Rag to gold

light of the crystal chandelier created several sparkling reflections on the polished wood below. Martin Elvon sat in t

cing great challenges better equipped him than anything this family could offer. The deadline for turning in was past. "I don't need a crown, dad." Though quiet, his voice was forceful. Here I want to build control instead of turning into its emblem. Martin's

a young person devoid of awareness of his family's complex power system. Papat's blood ran with the heat of wrath, yet he was able to contain it. His acts were not motivated by a need to show his value at his enraged moment.

h her strong relationships, Celine Henshaw symbolizes riches and great connections. He felt physically nauseated at the possibility of an arranged marriage and being a strategic piece for his father's political plans. "Nothing." Though said in a hushed voice, the word expressed perfect finality. Though he felt the weight of his family's attention all about him, he stood. "I'm not going to wed Celine

that his uprising will destroy everything Papat still refused to go back to his former state. Not just now. Martin's face was twisted with a wave of wrath as his eyes burned with betrayed ideas. Papat, you will regret this. Though Papat stayed sure that something was wrong, the entire night seemed to be long and stifling. The conversation with his father made him uncomfortable; the weight of the ultimatum hung above him like a dark cloud. His phone flashed with an encrypted email from some unidentified sour

y and his family's expectations, which kept him from seeing how widespread the dishonesty had gotten. He heard someone knocking at the door while he was trying to decipher the message further. Realizing the guest he wanted to avoid, he stopped before getting up. Lucas Henshaw arrived in the room looking as always perfect. He

empire. People you hardly know at all. This fight calls for far more than just business acumen. We live in a war. There was a great weight in the

her screen's flickering cursor seem to chuckle at her uncertainty. Her path of inquiry had some unexpected turns, but the present discoveries concerning the Embrace family made her feel as though she was almost certain of finding something historic. She found evidence of extortion and bribery as well as hidden accounts containing Elv

ipulated him with the same ease they used everyone else. From his point of view, this narrative revealed more profound realities. She opened a file she had before avoided. Before Papat returned to St. Louis, the email correspondence stretched over several years. She had never completely understood his engagement in illegal activities disclosed in the