Marcus Thorpe's face was more grim than ever. In his cold dark room he agonized over all his well laid out plans that had fallen into nothingness.
Years of planning down the drain and just like that his influence that had taken him years to breed was waning just like that.
Marcus never gambled. In fact he rarely emersed himself in such vices that would easily compromise his power. Being born the eldest son of a judge who had not wanted him had forced him earlier on to learn of the importance of this said power. Connections and influence made a person. Be it through marriage or blackmail Marcus had used every way to gain the power that had destroyed his father and his fake family. Influence and power had won his lost inheritance and as his siblings who once looked down upon him struggled to just make a living, he was living large and just had to snap a finger to have destroyed. However, he preferred they remained alive. So that they could see him climb perched on the seat of glory as they grovelled in the dirt for the meals on their table.
Now all that was under threat. His dynasty was crumbling and his sour relationship with the Marachelis was the thing to blame. He had gambled by allowing his son to go on after that girl, the foreign General's daughter but even that had not born any fruit. The fool had come back empty handed all because of another child that was not even born.
To think that his influence was getting him nowhere. He growled out in frustration.
"It is all his fault. That stupid son of mine. To think that he would turn out this way. A perpetual drunk who can't even see an opportunity for what it is?" Of course he would never acknowledge that he himself was the one who had threatened him with her life,only that he would leave her. Now, that decision was coming back to bite him. "Heck he should have acted out better!" His slumped his fists on the heavy wooden desk and growled out in frustration. "Then we could have snared the Marachelis and the General as well." How he had planned to do that, only he knew for he had also done the same to his wife and that other girl he had once fancied. His heart or his influence. Power would always win where he was concerned. Too bad that her life had ended like that. She had died giving birth to his child and he was lucky that with their deaths the mess that his list had created had finally ended like that. Very lucky indeed that for a moment he wondered if the mess with Katrina and Marachelis could also be resolved in the same way.
"Sir. " Cedric, his number one errand boy came in through a hidden door. He was one of the many crooks that he had picked up on the streets and for some reason, these fools felt indebted to him. Maybe because he paid them or allowed them to continue their trade while still in his service. He called it influence, the ability to get others to see things his own way and to make his ambitions their life's mission.
"What have you found out?" He asked the man who had come in via secret entrance to his office that was housed in what was once the late judge's estate. Marcus was answered by silence.
"Cedric?"
"Sir..." the man trembled.
"I asked you a question and I expect a swift answer." He all but growled out.
"Sir...Things are not good. " The man told him. Whimpering in a pathetic manner that grated on Marcus's nerves. Were it not for his discreet way of gathering reliable information that no one else seemed to know all because of his links with the underground, Marcus would have long disposed himself of this foolishness.
"Then it's true then." He spoke thoughtfully. His son was back with Maracheli girl but that was of no use for she had left home and was probably by own father. Was there a chance? Even a slim one that he could use this to turn the tides? No, he shook is head. That bastard Maracheli was not that forgiving and he almost smiled at what repercussions his son would now yield.
"Yes. Also..." His henchman faltered.
"Cedric." Marcus warned. He was slowly losing his calm all because of how this man was acting. He had already resigned himself to his son's fate but that did not mean that he would not use grandson to make his ends meet. Literally. He was good with facades and that meant that he would just have to learn how to be a concerned grandfather if any of this was going to work. As for Mirena...there was nothing to worry about there. Isolated from her own children, she would have no choice but to follow him in his plans.
"So?" He pushed.
"The General... " Cedric fumbled.
"What?"
"Eh..erhm...apparently your daughter left out something. Some details."
"What details?" He shouted altogether forgetting that he was meant to look and sound calm.
"The General's daughter is now married."
There was silence for a moment. Then Marcus beamed.
"So what?I have navigated such matters before. Plus our interest here is in the boy not his mother. She doesn't matter that much in this equation."
"Yes but...her new husband as adopted him and he isn't a man that you can easily mess with." The man trembled. Even thinking about it terrified him. His boss thought that he was scared of him while in all truth he was scared of this man. The man that he had had the misfortune of investigating.
"Spit out Cedric. I really don't have time for this." Marcus growled his mind already flooding with plans for this new venture.
"His mother is the new Domina. So essentially...the boy is now a prince."