Chapter : The Crown on Fire

My heels echoed down the corridor like gunshots, each step heavy with dread. Lucien walked beside me, silent and tense, his jaw clenched hard enough to crack. Behind us, Caleb tried to catch up with a tablet in hand and frantic energy in his voice.

"The board’s already in session," he warned. "They moved it up after Marcus's press conference aired. They're calling it a betrayal of leadership."

"Betrayal?" I hissed. "I didn’t know Marcus existed until tonight!"

"Doesn't matter," Caleb said. "They think you’re compromised. They think you've been hiding him to secure your personal hold over the estate."

"Unbelievable," I muttered, rage...