He leaned forward, his old yet razor-sharp hands gripping the desk with quiet authority. "My own grandsons—the boys I raised—now they turn on me. They want me gone, want to carve up everything I built with these hands. They've got money, they've got influence, they've got that reckless hunger for power. But what they don't got… is you."
Bella's brown eyes flickered. She stayed quiet for a long moment, letting his words settle, before asking softly but firmly, "So you're not just asking me to protect a building. You're asking me to fight against your own family."
The silence stretched. William's jaw tightened, and then he gave a slow nod. "Yes. And that is why I believe only Bellatrix could handle this. If you agree, I will grant you anything you ask. Protection. Resources. Wealth beyond measure. But more importantly—I will give you a chance to shape a fortress no one can ever break."
