AN UNDERSTATED POWER

0013

Chief Raul rushed out of the cell after ensuring Max's accommodations were perfectly arranged.

Once he reached his office, he immediately called Lieutenant Governor Avo.

“Lieutenant Governor Avo, what about Governor Darrus?”

Chief Raul began the conversation.

“He’s still being stubborn,” Mr. Avo replied on the other end of the line.

“He remains insistent on that political marriage.”

“He wants Dominic to take over Morow State. Nothing can change his mind.”

Chief Raul slammed his fist on the desk.

“Dominic? That man isn’t even worthy of cleaning Mr. Max’s shoes, let alone leading Morow State!”

“I know,” Mr. Avo responded with a defeated tone.

“But Darrus is obsessed with the capital alliance. He believes it will strengthen his position.”

Chief Raul cursed loudly.

“He’s a fool! Mr. Max is the only one who truly cares about this state.”

“Meanwhile, Dominic doesn’t even know where the Morow State border lies!”

“It’s ridiculous! We’re handing Morow State over to someone who will destroy it!”

After ending the call, Chief Raul's body still trembled with anger.

That night, he lay in bed, tossing and turning restlessly.

He reached for a cigarette, lit it, and began chain-smoking.

The room filled with smoke, yet his anger refused to subside.

***

The next morning, Dominic emerged from Seraphina’s room looking refreshed.

He made his way to the dining room downstairs, where Governor Darrus had prepared breakfast for him.

“Good morning, Dominic.”

Darrus greeted warmly, gesturing toward the table laden with food.

Dominic sat down casually and picked up a glass of milk.

He took a sip but immediately spat it out.

“This is hot and sour!”

Dominic complained, slamming the glass onto the table.

Darrus turned with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong? The milk was just warmed.”

Dominic didn’t answer.

He grabbed a piece of bread and took a bite, but his face twisted in disgust.

“It’s moldy!” he exclaimed indignantly.

Darrus tried to calm the situation.

“There must have been a mistake. I’ll call the servants to prepare something fresh.”

“No need,” Dominic snapped as he stood up in irritation.

“The food in the capital is far better than this.”

What Dominic didn’t realize was that the servants had deliberately sabotaged his meal.

They sympathized with Max and believed Dominic was unworthy of replacing him.

To them, Max wasn’t just a leader but also a role model who genuinely cared and never demanded more than what he deserved.

In contrast, Dominic represented everything they despised: laziness, arrogance, and incompetence.

When they learned that Dominic was being considered as Max’s successor, their frustration reached a breaking point.

They decided to retaliate subtly but effectively.

The milk served to Dominic was deliberately overheated after it turned sour.

The bread placed on the table was slightly moldy and intentionally left unreplaced.

Even the fruits, usually selected with care, were dull and nearly rotten this time.

As they watched Dominic spit out the milk and complain about the bread, they exchanged glances in the kitchen, hiding sly smiles on their faces.

Dominic remained seated at the dining table, his frustration evident.

He pushed his plate away, unwilling to touch anything else after the unpleasant experience with the milk and bread.

Darrus, however, seemed oblivious to Dominic’s dissatisfaction.

“Dominic,” Darrus began as he sipped his tea calmly, “you know, when Max was leading Morow State, he had an excellent relationship with many mayors and town leaders.”

Dominic raised an eyebrow at him.

Darrus set down his teacup, leaned back in his chair, and continued with a serious tone.

“I suspect many of them benefited directly from Max. Bribes, or maybe under-the-table deals.”

“They idolized Max too much. Relationships like that are rarely pure without some sort of personal gain,” Darrus added.

Dominic leaned back in his chair, a smug look on his face.

“Are you saying that some of them will cause me trouble?”

Darrus chuckled cynically.

“Right! I bring this up as a warning. Many of them might try to use this situation to undermine you.”

“They’re loyal to Max, not to Morow State.”

Dominic nodded slowly.

“So, what do you suggest?”

“Humiliate Max,” Darrus said without hesitation.

“Destroy his reputation entirely!”

“If you succeed, it will prove you’re the better leader and leave them with no choice but to respect and follow your leadership.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes at Darrus.

“How do we do that?”