The study was quiet again.
Not the cold, oppressive quiet from before. This was different.
This was the kind of quiet that settled in when a plan failed completely—when there was no one left to blame, no excuses left to make.
Mr. Grayson sat behind his desk, in the same spot where he'd once given orders, with full confidence, where he'd planned the downfall of the Nocturnes, piece by piece, through subtle infiltration and slow manipulation.
Now, all four pieces he had moved onto the board had crumbled.
Vincent lost a corporate partnership.
Darren nearly sparked a military response.
Thomas was humiliated by a girl half his age in the underworld.
And Lucas—his last card, the golden son—had lost not just a fight, but the illusion of control. He didn't even know he'd been beaten until hours later.
It was a full sweep.
A complete, perfect defeat.
And the worst part?
The boy at the center of it all—Ethan Nocturne—hadn't even broken a sweat.
