Chapter 4 — Shadows and Chess Moves

Dominic

The study loomed around me, a mausoleum of power and control, its mahogany walls absorbing sound like a predator lying in wait. The polished wood gleamed under the faint glow of the desk lamp, casting Antonio’s face in stark relief. The silver in his hair caught the light like shards of ice, his expression as unyielding as the legacy he commanded. The air was thick with the scent of cigar smoke and aged leather, a suffocating reminder of the life I had inherited.