Chapter 1

The day of the grand boxing championship, my wife spiked my water with performance enhancers. She did it for one reason only―so her childhood sweetheart could secure the win.

I was branded a cheater by the world and beaten until I was crippled. While I lay broken on the ground, she walked past me, blushing as she leaned into his arms.

Watching her joyful retreat, my heart finally turned to ash.

The moment I was banned for life from the ring, my parents called. They told me my years of hardship training were over. It was time for them to take me home.

The first thing they did was wipe every trace of my fake identity from existence. It was time to reclaim who I really was.

1.

"Young Master Silas, every record of your life as Zeke Miller is ready to be purged. Is there anything you wish to keep?"

I let out a breath so quiet it was almost a ghost of a sound.

"Burn it all. There is nothing in that life worth saving."

I had known since childhood that I was the sole heir to the Sterling family. To forge me into a leader, my parents left me at an orphanage when I was seven. They wanted to test my will and my spirit.

I survived on my own, clawing my way up through the dirt. Along the way, I met the woman I thought I wanted to protect forever.

I loved Seraphina Woods with everything I had. With her support, I became a star in the underground boxing circuit.

But the moment Xavier Moore returned, I realized I was nothing but a placeholder. To her and her elite circle, I had always been the punchline of a cruel joke.

I looked down at my hand, the bones shattered and pulsing with pain. My heart felt even heavier.

On social media, Seraphina was busy celebrating Xavier's victory while publicly condemning me.

"I truly thought Zeke could be the next Xavier, but I was wrong. No one can ever replace the real thing," she posted.

"I am heartbroken by Zeke's unsportsmanlike conduct. But as his wife, I will stand by him and accept whatever punishment comes our way."

The comments were flooded with people praising her nobility. Meanwhile, they dragged my name through the mud, calling me a talentless snake.

In the eyes of the public, she and Xavier were the perfect match. Even though we were legally married, I was treated like an intruder in my own life.

When I finally limped home, Seraphina's expression of disgust shifted into a brief flicker of worry when she saw my hand.

"What happened? You didn't get hurt during the match today, did you?"

I let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. My voice was raw.

"Isn't this exactly what you wanted, Seraphina?"

Her face clouded with a momentary guilt. She reached out to grab my arm, her voice taking on an explanatory tone.

"This was Xavier's first big comeback match. He had a fever, and I couldn't let him lose his dream. Besides, you said you wanted to retire anyway. This just speeds things up for both of us."

"You have no idea how incredible Xavier was in that ring. He was a god. If you had actually fought him for real, he would have laid you out in the first round."

Whenever she spoke of Xavier, her eyes lit up with a devotion she had never once shown me.

She was still wearing Xavier's gold medal around her neck. It was polished to a mirror shine, clearly handled with more care than she had ever given me.

"The mysterious head of the Sterling family was actually at the arena today. I heard they're staying in the city for two weeks to pick up their son from some secret training. You were dumped at an orphanage at seven too, right?"

She rambled on, then suddenly leaned in, her eyes searching mine.