Chapter 2: The Lion Returns
Elias Blackwood did not walk; he prowled. As the CEO of Blackwood Industries, his life was governed by precision and control. When he stepped into the foyer and saw the scene, the air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.
The broken frame. The glass glinting like diamonds in the firelight. His son, Leo, sitting on the floor, shivering not from cold, but from the weight of the day’s cruelty.
Elias stopped. He didn't rush. He walked over to Leo, his eyes darting from the boy’s bleeding finger to the stepmother, who was now straightening her blazer, attempting to regain her composure.
"What is this?" Elias asked. His voice was dangerously calm.
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Leo didn't say a word. He simply stood up and handed the crumpled, damaged photograph to his father. Elias took it, his large hand trembling for a fraction of a second as he looked at the face of his late wife—the woman he had lost three years ago to a "tragic accident" that Sarah had helped him grieve.
Elias stared at the photo. Then, he looked at Sarah. His eyes were no longer those of a husband. They were the eyes of a judge.
