Library
Search
The Man In The Gray Coat

The Man In The Gray Coat

Mystery/Thriller
last updateLast Updated : 2025-09-02
By:  Aleeberry Completed
Language: English
goodnovel16goodnovel
10
2 ratings. 2 reviews
35Chapters
379views
Read
Add to library

Share:  

Report
Overview
Catalog
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP

Synopsis

Adventurous

Hero/Heroin

First Love

Action

Mystery

Intelligent

Brave

Elena, a young professional who discovers a web of corruption and deceit that threatens her life and livelihood. With the help of Adrian, a mysterious ally, she embarks on a journey to uncover the truth and bring justice to those responsible. As they navigate danger and uncertainty, Elena and Adrian bond grows stronger, and they find love in the midst of chaos. Together, they fight for truth, justice, and a brighter future.

View More

Chapter 1

Chapter one -The Watcher

My Papa, Lucio Rosa, stood up abruptly. "Have you thought this through?"

I clenched my fists and nodded solemnly. "But I have one condition. From now on, I'll control every asset and connection that Mamma left me."

He agreed without hesitation before probing, "Since you've agreed to marry into the Santis family, your bodyguard…"

"I don't want him anymore."

I pushed the door open and said firmly, "I don't want anything aside from what Mamma left me."

Before I shut the door, I glanced back at Papa one last time. He was humming to himself, relieved that my illegitimate sister's marriage crisis was resolved. Then he eagerly pulled out a calculator and started counting the profits from the marriage.

The Santis family had offered two ports as a wedding gift, amounting to a deal worth 1 billion dollars. Papa had lost his appetite for the past month, trying to convince me to take Leonora Rosa's place.

I had been missing for three days. When I reappeared barefoot and covered in blood, Lucio hadn't offered so much as a single word of concern.

I had to accept the truth that my Papa and the man I loved favored the same person— Leonora.

I dragged my battered body to my room. The housekeeper, Rita Morelli, rushed over and supported me. "Where have you been, Ms. Rosa? Why are you so badly injured?"

She began to gently clean my wounds with warm water as her eyes brimmed with tears.

"I heard you didn't make it to the trade summit. Leonora took your place and stole the spotlight. But she doesn't know anything. How on earth did she manage to win everyone over?"

​​I lowered my gaze and recalled the conversation between Marco and the Soldati earlier.

"Mr. Marco, Viviana is the undisputed prodigy of the West Coast. Her analytical reports are outstanding. Only you despise her and would secretly steal her work to hand it to Leonora."

Marco said coldly, "Viviana grew up under the protection of two mafia families and has led a comfortable life. Leonora is different. She's had it rough and lived in the slums with her mom. She's lucky to have survived. If Leonora had the same opportunities as Viviana, she would be just as brilliant.

"I can't bear to see her being so insecure."

I couldn't help but scoff. The younger son of the Santis family had stooped to be my bodyguard just to protect a secret, illegitimate daughter. If that wasn't enough, he’d stolen my report and even orchestrated a life-threatening ambush just to get me out of the way so Leonora could shine.

Marco, did you really love her so much? Enough to put my life on the line?

A strong perfume scent snapped me out of my thoughts. Leonora swayed into the room and said, "Viviana, you're finally home? Were you out on a three-day tryst with some man?"

She was dressed in a custom gown, with the diamond necklace Papa had bought for her glittering around her neck.

"Everyone on the West Coast now knows about your scandalous past. Viviana of the Rosa family and a dozen thugs—"

Before Leonora could finish speaking, Rita lunged forward and shoved her.

"Liar! You've been spreading the rumors to frame Viviana. I'll kill you!"

Leonora shrieked and stumbled back. She fell into a broad, firm chest.

I looked up and caught Marco's murderous glare.
Expand
Next Chapter
Download

Latest chapter

More Chapters

You may also like

New Release Novels

To Readers

Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.

reviews

Ameerah Omotara
Ameerah Omotara
Such a nice story
2025-09-04 18:40:49
1
0
Anifowose
Anifowose
Literally true life story ...️‍...
2025-08-31 02:12:33
1
0
35 Chapters
Chapter one -The Watcher
Chapter one -The Watcher The rain had just started to fall, a thin mist that turned the morning streets of Lagos into a blur of umbrellas and impatient horns. Elena tucked her handbag closer to her chest as she hurried toward the bus terminal, her heels clicking against wet pavement. She hated Mondays. The city always felt more restless at the start of the week, like everyone was scrambling to erase the mistakes of the weekend before. It was then she noticed him. A man stood perfectly still near the terminal gates, as if untouched by the chaos around him. He wore a long gray coat that seemed out of place in the sticky Lagos humidity. While others shifted, gestured, and grumbled at bus conductors, he didn’t move. His head tilted slightly, eyes hidden beneath the brim of a dark hat. At first, Elena thought nothing of it. Lagos was full of strangers, after all—faces that blurred, lives that brushed briefly against hers before vanishing forever. But something about his stillne
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-25
Read more
Chapter Two- The Note
Elena barely slept that night. Every creak in the building, every car horn from the street below, sounded like footsteps outside her door. She lay awake staring at the ceiling, replaying the image of the gray-coated man waiting outside the bookstore. By morning, she was exhausted but determined. If he wanted to watch, let him watch. She refused to live in fear. At work, the glass towers of Victoria Island gleamed in the sunlight. Elena buried herself in spreadsheets and presentations, her mind struggling to focus. She was halfway through drafting a financial report when the receptionist walked in, holding a small white envelope. “This just came for you,” the woman said. Elena frowned. “From who?” The receptionist shrugged. “A man dropped it at the front desk. Didn’t give his name.” Her breath caught. Slowly, she took the envelope. It was plain, unmarked—except for her name written in neat black letters. Hands shaking, she tore it open. Inside was a single sheet of paper. The
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Three - The Meeting
Elena couldn’t concentrate the next day. The note still lay hidden in her handbag, a constant weight pulling at her thoughts. Every phone call, every passing glance from her colleagues seemed suspicious now. When her boss leaned over her desk with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, she almost flinched.By 5:00 p.m., her nerves were frayed. She told herself she wouldn’t go. She wasn’t reckless—she had grown up in Lagos, a city that taught women to be cautious. Meeting a strange man in a gray coat, alone, sounded like the beginning of a newspaper tragedy.And yet… she found herself leaving the office, her feet carrying her back to the quiet street where he had spoken to her.The street was nearly empty, the glow of streetlamps flickering to life as dusk settled in. Her heart thudded so loudly she was sure he would hear it.Then she saw him.He was leaning against the wall of a closed shop, coat draped around him like a shadow. When his eyes met hers, something passed between them
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Four- The Chase
The night air tore past Elena’s face as she stumbled after the man in the gray coat, his grip firm on her hand. Her heels clattered against the pavement, but she didn’t dare slow down. Behind them, the heavy thud of footsteps grew louder.“Who are they?” she gasped.“Not here,” he shot back. “Keep moving!”They darted into a narrow alley between two shuttered shops. The man moved with practiced precision, scanning every shadow, every corner. Elena’s lungs burned, but adrenaline pushed her forward.A dark figure appeared at the other end of the alley, blocking their escape.“Down!” he barked.Before she could process, he yanked her against the wall, shielding her with his body. A glint of metal flashed in the stranger’s hand. Elena’s heart stopped—a gun.But in the next second, the man in the gray coat lunged. With startling speed, he slammed his elbow into the attacker’s wrist, sending the weapon clattering to the ground. A swift kick followed, and the stranger crumpled with a groan.
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Five- The Hideout
The canoe drifted into the darker stretch of the lagoon, far from the busy city lights. Elena shivered, the damp night air clinging to her skin. She couldn’t stop glancing at Adrian, who rowed with steady, practiced strokes, his gray coat pulled tightly around him.At last, they reached a stretch of wooden shacks perched on stilts above the water. Lanterns glowed dimly inside, but the area was quiet. Adrian guided the canoe to a small jetty and helped her out.“Where are we?” she whispered.“A place where they won’t think to look,” he replied. “Fishermen’s homes. I know someone here who owes me a favor.”They crossed a narrow bridge of wooden planks to a shack tucked at the edge. Adrian knocked once, paused, then knocked twice. A gruff man opened the door, squinting at them. After a brief exchange in low tones, he nodded and let them in.The room smelled of salt and smoke, its furniture simple but warm. Adrian thanked the man quietly and motioned for Elena to sit.For the first time s
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Six- A Flicker of Trust
The lantern burned low, its soft flame fluttering in the draft that slipped through the gaps of the wooden planks. Golden light painted uneven shadows on the walls, making the little stilted house feel alive, as though the very boards were holding their breath. Beyond the window, the lagoon whispered—gentle ripples against the stilts, the distant croak of frogs, the occasional splash of something unseen beneath the surface.Elena lay on the narrow bed, staring at the wooden beams above her. Her body ached from the chase, from the shock of the past few days, but sleep refused to come. Her mind was too full.Numbers and ledgers still haunted her. Columns of figures she had uncovered at the bank, the suspicious accounts that didn’t add up, the sudden “audit” she was warned not to question. Then came the threats, the men in black cars, the shadow at every corner of the street. And now—Adrian.The man in the gray coat sat by the window, silent as stone. His posture was rigid, yet fluid, li
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Seven- The Break
The pounding on the door was like a drumbeat, each thud shaking the fragile wooden walls of the stilt house. The voice outside was muffled, but Elena recognized the accent, the cold menace in its tone. They’ve found us. Adrian’s hand pressed lightly against her shoulder, grounding her as her breath quickened. His gun gleamed faintly in the lantern light. “Stay behind me,” he murmured, voice low but steady. The door shuddered again. Then—CRACK. A shotgun blast blew splinters across the room. The flimsy lock gave way as the door slammed inward, banging against the wall. Three men surged in, shadows against the night. Their boots thudded on the floorboards, rifles raised. Adrian moved before Elena even screamed. His first shot was precise—one of the intruders crumpled instantly, his weapon clattering to the ground. Adrian twisted, shoving Elena behind the bed as bullets chewed into the wall. The air filled with the sharp tang of gunpowder. “Down!” he barked. Elena pressed herse
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Eight- Beneath the Silence
The night air was damp with the smell of rain-soaked asphalt, and the world felt unnaturally quiet after the violence of their escape. Elena half-dragged, half-guided Adrian down the narrow alley until the neon lights faded and only the moon lit their path. His coat was heavy against her shoulder, and she could feel his body trembling from more than exhaustion. “You’re bleeding,” she whispered, as though raising her voice would bring their pursuers back. “I’ve survived worse,” Adrian muttered, though the sharp intake of his breath betrayed the pain. She tightened her grip on his arm and pushed them forward until the alley spat them out onto a quieter street. Ahead, the hollow shell of a boarded-up shopfront loomed. Elena kicked at the loose panelling until it gave way, and together they stumbled inside. Dust and shadows greeted them. “Sit,” she ordered, her voice steadier than she felt. Adrian sank against the wall, his breaths ragged. The pale light from a cracked window reveal
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Nine- Shadows at The Door
Later that nightThe farmhouse was quiet, save for the ticking of an old clock on the mantle and the faint groan of timber as the night settled deeper into the bones of the house. Adrian sat near the window, his shirt discarded, his torso bandaged in clean white strips Elena had wrapped around him earlier. The cut along his ribs still burned when he breathed too sharply, but the pain was dull now, bearable.Elena sat opposite him with her knees pulled up, her arms wrapped around them. The lamplight painted her hair in soft amber, catching in strands that had slipped loose from the braid she’d worn during their frantic escape. For a long while, they didn’t speak. Silence hung between them like something fragile, but not uncomfortable.“You should be lying down,” she said finally, her voice low, almost hesitant.“And give you the satisfaction of bossing me around?” Adrian’s lips curved in the faintest smirk. “I’ll sit a while longer.”Elena rolled her eyes, though there was no real bite
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
Chapter Ten- The Hunter's eyes
The night belonged to her. The forest sprawled in silence beneath the starless sky, a stretch of black shadows and restless wind. To most, the darkness was suffocating, but to the Commander it was a weapon—an extension of her own will. Her boots touched the soil without a sound, her soldiers trailing a careful distance behind, each one disciplined enough to avoid the crunch of branches. They moved because she allowed them to move. They breathed because she had not yet told them to still their lungs. Ahead, the farmhouse sat in a shallow clearing, its windows dark, its frame leaning slightly like a weary traveler. To the untrained eye it was abandoned. To her, it was alive. The air carried the faintest tremor—wood creaking beneath cautious steps, glass whispering against its frame as if someone had dared to draw it down too far. She had hunted enough prey to recognize the signs. They were inside. The Commander lifted her gloved hand and the entire column froze. Silence reigned agai
last updateLast Updated : 2025-08-26
Read more
View More
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status