Clink. Scrape.
The grand dining hall felt less like a family dinner and more like a battlefield with silverware. The heavy atmosphere was split into more than three distinct factions. Ursula and Marcus sat fuming on one end, their hatred barely contained. Beatrice Ashbury observed with the cold neutrality.
The Vorn family seemed to be fractured into three distinct factions right before Kael's eyes.
But it was his eldest brother, Victor, who drew Kael's attention.
Victor sat perfectly still, his posture immaculate. He was a ghost in the Vorn family, a man who wore a mask of absolute calm that made it impossible to discern his true mood. Kael had never figured him out. Was he an ally? A neutral party? Or a viper waiting for the perfect moment to strike? One thing was certain: Victor wanted the Family Head's throne just as much as anyone else in this room.
