The truth hit me harder than any threat ever could.
Every victory we had celebrated—the recovered money, the restructured foundation, the families we had helped—had somehow cleared the path for the people standing before me.
We had been cleaning up Arthur's mess while they prepared to take everything.
“You think I built this for you?” I asked, my voice surprisingly calm. “I built it for the people Arthur hurt. For the students who needed someone on their side. You can occupy the foundation, but you'll never truly lead it. They don't trust you. They trust me.”
The older man laughed. The sound echoed through the warehouse.
“They trust you because they think you're one of them. And you are. Idealistic, kind, and completely unaware of how the world works. But you'll learn. Because we hold
