Elias stormed into his house, his entire body trembling with barely contained fury. Callum trailed behind him, his face pale and anxious, glancing nervously at the unhinged look in Elias's eyes. The door slammed shut behind them, and the echo reverberated through the silent hall.

Inside the dimly lit sitting room, Kenneth was sprawled across an armchair, a cigarette smoldering between his fingers. He took a leisurely drag, blowing smoke rings into the air with a bored expression on his face as he watched his father’s approach.

“What happened?” Kenneth drawled, flicking ashes onto the floor. “Looks like the council meeting didn’t go quite as planned.”

Elias’s eyes narrowed, his...