Chapter 253. Instigator

Axel leans back in his chair, swirling the dark liquid in his glass, his gaze sharp as he fixes on Don. “We should threaten her,” he says with a sly smile. “We’ve been too soft. It's time to up the pressure.”

Brick shakes his head, eyes narrowing. “We’ve already crossed the line, Axel. For the sake of her late father, do you not have any respect?”

“Respect? For Richard?” Axel snorts. “I never liked him. From the start, he was nothing but a thorn in my side.”

The room falls silent as Axel’s disdain hangs in the air. He doesn’t care that he’s just revealed the depth of his animosity. He doesn’t care who knows.

His mind drifts back to the day Richard brought Azure, Lara’s mother, to his doorstep. Richard, still living with his father, had asked Axel for help. Azure needed a place to stay, and Axel had been the logical choice.

He remembers her vividly—young, beautiful, with an air of mystery that had captivated him from the moment she crossed his thres