Jefferson's POV
"Power can belong to anyone, but true leadership is earned through sacrifice."
Standing beside my father on the stone terrace, I gazed across the sprawling grounds that stretched beyond the horizon. His voice carried that familiar weight, each word calculated to burrow deep into my consciousness. Usually, I let his lectures wash over me like background noise, recognizing them for what they were - thinly disguised instructions wrapped in philosophical wisdom. Today, however, something about his tone made me listen.
"I don't understand," I said, driven by genuine curiosity rather than obligation.
He shifted toward me, those steel-gray eyes studying my face with unsettling intensity. For a heartbeat, I caught a glimpse of something warmer beneath his usual stern expression - perhaps approval, maybe even affection. The moment vanished before I could be certain. Hope was a luxury I'd learned not to indulge with him.
