Alaric’s words barely registered as Nathaniel watched him fumble, throat dry, the tension in his body obvious. “No problem,” Alaric said, voice stiff, eyes lowered. “I’ll arrange everything immediately.”
Nathaniel said nothing. He simply let the man stumble under his gaze, feeling the familiar calm settle over him. The decision had been made the moment he’d set foot in the building; now it was just a matter of execution.
---
Two hours later, Nathaniel stood in a quiet office overlooking Aurethia’s cityscape. The setting sun painted the glass walls gold, glinting off the documents Victor Hale held in his hands.
Nathaniel’s name stared back from the top of the papers. He could feel Victor’s eyes studying him, tracing every calculated step, every maneuver he had made in the past five year
