Luke stared up at Jorghan, his face pale and slick with sweat, his entire body trembling as he knelt on the cold marble floor. The earlier calculation in his eyes had completely dissolved into pure survival instinct.
"Wait," Luke said, his voice cracking.
"Wait, please. I can explain. I can make this right."
"Explain then," Jorghan replied, his tone completely neutral.
Luke's words came out in a rush, desperation overriding pride and dignity.
"I never wanted any of this. Father pressured me into helping with the operation. He said if I didn't cooperate, he'd cut me off from the family, from my inheritance, from everything. I was just trying to survive, trying to keep my place in the corporation."
"So you sacrificed others to maintain your comfort," Jorghan observed.
"Yes! I mean—no—I mean..."
Luke was spiraling, his thoughts fragmenting under terror.
