He paused mid-pace, staring at his reflection in the window.
His tailored charcoal suit felt heavier than ever; fatigue had carved deep shadows beneath his eyes after days without sleep.
"I had no choice," he murmured as if trying to convince himself. "He took forty percent of everything! My logistics company... my steel mill contracts... even my shares in Black Sand mining..."
His voice cracked with disbelief as he recalled how effortlessly Arthur had dismantled years of hard work.
"I’ve built this empire for decades! And he just... took it."
Pacing faster now, Edrin justified himself to the empty room: "Of course I hit back! Anyone would! A man can’t just roll over and let a younger dog climbon top!"
But guilt gnawed at him with every step, a war drum echoing in his chest.
It was supposed to be a warning shot: snatch Arthur’s brother Billy, send him a ssage that he wasn’t untouchable. Nothing fatal, just enough to rattle him.
But now? Now every instinct scread that Arthur knew.
"What if..." Edrin breathed shakily, palms clammy with dread. "What if he traced it back?"
"No."He shook his head violently, a storm of defiance in his eyes. "I used interdiaries, untraceable assets, burned all digital links. I covered my tracks."
His words hung in the air, fragile and uncertain, like a spider’s web glistening with morning dew.
But doubt was a virus; it had taken root and spread through the corners of Edrin’s mind.
Arthur wasn’t a man of half-asures. He’d walked into the Grand Parliant House like a ghost made of thunder, bringing ten families to their knees without raising his voice.
Edrin had witnessed it firsthand, the smug smile on Arthur’s face as he unveiled decades of blackmail, tax evasion, and private scandals that plagued every family present.
And then, with chilling calmness, he demanded forty percent of their world.
Arthur didn’t bluff. So what if... just what if... he had already discovered who ordered the kidnapping?
"Maybe he doesn’t know," Edrin whispered hopefully, gripping the back of his leather chair as if it were a lifeline.
"Maybe he’s too busy cleaning up Neo-Luminara or turning his sights toward those still converting his property... or maybe sothing else entirely. Maybe I’m just one ant on his radar."
But even as those thoughts tumbled from his lips, hope felt paper-thin, a fragile illusion crumbling under pressure.
Deep down, Edrin knew better. Arthur Osborn wasn’t like other elite heirs; he didn’t play by the rules, he rewrote them entirely.
And Edrin had made the gravest error one could make with a predator: he wounded him and left him breathing.
That was worse than killing.
He swallowed thickly; his throat felt bone-dry as dread coiled around him like a serpent ready to strike."What if I apologize? Make a deal? Offer him sothing else in exchange..."
The thought was pathetic and they both knew it.
Arthur wasn’t the type to accept groveling, not now, not after his little brother had been taken.
The video feed of Billy Osborn being dragged into that van had already leaked across dark channels; Arthur wouldn’t forget that and even worse, he wouldn’t forgive.
Suddenly, a notification flickered to life on the holo-pad.
Edrin nearly jumped out of his skin!
[Incoming ssage: Unknown Encrypted Channel]
His heartbeat slamd in his chest like an impending storm.
He stared at it with trembling hands; index finger hovering above the holographic interface as anxiety clawed at him from within.
When he tapped it open, the screen flickered once... and then went black.
Only one word appeared:
"Run."
His blood froze, not from cold but from sheer terror, as tremors coursed through him and teeth clattered together involuntarily.
A scream clawed at Edrin’s throat, but his mouth was parched, and his limbs felt like they were encased in concrete.
He stumbled backward, knocking over the desk chair with a crash that reverberated through the stillness of the room, like a gunshot shattering the silence.
Then, another ssage flickered onto the screen: a live feed.
There they were, Billy, alive and safe in the back of a dical transport, with Kaia beside him, battered but breathing.
And looming over them? Jax Krayne,Malik,Selene.
But it was the figure behind the cara that sent chills down his spine, a blurry silhouette that was all too familiar: Arthur Osborn.
Cool and collected, radiating an unsettling calmness, Arthur didn’t utter a single word in the video; he didn’t need to.
Instead, he simply raised a glass of wine and flashed a chilling smile before the feed abruptly cut off.
Edrin’s knees buckled beneath him as he collapsed onto the cold marble floor, gasping for air as reality crashed down on him like a collapsing skyscraper.
It was over. He had lost everything: his legacy... his family... all those years of hard work and sacrifice, gone in an instant.
How had Arthur found him? How swiftly would retribution co? All he knew, without any doubt was that he had just placed himself, along with his children, wife, mistresses, and entire bloodline squarely on the Osborn Family’s kill list.
Tears brimd in Edrin’s eyes as regret washed over him like a tidal wave. "I should’ve left him alone," he whispered to himself.
But it was too late now; the hunter had seen him and Arthur never left unfinished prey.
He know that this ti he is totally done for. The thought of running have already slipped out of his mind.
He just slumped to the floor with a pale face and eyes filled with terror as if he have already seen his own death.
"Hehe...hehe...hahahahaha!" His shoulders started shaking as he let out a few creepy laughs before throwing his head back and let out huge and loud laughs.
Tears started streaming down this face as he continued to laugh.
He knew he is done for life,no one can save him this ti.
His connections have all beco useless this ti. The room was filled with Edrin deranged laughter which sohow gives off a creepy vibe as the room was silent as a cetery except Edrin laughter.
----------
Hey Family...
I see you. I feel your eyes on this story, even when it’s quiet in the comnts.
Building the Strongest Family has taken us through brutal power plays, underground battles, and emotional reckonings.
If this journey still ans sothing to you, if you ever think, "This is fire, I want more" consider gifting the book a few.
Every gift isn’t just a number.it’s a signal. It tells : You care,that keeps going through long nights, rewrites, and dramatic arcs.
I promise more shocking twists and family legacy monts are coming. If you want those to hit harder and faster your support tells to crank it up.
Much love and respect,
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