The Heir's Gambit

city-remote, isolated, and perfect for a final confrontation. Adrian k

She was as much of a fighter as he was, but the weight of this situatio

e room to meet him. "Damien isn't just trying

e can't wait any longer.

drian, there's somethi

ed. "Wha

hrough her hair. "When I left, I didn't just disappear becaus

h hitched. "Wh

hat are y

y me if I didn't cooperate." She shook her head. "I had no choice. But when I found out I was pregnant, I ha

anything else. Elena had been running from Damien all along-and

ained, "you knew Damien would come for Lucas. Y

s. "I was scared, Adrian. Scared of wh

verything between them-the years of separation, the lies, the truth-crashed

lena whispered, wiping a tear from he

d gears. Lucas was t

hing to make sure no one

o force his hand, but he wouldn't be caught off guard

verlooking the city. The place smelled like power, like

cool, collected, and smug as ever. His suit was sh

mockery of friendship. "You really are a man of act

to take back what's mine, Cole.

his glass. "Your son is just a pawn in all of t

the beginning," Adrian growled, s

about that," Damien sai

red, and Adrian's blood ran cold.

de as he looked at his father. Adrian's heart skipped

y, stepping toward him, "I

you've won? I can still make one call, and every

hardening. He couldn't let this m

e struggle fierce, raw. But Adrian was driven by something deeper than jus

delivered a final blow. Damien cr

for the first time in years, Adria

ian whispered, holding his

the battle was far from over-but he had won the mos

drop, a reminder of how close he had come to losing everything. The world had shifted on its axis in the last f

his. She had been through hell, too. They both

cing at her as she stared out the window, the re

one was distant. There was something more

happened. Lucas was safe, for now, but the truth of the sit

steady. "Damien's still out there, and I'm not going to

ned, but then the walls went back up. "Damien has a lot of power.

. More than anything, he wanted to believe that th

calm before the storm or if s