The night was still thick with tension as Alaric left the Kendrick estate. His confrontation with Lord Kendrick had gone exactly as he’d planned—if not better. The Kendrick family had underestimated him, thinking that their money and connections could shield them from the truth of who he was. But Alaric had made it clear that the Vane bloodline was not to be dismissed.

  Balen had stayed behind to ensure that their message had been received loud and clear, making sure that Lord Kendrick understood the consequences of crossing paths with Alaric. It wasn’t just a warning—it was a promise.

  As Alaric returned to his apartment, the weight of the night’s events settled on him. The echoes of his actions reverberated in his chest, and he couldn’t help but wonder how many more people would underestimate him before they realized the true extent of his power.

  Inside the apartment, Celeste was sitting at the small kitchen table, her eyes focused on the paperwork before her. She didn’t look up as Alaric entered, but he could sense the weight of her presence in the room. It had been a quiet, uneasy evening, the air thick with unsaid words.

  “Celeste,” Alaric said softly, closing the door behind him. “Are you alright?”

  She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she glanced up at him, her eyes searching his face as if trying to find some trace of the man she had married.

  “I’m fine,” she replied, her voice calm but distant. “I just... I don’t know where this is heading, Alaric.”

  He walked over and sat beside her, his hands clasped together in front of him. “I’m doing what needs to be done. The Kendrick family is just the beginning. I need to show everyone that I’m not someone to be ignored anymore.”

  “I don’t know if that’s the same as showing them who you really are,” Celeste said, her voice barely above a whisper. She reached for her cup of tea, the steam rising in delicate spirals. “I’ve seen this side of you—the cold, calculating side—but I’m still not sure who you are beneath it all.”

  Alaric studied her for a long moment. There were no easy answers. His feelings for her were complicated, but there was something more at stake now than just their relationship. The world outside their apartment was changing, and it was clear that he couldn’t keep her safe without embracing the full extent of his power.

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  “I’m not hiding from you,” he said quietly. “But I can’t afford to be the man I was. The Kendrick family wants to control everything, and I won’t let them.”

  She looked down, biting her lip in contemplation. Then, after a long pause, she spoke again. “But you’re not just fighting them, Alaric. You’re fighting the world.”

  “I know,” he said, his voice steady. “And I’m ready for it.”

  The next day, Alaric met with Balen in a discreet location, a small café tucked away in a corner of the city’s underbelly. The air was thick with the smell of coffee and the murmur of quiet conversations, but to Alaric, it felt like the calm before a storm.

  “Balen,” Alaric said, his voice low but filled with purpose. “I need you to make contact with the key players in the Hollow Society. The Kendrick family is only the beginning. We need to secure more allies if we’re going to take control of the city’s underworld.”

  Balen nodded, his gaze steady. “I’ve already started. There are a few factions within the Hollow Society that are still unaligned, and they’ve expressed interest in joining forces with us. But we need to move quickly. The Kendrick family won’t stay silent for long.”

  “Good,” Alaric said, leaning forward. “We’ll make them regret underestimating us. But it’s not just the Kendrick family we need to worry about. We need to stay ahead of the game—make sure the rest of the city knows we’re not just a flash in the pan. We need to become indispensable.”

  “I’ll make the necessary arrangements,” Balen said, standing up. “Anything else?”

  Alaric hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Yes. Contact the remaining Vane heirs. I’ll need their support if we’re going to restore the family’s name. It’s time to bring them into the fold.”

  Balen nodded, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “Understood. I’ll get started right away.”

  Later that evening, Alaric found himself back at the Astoria Hotel, where his latest move had already started to ripple through the city’s elite circles. The Kendrick family might have thought they had the upper hand, but Alaric was always several steps ahead.

  As he entered the private elevator, the feeling of control surged within him. The city, once filled with obstacles and enemies, was now beginning to look like a chessboard—one he was determined to dominate.

  He had already put the pieces in motion. Balen was making moves behind the scenes, aligning the right people to support him. The Kendrick family would be forced to either bend the knee or face complete destruction. But there was one more thing to do.

  He needed to make his presence felt across every facet of the city’s power—political, financial, and underground. He needed to ensure that his name was no longer whispered in fear, but respected and revered. And that meant forging alliances, not just with those who were already loyal, but with those who had once been enemies.

  The Hollow Society would be his first test. If he could secure their loyalty, the rest of the city would follow. And once that happened, nothing and no one would stand in his way.