The chamber fell silent as Matriarch Bianca stepped into the center, her piercing gaze sweeping over the assembled Syndicate members. She exuded an aura of command that brooked no dissent.
"Friends, sisters," she began, her resonant voice carrying to the back of the hall, "dark whispers threaten our bonds of trust. But we must not let suspicion poison our hearts. In times of uncertainty, we must cleave ever closer to our creed."
Murmurs rippled through the room as the members exchanged uneasy looks, some nodding, others stone-faced.
Bianca raised a hand for silence. "Ours is no petty gang bound only by mutual gain. We are a family. When we stand as one, no force can shake our foundations."
"Boldly spoken, Matriarch," called a dissenting voice. All eyes turned to Sister Mariah, who stood with arms crossed. "Yet pretty words cannot restore trust so easily, when hidden snakes may lurk among us."
