Roger Raf stared down at the trembling, b****y mess that was once Brian Warren, his expression one of clinical curiosity. "Tell me," the old appraiser began, his voice dry as parchment, "has your father been removed from his post? Has his corruption finally caught up with him? Because clearly, the protection you once enjoyed has evaporated into the ether."
Brian's mind was a whirlwind of panic and cognitive dissonance. The world he knew—one where a phone call from a deputy director could silence any room—was crumbling around him. "I... I'll call again. I just need to reach his private line. I don't believe this... I don't believe any of this!"
"Enough with this nonsense!"
Before Brian could even finish his sentence, one of the suited enforcers stepped forward. With a movement so fluid i
