Charles drummed his fingers on the desk, staring blankly at the screen. His encounter with Margaret had drained him, but not in the way he needed. He felt no satisfaction, no sense of power or control. She was an annoyance, a pawn that had long outlived her usefulness. His real focus, his obsession, was elsewhere—on Elara.

The moment she left his office, his mind snapped back to the real game. Margaret had provided a temporary release, but Elara was the prize that consumed his every thought. His mind raced with strategies, plotting the perfect way to trap her. She was the ultimate challenge, one that would cement his power and...