Chapter 135: The Walls Close In

Kelan Benedict sat in the dimly lit private lounge of his club in Velyki, nursing a glass of bourbon that had long since lost its allure. The atmosphere was heavy with tension, a far cry from the usual buzz of illicit deals and hushed conversations.

Tonight, the club was quiet, almost suffocatingly so. Kelan’s eyes were fixed on the wide screen in front of him, where the evening news anchor was delivering the latest headlines.

Each word felt like a punch to his gut.

The screen flickered, showing the smoldering remains of the violin shop once owned by Master Luthier Gunther—a beloved artisan whose work Kerrigan Lokir had praised on numerous occasions. The news anchor spoke in a grave tone, highlighting the loss of one of Velyki’s cultural treasures.

Kelan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. The fire hadn’t been his doing, but the timing was damning. It didn’t take much for the media to spin it as another example of his reckless disregard for anything not serving his own ambitions.

“This