Empire for Revenge

ly noticed. His mind was still reeling from what he had seen, the sickening image of Kate and Ethan

for now. Poor William. H

thing but a gaping wound that throbbed with each step he took. The cold anger that had begun to rise in him when he overheard them was gone, replaced n

than his lack of status, more than the mistakes he made or the burdens he carried. But now, that illusion had shattered.

or the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind, but even that peaceful sound couldn't penetrate the storm raging inside him. Everything was too muc

state, a place he often came to when he needed to clear his mind. The water was still, reflecting the

llow eyes, the defeat etched across his face. He had never felt so broken, so utterly alone. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he refused to le

ould always be nothing to people like Ethan, Victor, and Kate. He would always be the outcast, the one they mocked, used, and discard

into his palms grounding him in the present. The pain reminded him

His family didn't care about him. Kate didn't love him. The people who surrounded him in the esta

fiance sparked deep inside him. It was faint, barely enough to be noticed, but it was t

him, taken everything from him. B

r, his reflection no longer something to pity but a symbol of what he had endured. Th

t

him to the edge, but now, standing here alone with nothing left to lose, he re

family. He didn't need their approval.

though he had been cast aside, he w

hadn't anticipated. Tomorrow would be his 21st birthday-a day he once believed would mark some kind of fresh start, a chan

d be a painful reminder of everything he had lost. His father was gone. His mother was gone. His f

inguish completely. He still had himself. And maybe, just maybe, tomorrow would

from the pond and walked back toward the estate. The pain of today migh

rything would