Lucas looked away, his jaw tight with pain and anger. "Because I have watched him destroy everything our family stood for. My grandfather was a man of honor, who protected the people and kept his word. My father... he deals in shadows, in blood, and in betrayal. He has made deals with criminals, he has stolen, he has killed... and he has brought danger and disgrace to the name I am supposed to carry."
He turned back to them, his gaze fierce and determined.
"I do not want his legacy. I do not want his throne built on corpses and lies. I have tried to stop him from the inside, but his power is too great, his grip too tight. I cannot expose him alone without being destroyed alongside him. But you... you have the strength, the evidence, and the reason to bring him down."
He looked at Sophia
