Adrian didn't want me to meet his father alone.
"I don't trust him," he said quietly.
But I needed answers.
And I knew something neither of them understood
This war wasn't just about business anymore.
It was about control.
Mr. Knight's private office overlooked the city like a throne room. Dark wood. Floor-to-ceiling windows. Minimal decoration. Power didn't need decoration.
He didn't stand when I entered.
He studied me instead.
"You look stronger than I expected," he said calmly.
"I didn't have a choice," I replied.
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Exactly."
Silence stretched between us, heavy and deliberate.
"You wanted to see me," I said.
"Yes." He folded his hands neatly on the desk. "Because you deserve to understand what's happening."
"Then explain why your son nearly lost everything."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"Nearly?"
I held his gaze.
"You didn't expect him to counterattack the board that quickly."
For a moment… I saw it.
Approval.
But also calculation.
"Victoria was never meant to win," he said finally.
The words hit me like cold water.
"What does that mean?"
"She was useful."
"Useful?" My voice hardened. "She shot me."
"She panicked," he said dismissively. "That wasn't in the design."
Design.
My stomach twisted.
"This was a test."
He didn't deny it.
"Adrian cannot inherit full control of this empire unless he proves he can survive losing it."
"You stripped him of his title."
"Yes."
"You allowed him to be betrayed."
"Yes."
"You let someone put my life in danger."
That made him pause.
"You were not supposed to be harmed."
"But I was."
The air shifted.
For the first time, something human flickered in his expression.
"You are his weakness," he said carefully. "And also his strength."
"I'm not a tool."
"No," he agreed. "You're leverage."
Anger flared in my chest.
"So this entire war was staged to test him?"
"Partially," he said. "But once Victoria acted independently, the situation escalated beyond intention."
"So you lost control."
His jaw tightened.
"A leader does not lose control."
"But a father might."
Silence.
Heavy.
Telling.
I leaned forward slightly.
"You didn't test him to see if he could rebuild the company."
His eyes darkened.
"You tested him to see if he would choose power over love."
He didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
"You wanted to know if he would become you."
Still silence.
"And he didn't," I whispered.
A muscle in his jaw moved.
"No," he admitted quietly. "He didn't."
And for the first time, I realized something terrifying
This wasn't just about legacy.
It was about fear.
Mr. Knight wasn't afraid of Adrian failing.
He was afraid of Adrian becoming softer.
And softness, in his world, meant vulnerability.
When I stood to leave, he spoke one last time.
"If you stay beside him, you must understand something."
I paused.
"Empires are not built on love."
I met his eyes.
"Maybe that's why they fall."
And I walked out.
Engagement:
Do you think Adrian's father truly cares about him… or only about control?
Comment: CARES or CONTROL.