The Martin mansion, once full of light and laughter, now carried a different air — cold, heavy, and suffocating. Even the staff moved like shadows, their smiles forced and their voices hushed. The tension between David and Jacob had grown too thick to hide, and everyone felt the coming storm.
David woke late that morning, his head pounding from the previous night’s drinking. He stumbled out of bed, barely able to walk straight. The empty bottles on the floor reflected his own downfall — scattered, hollow, and forgotten.
He glanced around the room. His expensive clothes were everywhere, the scent of stale liquor lingering.
With a frustrated grunt, he kicked one of the bottles aside and muttered, “I don’t need anyone. I don’t need him.”
But deep down, he knew that wasn’t true.
For the f
