As the inspections continued over the next few days, tensions mounted among the noble families. Rumors of secret tunnels, alliances with outsiders, and embezzled city funds circulated like wildfire, each family desperate to clear its name while subtly implicating the others. It was precisely the chaotic landscape Aiden needed to tighten his hold over the city.
He watched from afar, sending subtle messages to Eldrik, advising him on how to position the Loain family as the stable, trusted authority among the increasingly fractured nobles. Soon, Aiden knew, the other heads would turn to Eldrik, seeking his counsel, unintentionally elevating him as the most influential among them.
In the dim evening light, Aiden returned to his quarters, joined by Valeria, who brought fresh updates from his network of spies. She handed him a note.
