The blood seemed to stop flowing through Leo's veins. He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, swallowing hard. Celine and his child were in the hands of a man who knew no mercy, not even toward his own family.
"Where is Celine now?" Leo asked. His voice was low and raspy, stripped of all its former strength. "I need to make sure she is alright. I will do what you want, I will withdraw all the reports, but let me see Celine first."
Leo stood frozen, awaiting the old man's decision with a sense of resignation that crushed his pride as a man.
"Lucas!" Richard bellowed. His voice thundered, cutting through the silence of his vast office.
Within seconds, Lucas appeared from behind the double doors. He stood rigid and upright, ready to accept any order without question. "Yes, sir," he answered shortly.
"Take Leo to see the girl. Bind him!" Richard commanded coldly. He did not spare his son a final glance, instead turning away and heading toward a secret door in the corner of the room.
