Monday – 8:00 PM – Estate Strategy Room
The countdown was ticking.
03:52:14
I had everything I needed.
Evidence linking Lionel to the data terminal.
Metadata showing the journalist had the story before the evidence was planted.
Access logs proving internal manipulation.
A list of estate protocols broken during the file deletions.
But this wasn't just about exposure.
I needed to win the room.
I needed Reginald to see that I wasn't just reacting—I was controlling.
Step One – The Setup
Vincent arranged the private council room.
Ten seats.
One table.
Only family.
No outsiders. No aides.
Even Elias wasn't invited.
This wasn't war.
It was cleanup.
Clara entered first, her lips tightly drawn, no longer smiling.
Lionel followed behind her. Calm. Blank. Hands behind his back.
I sat at the far end.
Reginald stood by the window, gazing out over the estate gardens.
"Begin," he said.
The Evidence
I stood, placed a thick folder on the table.
"The Energy Bureau scandal was fabricated. The data was falsified by someone using Terminal B-12."
I laid out the access logs.
Clara narrowed her eyes.
"Anyone could have used that terminal."
"True. Unless they had the master passcode."
I slid over the internal security footage.
It wasn't perfect, but it showed a silhouette entering the terminal room after curfew. Alone.
Face mostly shadowed.
But the ring was clear—engraved with the House Markov crest.
Specifically: Lionel's.
Gasps.
Lionel didn't flinch.
"That ring is common," he said calmly.
"So, I traced the IP address from the fake consultant's profile. It was created on your personal tablet."
Vincent laid the tablet in front of him.
Silence.
Clara's Outburst
"This is absurd," Clara snapped. "This is a test, not a tribunal—"
"He turned a test into a real attack," I said. "On our ally. On our credibility."
I looked at Reginald.
"If we let this slide, the Vales won't just think we're weak. They'll think we're fractured."
Reginald turned.
Face unreadable.
Then finally—he walked toward Lionel.
"You've made a move before you were ready."
"I was trying to help Clara—"
"Clara did not instruct you," Reginald said sharply.
"She didn't have to."
The Verdict
Reginald's voice cut through the room:
"From this moment forward, Lionel Markov is stripped of political access and surveillance credentials. He is to be reassigned to overseas estate management for indefinite probation."
"No!" Clara stood. "You can't just—"
"Your name still protects you," Reginald said coldly. "But his will not."
Clara turned to me.
Eyes burning.
"You planned this."
"I revealed this."
"Enjoy your little victory, cousin. You're still a piece, no matter how well you play."
She stormed out.
Lionel said nothing.
Just followed.
Aftermath – The Balcony
Later that night, I stood on the same balcony Reginald had used earlier.
Vincent joined me.
"He didn't punish you."
"Not today."
"He's waiting to see if you keep winning."
"What happens when I don't?"
Vincent looked out into the night.
"Then someone else will be standing here."
Final Message
I found a note slipped under my door before bed.
No name.
Just a symbol.
The crest of House Vale.
And five words.
"We're watching, little Second."