffened as he overheard. "What video?"

​"The one inside the package," the woman replied.

​Nina's grip tightened around the phone. "Who are you?"

​The woman ignored the question. "If you want to know why your husband forgot your anniversary... start by learning what happened six years ago."

​The call disconnected.

​Without wasting another second, Nina hurried to her laptop and inserted the flash drive. Only one untitled file appeared on the screen. Javier clicked play.

​Static flickered across the screen before the video slowly came into focus. It looked like footage from a hidden security camera, with a timestamp in the corner reading: Six Years Ago.

​On screen, a much younger Camille hurried into an abandoned warehouse. Several minutes later, three men surrounded her. One wore a black hoodie, while another had the unmistakable Black Phoenix tattoo on his neck.

​The audio crackled with heavy interference, making most of the conversation impossible to hear. Then, one sentence came through clearly as the tattooed man grabbed Camille's arm:

​"If Alex Swan learns the truth... he dies."

​Javier's eyes widened, and Nina covered her mouth in horror. The video continued as Camille struggled desperately to break free, crying out, "I'll leave! I'll leave the country! Just don't hurt him!"

​Suddenly, the screen went black, and the recording ended.

​Silence filled the apartment. Javier stared at the laptop, unable to move. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "So... she wasn't lying."

​The Secret in the Ruins

​Meanwhile, Alex arrived at the old harbor warehouse. A devastating fire had destroyed most of the building years earlier, leaving only broken walls and charred beams. His security team was already waiting for him.

​"Sir," the head of security greeted him, handing him a flashlight.

​Alex surveyed the ruins. "This place feels abandoned."

​"It has been since the fire. But we found something underground."

​Together, they walked deeper into the ruins. Beneath a collapsed section of the building, a hidden basement had somehow survived the blaze. 

Alex carefully descended the cracked concrete stairs. Dust coated every surface; old filing cabinets lined the walls, broken computers lay scattered across the floor, and burned furniture was piled in the corners.

​Among the debris, one metal filing cabinet remained locked. The guards forced it open, the rusted door creaking loudly as it swung wide. Inside, only one badly scorched folder had survived.

​Two words were still clearly visible on the cover: SWAN PROJECT.

​Alex slowly reached for it. As he opened the folder, a folded photograph slipped out and landed on the floor. He bent down and picked it up. The moment he saw the image, his heartbeat stopped.

​The photograph showed a much younger Kendall Swan standing beside three business partners. One of the men had been circled in red ink.

​Alex turned the photograph over. On the back, someone had written five chilling words:

​"He betrayed everyone that night."

Alex stared at the handwriting for a long moment, his hands tightening around the paper. Slowly, he turned it over again. His eyes widened in absolute disbelief.

​The man circled in red wasn't a stranger. It was someone he had known his entire life.

​His pulse quickened. "No..." he whispered. "That can't be possible."