POV: Ares Voss

There is a strange kind of power that comes from knowing something the other person doesn’t.

It’s not just the fact that you have the secret.

It’s the way it sits in your chest like fire waiting to be unleashed. It’s the slow burn of anticipation, the constant question playing on repeat in your head—what will they do when they find out?

And when that secret is about your own brother?

The satisfaction becomes something darker.

Lucian doesn’t know it yet. He’s walking around the office like he always does, calm and focused, every step measured. He still commands attention without even trying. People shift when he...