Franklin's eyes burned with excitent, his voice brimming with admiration. "You should've seen him," he said, almost breathless. "The boy stood his ground against Selene—Selene!—even though she wasn't using her full power. He reminded of his mother." His hands clenched as if reliving the mont, his pride evident.
Beside him, Madeline stood with arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "Yeah, yeah, he's great—just like his mother," she muttered, barely masking her irritation. She had heard this over and over since Franklin returned. The constant praise for him. It gnawed at her, that creeping feeling from childhood resurfacing—the sa feeling she had when her sister overshadowed her. And now, it was happening with her own children.
Franklin, oblivious to her thoughts, continued with enthusiasm. "I have to bring them into the family. They already carry the na—it'll make things easier." His excitent was undeniable, as if the decision had already been made.
Madeline scoffed, shaking her head. "You think it'll be that simple?" Her eyes narrowed. "The president already announced to the world that they're her grandkids. That wasn't just so casual claim—she's staking her claim publicly."
Franklin's enthusiasm wavered, but Madeline wasn't done. "You really think she's letting go of them? They're her son's children. No matter what na they bear, their blood is Williams. And if you think for a second that woman is giving up control over them… you're delusional."
The room fell into silence. The weight of reality pressed between them.
Franklin's fists clenched, his jaw tightening. "Then we'll just have to see who wants them more," he muttered.
Madeline exhaled sharply, turning away. "That's a fight you might not win."
Madeline's words lingered in the air, thick with warning. Franklin stood rigid, his fists still clenched, his excitent dimming into sothing more calculating. His gaze flickered with determination, but Madeline had seen this before—seen what happened when he set his sights on sothing.
She turned slightly, eyeing him. "You're not thinking of pulling sothing reckless, are you?"
Franklin let out a dry chuckle, running a hand through his hair. "Co on, Maddie. You make it sound like I'm plotting a coup."
Madeline didn't laugh. "I know you, father. When you want sothing, you take it. But this isn't like before. This isn't just about bringing two kids into the family." She stepped closer, lowering her voice. "This is about her."
Franklin's jaw tensed. He knew exactly who she ant.
"The president of the Williams family doesn't make moves without thinking five steps ahead," Madeline continued. "She didn't just claim them to make a sweet family reunion announcent. She's positioning them. And if you think you can just waltz in and snatch them away—"
"—I never said 'snatch,'" Franklin interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "I said invite." He exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Look, I get it. You think I'm being reckless. But I'm not blind, Madeline. I know exactly who we're up against. And that's why I have to do this."
Madeline scoffed, crossing her arms. "You say that like they even want to be part of this family. You do realize they might not care about any of this, right?"
Franklin smiled, but it wasn't one of amusent. "Oh, they will care." He turned away, heading toward the massive window overlooking the estate grounds. "They just don't know it yet."
Madeline watched him, a pit forming in her stomach. She had a bad feeling about this.
A very bad feeling.
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Elsewhere
Tatia leaned back, eyes locked on the screen as the footage played. Adam was holding his own against the Blackveil Syndicate's elites—and even Selene. Her brows lifted slightly. "He's really strong for soone who just awakened," she murmured, watching the way he moved. Sharp. Precise. Like he'd been fighting for years.
Then, her gaze shifted. A new figure entered the fight, moving seamlessly alongside Adam. A mber of the Dhark household. Tatia's fingers tapped against the table as she narrowed her eyes. "Huh. That's interesting… Did the old man send her, or did she go on her own?"
Sara, lounging on the couch with her arms crossed, barely looked up from her own screen. "Nah, I don't think so," she said, scrolling through so notes. "When Adam got there, she was already there. With so normie, too."
Tatia's head tilted. "A normie?"
"Yeah. Apparently, Adam ran into the guy last night. And get this—he's Alice's friend."
Tatia's lips curled into a smirk. "Alice, huh?" She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand as the fight continued playing on the screen. "This just got a whole lot more interesting."
Tatia's smirk lingered as she tapped a few buttons on her console, rewinding the footage. The screen flickered, replaying the mont Alice entered the battle. She wasn't just fighting—she was protecting the normie. That little detail didn't go unnoticed.
She exhaled, her amusent deepening. "Now why would a Dhark put herself in danger for so random guy?"
Sara stretched her arms above her head, groaning. "You're thinking too hard about this. Maybe they're just friends?"
Tatia shot her a look. "Friends? Co on, Sara. This isn't so high school drama. A Dhark doesn't step into a fight like that without a damn good reason."
Sara sighed. "Alright, fine. So what, you think she's acting on her own?"
Tatia leaned back, spinning her chair slightly. "That, or soone wants her to be there."
Sara didn't reply imdiately. Instead, she rewound the footage herself, slowing it down. Alice's movents were clean, but her body language? Tense. Guarded. Not just focused on the fight, but on keeping the normie safe.
"...She's protecting him." Sara realized aloud.
Tatia nodded. "Bingo."
Sara frowned. "But why?"
Before Tatia could answer, a new voice cut in from the doorway.
"Maybe he's not just so normie."
Both girls turned. A tall figure leaned against the doorfra, arms crossed. His sharp golden eyes flickered toward the screen before eting Tatia's.
Tatia grinned. "Well, well. Didn't think you were paying attention, Silas."
Silas ignored the teasing. He stepped forward, watching the footage replay again. "A Dhark doesn't take risks for nothing. If Alice is protecting him, then he's important. The real question is…" His gaze darkened.
"Who else knows?"
The room fell silent for a mont before Tatia chuckled. "Guess we're about to find out."
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