Aiden
The quiet of my study offered little comfort as I stared at the map spread across my desk. My fingers trailed over the borders of Kendrick’s territory, tracing potential routes, strategies, and weak points in his defenses. My mind raced, searching for any opening, any way to bring Kimberly to safety without setting the world aflame.
But it wasn’t just strategy weighing on me—it was the thought of her. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the pain in hers. Kimberly didn’t belong in Kendrick’s shadow. She didn’t belong under the rule of a man who used fear to keep people in line. She deserved freedom, happiness, and a life outside of his grasp.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. Before I could respond, the door swung open, and my father strode in, his expression as hard as s
