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Chapter 16 – The Strings Tighten
Author: Healing-Pen
last update2025-09-30 18:36:09

Politics was a game of handshakes and shadows. Adrian Black knew this better than most. That evening, in a suite high above the skyline, Adrian studied the city like a chessboard.

Below, lights pulsed where Daniel Crane’s campaign headquarters still clung to life, though the walls were crumbling.

His men had already mapped the donor network, flagged weaknesses in Crane’s alliances, and infiltrated the gossip columns that whispered into Washington’s ears.

It wasn’t enough to break Daniel’s business. No, Adrian would carve out the heart of his ambition, his politics. “Tonight,” Adrian murmured, lighting a cigarette, “we pull one thread. By dawn, his entire suit unravels.”

Marcus stood by the door, silent as always. Across from Adrian, Victor Kane shifted uneasily in his chair, a glass of whiskey sweating in his hand. “You dragged me here,” Victor muttered. “Now tell me why.”

Adrian’s gaze lifted, pinning him with surgical calm. “Because you’re going to help me deliver the message.”

Vict
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