Adrian stood by the window of his study, hands clasped behind his back.
He hadn’t slept.
Not out of fear or restlessness, but because his mind was already three steps ahead—plotting, calculating, ensuring no detail escaped him. The blueprint sat in a locked briefcase on his desk, untouched since he'd retrieved it from the safe.
Every line on that paper held power. Power people had killed for. Power that could dismantle empires or birth new ones.
A soft knock disrupted his thoughts.
He turned, voice low. “Come in.”
Matteo entered, freshly changed, though his knuckles were still stained red. “The chamber is secured. Both men are restrained. Specter’s injuries are worse, but they’ll live.”
Adrian nodded once. “No one gets near them unless I authorize it.”
“Understood.”
Matteo hesitated. “And the court tomorrow—are you sure it’s wise to go yourself?”
“I won’t trust this to anyone else,” Adrian said, his voice like steel. “Too much has been sacrificed for it. I need to see it through.”
Ma
