The room fell into a suffocating stillness. No one moved. No one dared to breathe too loudly. Everyone held their breath, waiting for what came next. Maya’s shoulders shook as she cried quietly, her fingers digging into her thighs. The guard who had whispered earlier stepped back into position, standing rigidly at the side.

Marcus surveyed the room, his gaze moving from the servants huddled in the corner to Richard slumped in his chair, to Claire frozen by the table, to Maya crumpled on the floor.

“Well…”

Marcus’s voice cut through the silence. He swept his gaze across everyone in the room, unhurriedly. “I don’t have time for this.” He...