Chapter 3 - The Betrayal Within
By morning, the sanctuary of the estate felt like the center of an impending war zone. Damian called an emergency meeting of his inner circle, but kept Leah and me hidden behind one-way glass in the upper balcony of his study. Down below stood Victor Vance, Sophia’s uncle and a senior syndicate elder, along with several high-ranking lieutenants. Victor feigned concern, asking why Damian had abruptly shut down his restaurants and canceled international shipments.
"I found something in Zurich," Damian said casually, leaning back in his desk chair while spinning an antique silver fountain pen. "It turns out the records from the maternity ward were altered. The child sleeping upstairs isn't Sophia's." The room temperature dropped instantly. Victor’s hands twitched toward his pocket, but before he could move, Damian’s men stepped out of the shadows, weapons drawn. Victor’s facade crumbled into malice. "You were never meant to find out, Damian," Victor sneered. "That girl gave you purpose. She made you soft! And without her bloodline connection, you have no claim to the Zurich holdings!"
