Then he was gone, leaving behind nothing but silence and a cold drift of air that whispered in after him.
Ivan stood there for a long time.
His jaw was tight. His hands clenched at his sides.
Inside, the monster in him stirred. The part of him that felt insulted, disrespected, provoked even.
It howled for obedience, for submission, for blood. But it was the other part of him, the sliver of something human that kept him frozen in place.
Ray was wrong. Wasn't he?
Qingran would understand. She had power, conviction. The system had chosen her for a reason she was no ordinary woman scrambling for survival. She was calm and clever and strong enough to lead people already.
She wouldn't be like Ray. She wouldn't betray him. She wouldn't leave.
And if she tried to?
Ivan's eyes sharpened, cruel resolve flickering across his face.
Then he would simply teach her the rules.
There was no such thing as freedom in this new world.
Only strength. Only hierarchy.
