Chapter 6

The Grand Revelation:

The secretary hurried into the crisp evening air, he made his way to the hospital with immediate effect. He settled the hospital bill, he  made sure that everything was in order before he even stepped out of the building. The surgery for Emma's daughter was fully paid for, and the best doctors were on the case. The secretary didn’t linger; he had more pressing matters to attend to, by securing the invitation card for Emma. He glanced back at the hospital, satisfied that everything was in order. Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number.

“It’s done,” he said into the receiver, his voice calm and measured. “The surgery is covered, and the girl will receive the best care.”

A pause, then the voice on the other end responded, cool and authoritative. “Good. And the invitation?”

The secretary smiled slightly, reaching into his coat pocket to retrieve the envelope. He traced the gold-embossed lettering with his thumb. “Secured. Everything’s in place for tomorrow night.”

There was a brief silence before the voice spoke again, a hint of satisfaction seeping through. “Make sure the right people see it. I want them to know she’s coming with me.”

“Understood,” the secretary replied. “They’ll know exactly what this means.”

He ended the call and slipped the phone back into his pocket, his mind already on the next task. As he opened the car door, he allowed himself a moment to imagine the reaction this invitation would provoke. It was more than just a piece of paper, it was a statement of intent, a message that the balance of power was shifting. 

With a satisfied nod, the secretary slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine, ready to set the final pieces of the plan into motion.

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Back at the house, Maria and her grandfather were in the drawing room, an air of tension hanging heavy between them. The grandfather, once a man of considerable power, now felt that power slipping away. He could sense something was coming, something that would change everything

He stared at the floor, his mind racing. “Everything’s falling apart,” he muttered to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. “I can’t let this slip through my fingers. Not now, not after all these years.”.

The door opened, and Victor walked in with the confidence of someone who knew he was in control. In his hand was the envelope, which he tossed onto the table without a word. The name on it, clearly visible, was Emma's.

“You thought you could play me, didn’t you?” Victor sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “You thought I’d stay your puppet forever. But that’s over. I’m done taking orders from you.”

Maria’s eyes narrowed as she picked up the envelope. “What is this?” she asked, her voice edged with suspicion.

Victor crossed his arms, a small, satisfied smile on his lips. “It’s an invitation to the grand warlord’s gathering,” he said. “Your Emma has been invited, and she’ll be going with me.”

The grandfather’s eyes widened in shock. He leaned forward, his voice trembling slightly. “You can’t be serious,” he said. “We’ve stood by you all these years. You owe us!”

Victor's smile faded, replaced by a look of cold determination. “Owe you?” he said, his tone hard. “I don’t owe you anything. You’ve tried to use me, control me, but that ends today.”

The grandfather tried to steady his voice, desperation creeping in. “Think about what you’re doing. You can’t just walk away. We’ve made you who you are.”

Victor took a step closer, towering over the old man. “You didn’t make me. You manipulated me, turned me into your pawn. But I’m done being a pawn. I’m taking back what’s mine.”

A heavy silence filled the room. Maria, her face pale, stood up and rushed to Victor, grabbing his arm. “Please,” she said, her voice shaky. “Remember the good times we had. You can’t just throw it all away.”

Victor pulled his arm free, his expression cold. “The good times?” he repeated. “You mean the lies? The way you and your grandfather used me?”You call that good?”

Tears welled up in Maria’s eyes. “Victor, I never wanted to hurt you. I never meant for this to happen.”

He let out a harsh laugh, his eyes narrowing as he looked at her. “Spare me the tears, Maria. You knew exactly what you were doing. Every time you smiled at me, every time you pretended to care, it was all part of the game, wasn’t it? You played me like a fool.”

Maria shook her head, desperate. “No, Victor, it wasn’t like that. I did care, I still do.”

Victor's eyes grew cold, slicing through her words. “Care? You care now that your little scheme is falling apart. Where was that care when you were pulling the strings, making me dance to your tune? I was nothing more than a pawn in your twisted game, and you think a few tears will change that?”

Maria’s voice cracked as she pleaded, “Victor, please, listen to me. I’m sorry for everything, but we can make this right. We can fix this.”

Victor’s expression didn’t waver, his tone unforgiving. “There’s nothing to fix, Maria. The damage is done, and I see you for what you really are. You and your grandfather are manipulators, liars. You thought you could control me, but you’re the ones losing control now.”

Maria’s tears flowed freely as she whispered, “I never wanted to lose you.”

Victor’s eyes bore into hers, cold and unyielding. “You already did. The moment you chose to betray me, you lost me forever. Don’t think for a second that you can crawl back into my life with empty apologies. I’m done with you, Maria. And I’m done being your pawn.”

He turned to leave, his footsteps echoing in the room. Maria’s voice, desperate and broken, called out to him one last time. “Wait! What about us?”

Victor paused at the door, not bothering to turn around. “There is no ‘us,’ Maria. There never was. You only wanted control, and now that’s gone.”

With that, he walked out, leaving Maria and her grandfather in stunned silence. The door closed behind him with a final click, sealing their fate.

Maria sank into a chair, tears streaming down her face. Her grandfather stared at the door, knowing that their control, their influence, had just shattered. Victor was no longer their pawn, he was reclaiming his power, and nothing would stop him now.