The door shut behind Xavier, leaving only silence. Aldric's knuckles were white against his desk, veins showing as his grip tightened. His breath came rough and uneven, as though he was having a hard time breathing. For the first time in years, the man who once ran Blackwood Corporation—the man who had judges, politicians, and entire branches of almost every organization bent under his will—felt the chill of something he couldn't fully control.
Rage swelled in his chest, but beneath it was something uglier.
It was fear.
He slammed his fist against the desk, rattling the crystal ash tray. "That brat…" His voice trembled between fury and disbelief. "How dare he walk into my office and talk to me like that…"
Across the room, Darius Vexley stood still, calm as ever, watching Aldric unravel.
Aldric's eyes shot to him. "Lucas… he's still at that place?"
Darius nodded once, precise. "Yes. He hasn't moved. The safehouse is secure."
