“How can I?” Lincoln replied patiently, “You took out your frustration on your own man.”“His issue was a long time coming, and we both know that somethings are better dealt with cleanly. No need to draw out unnecessary things,” Tyler replied, his voice cold.“And it came after the incident with Belarnt?” Lincoln pressed, staring intently at the slightly younger man.Tyler shrugged but made no comment.“Master Esteil, your slip is showing,” the older man droned.Tyler’s jaw twitched, but he remained silent.Lincoln sat and reclined in his chair.“Nathaniel’s missing.”“As he should be,” Tyler replied disinterestedly.Lincoln pursed his lips, staring at his young friend.Tyler waited, gazing casually at his sponsor.When the older man did not speak, Tyler picked up the matter that had brought him to the club.

Vincent’s gaze shifted to his mother’s drawn face. Her eyes were feverish, her lips trembling. He could see her skull through her thin skin.His mother was a slender woman. Very frail. She spent her days attending board meetings and chairing charity events, drinking tea with other highborn ladies, and attending garden parties. But even those, if they had too much tension, could affect her health.She was from Europe, but most people had long forgotten that. In the whole of Ashrone, only her husband called her Genevieve. Everyone else thought her legal name was Ginnie.“Even if the whole world were to come crashing down, Edward Kramer, could you not have used another?” she roared. “After everything I gave up for you! For YOU! You have the audacity! The impertinence! The gall!”“Ginnie, please,” Lord Kramer gasped.“What? What did you say to me? Please? You sham of a –&rdquo

The old man turned back to the group still standing at the top of the stairs.His eyes landed on his son. The younger man held his father’s gaze.They were of similar build and stature, only the younger man, Edward Kramer, had lost some weight of recent.The old man’s hair was full but completely grey, whereas his son’s was mostly blonde. Grey had set into Edward Kramer’s hair overnight.His tan skin was darker than his son’s, and his burly build was from decades of mining all over the world, which he no longer did, but the impact still showed even after over twenty years of retirement.His cold eyes moved to his son’s wife and softened.Lady Kramer curtsied, her lips pressed tightly.“My Lady,” Retired Lord Henry Kramer rumbled. Genevieve Kramer burst into tears and ran off to her room, no longer able to hold the image of one family.Vincent followed after his mother, his dark bl

It was not the Jergens family that had caused the problems, but they were carrying weights around their necks because of the Kramers.There was a sharp knock on Emily’s door, and it was opened before she confirmed admission.Her phone was still ringing.“You’re not going to get that?” her father asked calmly as he strolled into her office.“No.”He glanced at the caller ID and nodded.He placed his hands in his trouser pockets and aspirated.“We need a buyout before the week ends.”“Where?”“Kramer Pharmaceuticals.”“How much?”“Ten, or maybe fifteen.”“I’ll have twenty ready.”“Good. There’s a meeting in Italy this weekend. I’ll take it. You stay here. Don’t get swept away.”“Italy?”“I’ll handle it.”“Father –”“Trust me, my dear,” he rumbled, his blue eyes on his daughter’s.Emily pursed her lips. “How is Lord Kramer?” she asked distractedly.Quenti

“You should leave Salvena for a while,” Lord Henry Kramer rumbled.“Don’t you mean Ashrone?” Edward Kramer replied sarcastically.“What I mean is you should create distance from whoever is attacking you. Though it is yet to be proved whether or not you are indeed the sole target of this fiasco,” the elder Kramer remarked neutrally.“I will not be bullied by anyone, and definitely not some coward hiding in the shadows!” Edward growled.Father and son were in Edward Kramer’s home office. Ever since the Birthday Party, Edward Kramer had not left the Kramer Estate.His father, however, had been busy going back and forth between the Estate and Salvena city, managing the chaos his son had created.“A coward who not only embarrassed the great Lord Kramer himself, but also sent me a full list of your indiscretions beforehand?” Henry Kramer remarked dryly.Edward glared at his father.“Indiscretions I asked you to explain. A request tha