No one spoke after Victor's last words.
Not immediately.
Because everyone in that room understood what had just been said.
Not implied.
Not suggested.
Said.
Clear.
Cold.
Final.
Aiden felt it settle in his chest like something heavy and sharp at the same time.
He didn't move.
Didn't react.
But inside, every instinct was screaming.
This wasn't a conversation.
This was a test.
And they were already in it.
Noah stood perfectly still.
Unshaken.
Unmoved.
His expression didn't change.
But Aiden, standing close enough, felt it.
That shift.
That quiet, controlled tension tightening beneath his calm.
Victor leaned back in his chair slightly, watching him.
Waiting.
Like a hunter that had already cornered its prey but wasn't in a hurry to finish the job.
"So," Victor said lightly, "what's your answer?"
Noah didn't answer right away.
He let the silence stretch.
Not awkward.
Not uncertain.
Intentional.
Then—
"I don't take orders anymore."
