Lord Cedric paced the dimly lit chamber, his mind spiraling as frustration gnawed at him. His nails dug into his palms as he clenched his fists, the physical pain barely registering against the storm of emotions raging inside him.
He couldn't believe how quickly everything had fallen apart.
Elian, the one person he had spent years maneuvering to control, had now risen to a position far beyond Cedric's reach.
It was unthinkable. Elian, who he had once access to, had slipped away yet again, like water through his fingers.
Cedric's rage simmered just below the surface, his obsession with Elian becoming more consuming with each passing day.
The thought of Elian being beyond his control, worse, being with someone as unworthy as the crown prince, fueled his growing madness.
He had once believed he could manipulate the situation to his advantage, to be able have Elian whenever he pleased, shape his fate with ease.
