Chapter 11

Anaya bore no marks on her skin, yet the slump of her shoulders and the hollow look in her eyes told of a breaking far worse than any wound.

The man holding her by the arm-a jagged scar running just shy of his right eye-shoved her forward without ceremony, and she crumpled at Tristan's feet.

"I squeezed everything out of her," the man said."She breaks easily. A few moves and she started spilling every last bit."

Rocco let out a quiet scoff. "Doran, you ever think about going easier on women? Half the men I know wouldn't survive what you just pulled."

A cold smirk cut across Doran Shaw's face. "We don't have time to be gentle. She's sly, and she wouldn't talk without a push."

Shaking,Anaya dropped to her knees. "Please... I've told you all I know. Just let me go. I swear, there's nothing else."

Tristan didn't so much as glance at her.

For someone who looked so frail, she had a history of luring prey into her snare and there were likely more than a few.

"So what did she give you?" he asked.

Doran answered instantly, "She's the one who slipped something into your drink last year. Hector had nothing to do with it. Somebody else called the shots. Promised her a fat payday when it was done."

"Who sent her?"

"Jermaine Pearson."

Tristan's brow lifted, but there was no surprise in his eyes.

Jermaine was his own half-brother. For years, people believed Tristan was a bastard. The truth was far uglier. On the day he and Jermaine wvere born, someone had switched them in secret. From then on, the true heir wore the stain of being a bastard, while the real bastard lived in privilege and wealth. Only a few months ago did the truth come crawling into the light, and Tristan stepped back into the family that should have been his. Whatever he had suffered in those decades was his alone to carry.

"So Jermaine knew the whole time he wasn't the rightful heir?"

Rocco nodded. "Everything we've dug up says so.lf he hadn't known, why slip something in your drink?Why tear down your plans from the inside?"

Doran was furious. "Unbelievable. That son of a bitch ran off overseas, acting like some poor victim,swearing he didn't know a thing. We let him live because of that. Say the word, Mr. Pearson, and I'll hunt him down myself."

The two had been at Tristan's side since they were boys. They had seen firsthand how Jermaine's real mother treated him.

A jagged scar carved across Tristan's back told a story of cruelty-Jermaine's mother had poured boiling oil over him when he was just fourteen,punishing him for the sin of scoring higher than her precious son in the finals.

Back then, Rocco and Doran couldn't make sense of it. How could a woman treat her "own child" with such viciousness? The answer came only when the truth surfaced-Tristan was never her child at all.

Their hatred for her had always run deep, but after that revelation, it became something far darker.

And finding out Jermaine had known all along,keeping the truth buried, made their blood run hotter.To them, that smug hypocrite deserved nothing less than death.

Trying to rein in the tension, Rocco said, "Cool it,Doran. Mr. Pearson has every eye in the city watching him right now. One wrong move and it's straight down from the top. We're here to protect him, not blow everything up."

Grinding his teeth, Doran grabbed Anaya by the collar. "If Jermaine's off-limits, then maybe we start with this lying bitch."

Anaya's eyes went wide with panic. "P-please...Don't kill me! I'll keep my mouth shut,I promise!"

"You're not in a position to bargain."

Doran's grip tightened and his killing intent poured out, but Tristan's voice cut through like a blade. "Put her down. Kill her, and Hector will make sure we pay for it."

"Perhaps we should kill Hector too. It's not like he's any better!"

Tristan's stare didn't waver. "Keep talking like that,and I'll send you away."

Doran's shoulders stiffened, and the words died on his tongue. Tristan's tone left no room for doubt. "Sir, what do you want done with her?" asked Rocco.

One glance from Tristan was all it took. Rocco strode over to Anaya and shoved a pill past her lips before she could resist.

"Mmff-ugh-"

Anaya tried to resist, but Rocco's polished suit and tidy manner hid a brutal efficiency. One sharp tilt of her chin, and he forced the pill down.

"What...what was that?"

Tristan responded coldly, "Keep your mouth shut and you live. You'll need to come see me for the antidote every month."

Leaning in closer, Rocco added, "That pill you swallowed is called Bone-Eater. If you miss a single dose, it'll hollow you out from the inside until you're nothing but dust."

A violent shiver ran through Anaya, terror widening her eyes. She clung to Tristan's leg, sobbing. "I was wrong... Mr. Pearson, I shouldn't have done it! I never should have drugged you! Please... please, let me live!"

Rocco yanked her back, knowing how Tristan hated the slightest touch.

Disgust flickered in Tristan's eyes as he stepped back. "Get yourself cleaned up and follow me downstairs. And don't forget this-l've already slept with you."

Qidence was full of pretenders draped in borrowed glory, but only two houses had ever truly stood above the rest-the once-powerful Murrays and the enduring Clarke family.

With the Murrays on the brink of collapse, the Clarkes alone held the city's highest ground. Their gates never stayed still, with luxury cars gliding in and out as visitors arrived bearing gifts and pledges of loyalty.

Terry Sutton, the family's long-serving butler, turned away a party insisting they had business with Miguel,the old patriarch. He had just begun his walk back inside when the growl of a red sports car's engine rolled across the driveway.

Lifting his gaze, he spotted Leyla stepping out, and a smile touched his lips-one edged with something unreadable.

Business rivalries had long kept the Clarke and Murray families circling each other like predators.Even so, Leyla had always shared a quiet closeness with Hector.

After the Murray family collapsed, Hector's parents laid down the law-no more meetings with Leyla.Hector, however, refused to obey, and Terry never had the heart to come down on him too hard.

"Ms. Murray, were you hoping to see Hector? I'm afraid he isn't in at the moment."

She extended a neatly wrapped gift box toward him."Brought you something from my last trip overseas,Terry. Thought you might like it." "That's kind of you, but I really couldn't-"

"It's yours.Please accept it. I don't want to waste it."

His eyes flicked to the stamped brand mark, and though his expression remained polite, he took the box without further protest and said, "Thank you...though I should warn you, we have some very high-profile guests arriving today. It mnight be wiser to visit anothe time."

"I already know," Leyla said lightly. "Hector told me to drop by."

"Even so-"

"You have my word I'll stay out of the way. If you don't let me in now, I'll wait out front and walk in with him when he arrives."

With Hector escorting her, it would no longer be Terry's responsibility.

Terry agreed readily. "In that case, l'll ask you to wait here for a bit.u "No trouble at all. Go on with your work, I'll be fine here."

"Alright..." Terry replied, turning to head back toward the house-when the rumble of a taxi pulling up to the gate made him pause.

The estate sat in an exclusive district where every driveway gleamed with expensive vehicles. It was the first time he saw a taxi stop at the gates.

When the passenger stepped out and Terry caught sight of their clothing, his surprise deepened into something close to disbelief.