Barbara stormed through the grand halls of the Reylson manor, her footsteps echoing against the marble floors. As she passed her father's study, the heated murmur of conversation reached her ears. The door was ajar, and she could hear her father's frustrated voice.
"How can this be happening? We are losing our partners one after another! If this continues, we'll lose everything! How, how?" he raged.
Barbara's lips curled into a sardonic smirk as she listened. Her father's tone, usually filled with authority and control, was now tinged with a raw, palpable fear. The knowledge that he, too, was vulnerable and grasping for solutions brought a dark satisfaction to her. For a moment, she relished in the irony of his predicament, knowing well that the turmoil he faced was a consequence of the very machinations he had orchestrated.
"I heard all our previous partners have started working with Duke Burn's son-in-law," a voice chimed in, carrying an edge of bitterness.
