Axel's POV

As I left my brothers behind in the room, their faces grim with resignation, I braced myself for the conversation I was about to have. My father’s summons had never meant anything good. It was always some manipulation, some scheme to bend us to his will. Today, I could feel it in the pit of my stomach, this wasn’t just about the girls waiting for us in the garden. It was something deeper, more sinister.

When I reached his office, the heavy oak door creaked open. He sat at his ...