As the elders finally began to leave, their voices faded, but the heavy air of judgment lingered. Their footsteps echoed through the grand hall, each step a reminder of their disdain. Kai stood motionless, gripping the file so tightly that the edges of the velvet cover crumpled under his fingers. Beside him, Jay mirrored his silence, though his clenched jaw betrayed the storm brewing inside.
The elders threw fleeting glances their way, a mix of pity, disappointment, and thinly veiled disgust in their eyes. No words were spoken aloud, but Kai didn't need to hear them to know what they were thinking. To them, he and Jay were no longer heirs—they were fools who had thrown everything away. Fools who had handed Esme the keys to their empire without a fight.
