72. **RYLE**

**RYLE**

Standing behind Alastair, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease settle in the pit of my stomach. The man before me was not the Alastair I had come to know over the past few days. He had been different, almost unrecognizable, in a way that had given me a glimmer of hope for change. But now, that hope seemed to be slipping away, replaced by a growing concern.

I watched as he furiously tossed files from his desk into the trash one by one, his face contorted in irritation with each document he discarded. It was as if he had returned to his old self, the ruthless prince who had no qualms about firing employees at the slightest inconvenience. Even his super-fast decisions regarding the detainees, which had momentarily slowed down, were now back with a vengeance. His temper had been escalating for the past three days, and it was reaching an unbearable level.

A soft sigh escaped my lips, though I knew it would go unnoticed amid the chaos of flying papers. I had been standing here