Everyone carries some regret in life.


    For Lucia, the regret went back twenty years-when she failed to stop her only daughter from giving her heart to a man with no honor, a poor peasant with nothing to his name.


    "Maria," Lucia said, her voice sharp with authority.


    "You must remember, wee from the family of the Governor of Vind. You cannot marry a man with no identity, no honor."


    "Mother!" Maria cried, tears streaming down her face.


    "I don''t care about titles or standing. I love him. And he loves me. Why can''t we be together?"


    Lucia''s tone hardened. "You''re still young. Love fades. Men like him cling to women like you only for power, only for position. He is using you!"


    Maria''s eyes red with defiance.


    "You adopted William as your son! He''s the one you always praise, the perfect man in your eyes-and I''m nothingpared to him."


    "Then give him the governor''s seat! I don''t want any of it. All I want is to be with the man I love."


    "That is impossible!" Lucia thundered.


    And so, in a moment that shook the household twenty years ago, Maria fled with her lover.


    She vanished, beyond the reach of guards, trackers, or family influence. She was never found.


    In her absence, Lucia and her husband Jose turned to William, grooming him to be the next governor.


    Jose believed William would grow into a good governor, the kind of man he once pretended to be.


    But Jose was wrong.


    With Maria gone forever, William lost all restraint. Knowing the seat would one day be his, the darkness inside him finally wed its way out-and there was no turning back.


    Now, yearster, Lucia''s voice trembled as her eyes welled with tears. "Ten years ago, I found Maria''s pendant on the sofa. Tell me, William... tell me what you did to her."


    Williamughed, cold and cruel. "Maria? Don''t worry. I''ll tell you everything-since you and Jose are about to die anyway."


    He had already called the gangsters, men who owed him favors, to kill Jose. Even now, they were closing in.


    Lucia''s heart knew the truth before the words left his mouth. She had always suspected something dark.


    William stepped closer, his smile twisting. “She came back fifteen years ago. While you were away. Broken. Abandoned by her man. She wanted to return home."


    Heughed again, louder, harsher. "Do you know what that meant? It meant she would inherit the governor''s seat. Mine! She was nothing but a threat."


    Lucia''s voice cracked, her body shaking. "You killed her?"


    "Of course," William said, his eyes burning red with rage.


    "I was promised that position. And then she dared toe back? It was her mistake. So I erased her from this world."


    His voice grew venomous, every word a de.


    "You should have seen her eyes—still clinging to hope, begging me to spare her. But it was already toote. She died staring at me in disbelief... and I made damn sure she would never stand in my way again."


    On the other side, Jose caught the thunder of engines before the headlights cut through the night.


    Ten cars skidded to a stop outside the estate. Doors mmed, boots pounded against gravel, and twenty armed men poured out like a pack of wolves closing in on their kill.


    Under the harsh glow of the party lights, their weapons gleamed, cold and merciless, as they advanced toward the hall.


    The leader pushed through the crowd, a scar running across his cheek. He found


    Jose, Alex, and Josephine standing inside the grand room.


    "Governor Jose," the gangster


    sneered. "Can you believe the irony? Your own adopted son paid us a


    million dors to put you in the.


    ground And that''s not all-he


    promised us a million more every


    year once he takes your seat."


    Jose''s hands shook with rage. He had feared this day, dreaded the betrayal of the


    boy he had raised as his own.


    And now, here it was the nightmaree to life.


    "You''ve crossed the line," Jose spat, pulling his pistol and leveling it at the gangsters.


    Twenty barrels immediately turned on him. The leaderughed cold and loud.


    "You shoot me, old man, and twenty bullets tear through your chest. You can''t win. But maybe I''ll keep that fine woman for myself before the fun ends."


    "As for you and the young man there-we''ll kill you quick. William promised we''ll be his personal guard when he takes power.”


    Josephine stepped forward, standing between Jose and the guns. Her voice cracked like a whip.


    ?


    "You bastard! Do you realize what you''re doing? This is murder. You'' face prison-no, the death


    penalty-for this. Lay a handon


    Jose, and you''ll hang for it


    Jose''s heart swelled with pride at her courage. For the first time that night, he felt the warmth of loyalty.


    "Josephine," he said, his voice heavy with age and sorrow, "I''ve lived my years. You''re still young. Don''t waste your life on me."


    He moved forward, raising his hands. "Take me, kill me if you must. But spare them."


    "No!" Josephine cried, grabbing his arm.


    The gangster fired a shot into the ceiling. The thunder shook the hall. "Shut up! None of you walk out of here alive!"


    Then, in a shocking instant, both Jose and Josephine copsed to the floor, fainting.


    Alex stepped forward, his eyes zing.


    "If you want them," he growled, "you''ll have to go through me. And I swear on my


    life-none of you bastards leave this ce alive."


    The gang leader snarled. "Another arrogant fool. Kill him first!"


    Gunfire exploded. But then—the impossible.


    Bullets froze midair, suspended like raindrops caught in ss. The gangsters


    stared, eyes wide with terror.


    "S-superhuman," one stammered, his voice breaking.


    Meanwhile, in the shadows of the house, William had slipped away.


    He found a baseball bat propped in the corner. His fingers curled around the wood, and he swung itzily, smirking.


    "Mom, do you want to know how I killed Maria?" His voice was a hiss, dripping with venom.


    He swung again, harder this time, the air splitting with the crack. "The same way


    I''ll kill you."


    His eyes gleamed with madness.


    "Don''t worry-I''ll bury you right


    beside her. And then I''ll drop


    body in the same grave. The whole family together, rotting in the dirt."


    William''sughter echoed through the hall, chilling and merciless. "No need to


    thank me. This is the reward for making me your son."


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