Chapter 8
Victor wanted Titan blamed.
That was the second layer.
If I collapsed and the dog kept everyone away, the story would become simple.
Adrian fell.
Titan became uncontrollable.
Security failed.
Doctor delayed.
Victor intervened.
Then?
He would “save” the situation.
Order Titan restrained.
Allow treatment.
Stand calm while everyone else panicked.
Leadership theater.
I almost admired the stupidity.
“You planned to look like the only person capable of controlling my own dog.”
Victor nodded.
“People believe what they see.”
“And Sophia?”
His mouth tightened.
“She wasn’t supposed to be there.”
Exactly.
The child broke the scene.
Titan stepped aside for her.
Not Victor.
Then Victor saw her notebook.
Saw the security footage.
Panicked.
Reached for the leash.
Everything after that collapsed.
I looked at Carlo.
“Did you know?”
“No.”
He sounded sick.
Good.
Victor smiled at him.
“You wanted proof Adrian had lost control.”
Carlo stared.
“Not like this.”
“Always that sentence.”
Victor laughed.
“Not like this. Not this far. Not this ugly.”
He leaned forward.
“But you all wanted the result.”
Silence.
He was right.
That mattered.
I looked at the five capos.
“You wanted a demonstration.”
Nobody answered.
Victor continued.
“I gave you one.”
Then the study door opened.
Sophia stood there holding Titan’s leash.
Not the heavy one used on Victor.
A thin red walking leash.
Elena behind her.
Titan beside them.
“Sorry,” Elena said. “She wanted to give this back.”
Sophia looked at Victor.
Then me.
“Titan doesn’t need bad leash.”
The room went quiet.
I stood.
Took the red leash.
“Thank you.”
She looked toward Victor’s restrained arms.
“That one hurts?”
Victor’s face changed.
He finally looked ashamed.
Maybe.
Or simply exposed.
I crouched.
“It’s not for Titan anymore.”
She nodded.
Good enough.
Then she looked at Carlo.
“Mommy says lying makes stomach hurt.”
Elena closed her eyes.
I almost smiled.
Carlo did not.
He looked like a man realizing the smallest person in the house had a simpler moral system than the senior council.
Sophia left.
Titan followed.
No command.
No show.
Just trust.
I looked at the men.
“That is what Victor misunderstood.”
They waited.
“He thought control was the same as loyalty.”
May you like
I looked toward the door.
“Titan knew the difference.”
