“What are you saying?” John asked, his voice tense. “That Julius was behind his own father’s death… and the clan distraction?”

Timothy leaned back in his chair.

“That is exactly what I’m saying,” he replied calmly. “And that is all I’m saying.”

He met Kelvin’s gaze.

“With what I’ve told you, you can now decide whether I’m useful to you or not.”

Kelvin studied him carefully.

There was no hesitation. No shift in tone. No flicker of deceit.

He wasn’t lying.

And that meant one thing—

Kelvin needed him alive.

But that wasn’t all Kelvin had noticed.

If what Timothy said was true… then why was Julius still searching for his brother?

A thought formed.

Dark. Calculated.

Was he trying to finish what he started?

Was he looking for him… to complete what he failed to do thirty years ago?

Back at the Andersons’ mansion…

Mrs Kate Anderson sat behind a large mahogany desk, her legs crossed, her posture commanding.

She looked like a woman with a great deal to say—and no intention of softening it.

Seated across from her was an older man in his seventies, dressed in a well-pressed shirt and trousers. His posture was relaxed, but his presence carried weight.

Mrs Kate fixed him with a steady gaze.

“Mr Andrew, I’m glad you made the time to come when I called.”

He responded with only a faint, knowing smile.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here,” she continued. “It’s quite simple.”
She leaned forward, clasping her fingers on the desk.

“I believe you’re aware of the behaviour your nephew has been displaying in his leadership of the clan.”

Mr Andrew said nothing.

“Julius has been working the men to exhaustion at the mining sites,” she went on. “Pushing them beyond their limits to reclaim lost territory. They have no time to rest, no time to recover. Some haven’t seen their families in months.”

Her voice hardened.

“And when they complain—when they ask for relief—he punishes them for questioning him.”

A pause.

“This is breeding unrest. I fear it may lead to rebellion.”

Mr Andrew finally spoke.

“So, what would you have me do?”

“Talk to him,” she said. “Make him stop.”

He gave a short, humourless laugh.

“You can’t be serious.”

He leaned forward slightly.

“Your son is reclaiming what was taken from us. Land our enemies drove us from. Land that cost my brother his life—your husband.”

Mrs Kate didn’t flinch.

“All he’s doing is pushing the clan to regain what we lost,” Andrew continued. “Is his method harsh? Yes. Is it ethical? No.”

A shrug.

“But if it gets results, so be it.”

He fixed her with a sharper gaze.

“These men need to be driven. And if they don’t like it, they are free to leave.”

A beat.

“But leaving the clan is treason,” he added coldly. “And treason is punishable by death.”

Silence stretched between them.

“I see nothing wrong with what my nephew is doing,” he concluded. “If anything, I’m proud of him.”

Then, pointedly—

“And you should be too… instead of wasting resources searching for your lost son.”

That did it.

Mrs Kate’s hands clenched into fists.
Slowly, she rose to her feet.

“Must I remind you, Mr Andrew,” she said, her voice controlled but sharp, “that it was those same iron-handed methods your brother used decades ago that got him killed?”

She stepped forward slightly.

“I am trying to keep this clan united—not tear it apart.”

Her gaze hardened.

“If Julius continues this way, we will lose more men than we can afford. And as you rightly said—we don’t have many left.”

A pause.

“So instead of questioning how I use our resources to find my son…”

Her voice dropped.

“…why don’t you talk some sense into your nephew before one of his own men decides to end his rule?”

Back at Kelvin’s hideout…

Silence settled again.

Heavy.

Different now.

Kelvin turned away from Timothy and walked slowly across the room, his mind working through everything he had just heard.

Then he stopped.

Decision made.

When he turned back, his expression had changed.

Less hostile.

More focused.

“You live,” Kelvin said.

Not a question.

A condition.

Timothy nodded slightly.

“I assumed as much.”

Kelvin stepped closer.

“But understand this,” he added. “This isn’t trust.”

Timothy smirked faintly. “I wouldn’t expect it to be.”

Kelvin continued.

“You don’t move without me knowing. You don’t act without informing me. And if you try to play both sides—”

A slight pause.

“You won’t get a second chance.”

Timothy held his gaze.

“And in return?”

Kelvin’s voice lowered.

“I give you what you want.”

A beat.

“A way to end him.”

Silence.

Then—

“We share information,” Timothy said. “No half-truths.”

Kelvin considered it.

Then nodded once.

“And when the time comes,” Timothy added, “we take him down together—and make sure he doesn’t get back up.”

Kelvin’s eyes darkened.

“Together,” he agreed.

A pause.

Then Timothy spoke again—

“But not before you tell me why you want him dead.”

Across the room, John shifted uneasily.

An alliance had just been formed.

Not out of trust.

Not out of loyalty.

But out of something far more dangerous—

A shared need for revenge.