Lucian loosened his tie as he breathed out heavily.

For some reason, he felt nauseous and suffocated. He gulped as the corners of his eyes reddened from the tightness in his chest. Struggling to remain composed, he reached for the teapot, opened the lid, and finished the remaining tea in one breath.

He leaned back and drew a deep breath, his eyes closed until his breathing stabilized.

The three men remained sprawled where they had fallen. As for the man seated across from him—Hector—his body had already slumped to the side. Blood had splattered across the corner, mixing with the trail crawling from Hector’s temple and stretching across the floor.

When Lucian opened his eyes, he remembered Hector’s last words before finally surrendering to his fate.

"Luciano, I am not the only one who has grown impatient," Hector had said, his shoulders sagging as he chuckled with his eyes lowered.

But when he lifted his gaze, he smirked even in defeat. "Leave my daughter out of this, and I’ll tell you one important thing."

A moment of silence fell between them as both men stared at each other.

"Some people have already gotten wind of your health problems, and they’ve been betting on that," Hector said with a quiet, dry laugh. "They were hoping you’d simply drop dead without anyone lifting a finger. But... we heard that you’ve been doing better than you were supposed to."

He laughed and shook his head. "Perhaps that’s the reason I made such foolish decisions so hastily. The fear that you might recover and live a longer life... and that I would never get the chance to avenge the late Madam."

"Luciano, you might’ve won today, but do not forget how you won," he added like a curse. "Family. That woman and that son of yours... it’s only a matter of time before you find yourself sitting in the same spot I am in right now."

He laughed as he drew a deep breath, resigning himself to his fate as though this final reflection had become a confession of his true feelings.

"I know it was a mistake to cherish them, but it was hard not to." For the first time, he smiled with peace and affection, nothing like the vengeful and prideful man he had been moments ago. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He blinked at Lucian and studied him carefully. "But I regret them, especially now. Not because I wish I didn’t have a weakness, but because they deserved a better man. My wife deserved a better husband, and my daughter deserved a better father."

"That..." he trailed off. "... is my regret — that greed."

With that, Hector picked up the pistol within his reach and, without hesitation, placed it against his temple and pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The echoes of the gunshot lingered, but the silence that followed was far more deafening. Lucian watched without flinching, and for several minutes, he remained there.

And so, here he was, recalling Hector’s final moments.

"Weakness," he whispered, piecing together Hector’s words. Then, he thought of Ashley and Primo. "I don’t need to stand at death’s door to know... they deserve better."

Lucian closed his eyes once more and drew a deep breath, sitting motionless with his thoughts in the deafening silence.

These things were not new to him, nor to anyone living within the treacherous world they walked through.

One had to use everything to win each battle.

Because at the end of the day, if Lucian didn’t do what he had to do, then he would be the one lying on the other side of the table with a hole in his head. And after him, his wife and son would be next. Not everyone was as gracious and merciful as he was.

Especially since he was the face of Dominion.

Once he fell, the next targets would be the people closest to him: Gustav, Lukas, and those who served him. Ashley and Primo would not be spared either, simply because no one would want them causing trouble in the future.

"But why... does it feel so heavy?" he whispered as he reopened his eyes, his gaze falling on Hector’s body. "When I know you and I were not the same?"

Lucian recomposed himself as he gathered his thoughts, shifting his focus toward the one important detail Hector had given him in exchange for keeping his daughter out of this.

"So, they were all just waiting for me to die, huh?" he whispered.

Ashley didn’t realize it yet, but the moment she interfered with Lucian’s life and changed the lifestyle that had been causing his health to deteriorate, many things had already begun changing behind the scenes.

And so, events that never happened in the first life were happening now because of that.

Why?

Because people were growing impatient and anxious—like Hector and his three co-conspirators—all because of the possibility that Lucian might actually recover.

*****

Meanwhile, outside the temple, Gustav and Lukas waited for Lucian to come out. They hadn’t stayed inside because they understood Lucian would want some privacy.

"Hah," Lukas scoffed, still irritated by how Gustav had worded his thoughts earlier. He had been particularly sensitive since their brief confrontation not long ago.

When Lukas slid his eyes toward Gustav, who stood stiffly nearby, he smirked. "Still questioning where my loyalty lies, Gustav?"

Slowly, Gustav’s brows rose as he shifted his gaze toward Lukas. His expression didn’t change, nor did he answer.

"My loyalty is to the man I answer to," Lukas stressed, referring to the conversation they had been interrupted from days ago. "Don’t you ever question that again."

Gustav simply drew a deep breath, only turning his head when he caught sight of Lucian exiting the temple. He straightened immediately and waited until Lucian reached them.

Lucian paused, looking to his left and right where both men stood. Then he reached out and patted Lukas on the shoulder.

"Good work," he said neutrally, though it was enough to make Lukas smile with pride.

Then he turned to Gustav. "Clean up the mess and make a donation to the temple to express our gratitude."

"Yes, Master," Gustav lowered his head before asking, "Are you headed home now, Master?"

"Not yet," Lucian darted his eyes between the two men. "Let’s make a quick detour before I go home."

Gustav and Lukas exchanged glances, their brows knitting together before they returned their attention to their boss. By then, Lucian had already started walking away as he said:

"I called a meeting in the High Chamber."