Lucius stood in the hallway, his thoughts racing. He had just left Ethan standing in the room, but something about the conversation lingered. The way Ethan had cowered, just for a moment, under the weight of his words—Lucius knew he had gotten to him. Still, he wasn’t quite ready to let things go. There was too much at stake, and he knew Ethan was hiding something crucial.
Lucius counted silently to himself. One… two… three. He stood perfectly still, his mind focused. He knew that Ethan wouldn’t be able to resist the pull of Lucius’s authority for long. The man’s pride and arrogance would eventually drive him to come back. Lucius didn’t need to rush; he simply needed to wait.
Barely three seconds later, the door to his office opened again with a soft creak. Ethan stepped out, looking les
