The Million-Dollar Heart

Dracon shook his head in panic, knowing all too well why he was here, yet hoping against hope that his actions could somehow be justified.

Arthur advanced on him, grabbing Dracon by the shirt and glaring with such fury that it seemed to emanate the dominance of someone born to lead. "It was you! You're the one who gave Alyssa that voice recorder!"

Caught in Arthur's iron grip, Dracon's face was a mask of terror. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he stammered, "Bro, please... I just... I lost my head for a moment. Please, let me off this time..."

But excuses would do Dracon no good; not when Arthur was this enraged.

He shouldn't have voluntarily entered the Linklater family's surveillance room.

Had he heeded the warnings, he wouldn't have been caught so swiftly-like a moth drawn to flame, he had sealed his own fate.

Sasha approached, her presence commanding. "Besides the voice recorder, what else did you give Alyssa?"

Dracon's eyes darted away, caught off guard by her insight. But before he could react further, Arthur's fist connected with his face, numbing his cheek and drawing blood from the corner of his mouth. His legs trembled beneath him.

was a low growl, barely containing his rage. "My wife asked

shake his head, his voice trembling. "I... I also gave her a video

for mercy he knew wouldn't come. "Please, don't tell Dad... He'd disown me, and

was icy, his grip tightening. "You should have been cast out

across his face, then anger. "Why? Why am I the one to go? When you and Hector were away, I was the

If not for me keeping things running smoothly at home, could

to speak of it? When you drugged our father, did you think I wouldn't find out? If not for Dad's constant

of his betrayal wasn't as well-kept as he'd believed, with even Vivienne, the renowned Specter Heafer and Arthur's ally,

testament to his craving for recognition in a family that seemed to overshadow him at every turn. His attempt to sabotage Arthu and Sasha's wedding was a misguided effort to claim a place of importance, a bid for acknowledgment that

and unyielding, posed a final question, highlighting the core principle of the Linklater family ethos, "What is our

whispered, "Together in glory, together in

chose this path