CHAPTER 22: THE LAST CHAIN
Julian’s arm shook so hard the red flare wobbled, casting jagged, flickering light over his pale face and turning his eyes into dark, hollow pits. He stared at the circle closing in around him — Iron Vipers lining the walls, weapons held steady; Rian’s men blocking the tree line, cutting off every escape; every gun aimed true, every stance unyielding — and the wild, burning madness in his gaze finally wavered, cracked, and began to fade.
“I built this,” he whispered, his voice thin and broken, like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. “My father built this state from nothing. I was supposed to have everything. Respect. Power. Her.”
“You had power,” Kael said, taking one slow, deliberate step forward, his own gun lowered but still loose and
