Ethan stared at the map for a long time. In the command center, Clara held her breath, hand covering her mouth as she watched the scene unfold through the surveillance camera. She could see Ethan’s jaw harden.
Suddenly, Ethan closed the map with a loud smack. He stared at Maestro K with a look that made the old man squint slightly.
"You talk about saving my family, K," Ethan said, his voice now sounding like clashing metal. "But you forget one thing about the Sovereign. We never rule under someone else's shadow. And my wife... she doesn't need a husband who becomes a slave for her safety."
Ethan reached for the edge of the paper inside the map. With one motion that was calm yet full of force, he tore the proposal in two.
Maestro K's face turned beet red. His eyes flashed with explosive
