She didn’t care about status.
She loved me because I treated her with kindness—something you and your monstrous sons never gave her.
I swore to myself that I would keep my violent world away from her.
I built a wall around our life, made of quiet evenings, simple dreams, and normal days.”
I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees, staring into Arthur’s terrified eyes.
“You mistook my restraint for weakness,” I continued.
“You thought because I didn’t beat my chest, because I didn’t flex my muscle in your pathetic political circles, that I was defenseless.
But the truth is, Arthur…
I don’t just own wealth.
I own the rails upon which the global economy runs.
I fund the intelligence agencies that protect this nation.
I build the defense networks that guard sovereign borders.
I am the shadow you never saw coming.”
Lucas, the fourth brother who had bribed the doctor, began to weep aloud.
“Please, Adrian… please!
