Roman's POV
The house was too quiet.
Not the kind of quiet that settles. The kind that wraps its fingers around your neck and waits.
I had barely stepped through the front door when Mark called me.
"My study. Now."
His voice was steel. Polished. Controlled. And f*****g lethal.
The second I walked in, he closed the door and locked it.
My heart didn’t race.
It beat steady. Defiant.
He stood behind his desk like a judge about to pass sentence. The photo of our family sat crooked on the corner, the frame silver and spotless.
"What did I tell you?"
I didn’t answer.
His hand slammed down. The photo jumped.
"What the hell did I tell you, Roman?!"
Silence stretched between us like a loaded gun.
"I built this family. I gave you everything opportunity, power, a name worth more than ha
