Building The Strongest Family-Chapter 134: Kneel Or Burn

The Next Day - January 7, 2027 - Municipal Palace - Mayor’s Executive Lounge

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The mayor’s private lounge was nothing short of a monument to arrogance.

Gold-trimmed marble floors gleamed under the soft glow of extravagant chandeliers, while floor-to-ceiling windows showcased Neo-Luminara’s skyline, a view that felt like gazing upon a conquered kingdom.

Damien Armitage reclined in a high-backed chair, swirling a glass of Solaris Vintage, his lips curling into a smug smile.

Across from him sat Arthur, lounging with deceptive ease, one leg casually crossed over the other and a faint smile playing on his lips.

Both men exchanged glances, each harboring their own hidden intentions.

"You came," the mayor said with an air of superiority, disdain flickering in his eyes as he regarded Arthur across the table. It was as if he had expected nothing less.

Arthur’s smile remained unwavering. "Did you think I wouldn’t?"

The mayor chuckled softly, leaning forward with an air of confidence. "No. Because smart men know when to bow."

He took a slow sip from his glass, eyes gleaming with mischief. "So? Have you reconsidered my proposal?"

Arthur tilted his head slightly, feigning contemplation. "Ah yes, the marriage arrangement and the sixty percent stake in my company."

With a flourish, the mayor spread his hands wide. "A small price for protection... for legacy."

Arthur exhaled softly and shook his head with amusement. "You see, that’s the thing about legacy, it’s fragile."

He reached into his coat and produced a slim phone before tossing it onto the table between them.

The mayor’s confident demeanor faltered as he frowned at Arthur’s unexpected gesture; unease crept into his expression.

"What’s this?" he asked warily.

"Open it," Arthur gestured lazily.

A flicker of apprehension crossed Damien’s face before he masked it with bravado. Snatching up the phone, he powered it on.

As the main screen illuminated, Damien’s expression changed drastically,his face drained of color and turned ghostly pale; bloodshot eyes widened in horror as he began to tremble uncontrollably.

Damien Armitage’s world shattered before him.

Security footage flashed across the screen: financial records and blacksite manifests,every crime committed during his tenure laid bare in vivid detail.

Arthur watched intently as Damien scrolled through incriminating evidence with growing panic etched across his features.

"This... this... this is impossible!" The mayor gasped, snapping his head up to meet Arthur’s gaze, eyes wild with disbelief. "Where did you get this?!"

Arthur shrugged nonchalantly. "Does it matter?"

In an explosive burst of anger, Damien shot to his feet, knocking over his glass; Solaris Vintage spilled across the table like blood pooling on cold tiles. "Who gave you these?!"

Arthur remained still, his hand gesturing toward the seat where Mayor Damien sat, tension crackling in the air. "Sit down, Damien. No need to be so worked up."

The mayor’s breath came in sharp bursts, his body coiled like a spring ready to snap.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed he might lunge at Arthur, then, with visible effort, he sank back into his chair.

His voice was as sharp as a blade. "What do you want?"

Leaning forward, Arthur rested his elbows on his knees, adopting a soft yet deliberate tone. "I think you misunderstand." He paused for effect. "This isn’t a negotiation."

Damien’s jaw tightened as anger simmered beneath the surface. "Then what is it?"

Arthur’s smile morphed into something predatory. "A lesson."

With a swift motion, he reached into his coat and produced a slender injector pen that glinted ominously under the light. The mayor’s eyes widened in alarm.

"What the hell is that?" Unease slithered down Damien’s spine.

"Let’s just say it’s insurance," Arthur replied with a feigned smile.

Before the mayor could react further, Arthur was suddenly before him, pressing the pen’s tip against Damien’s neck and administering its contents in one fluid motion.

It was over in an instant.

Damien slapped a hand to his neck, horror dawning on his face. "What did you just do?!"

Arthur stepped back and casually pocketed the pen. "Poison,a proprietary blend."

He tilted his head slightly as if savoring the moment. "Without the monthly antidote, your nervous system will liquefy in approximately... seventy-two hours." He added with chilling calmness: "Painfully."

Rage twisted Damien’s features; fury boiled within him as he roared at Arthur, "You bastard!"

But Arthur’s demeanor shifted abruptly to cold menace; his voice sliced through the air like ice. "Kneel."

The mayor froze.

Arthur didn’t raise his voice, he didn’t need to; the weight of that single word hung heavy between them.

"You have two choices," he continued calmly but firmly as death itself loomed closer. "Serve me and live, or defy me and watch everything you’ve built burn while you choke on your own dissolving organs."

Damien gasped for breath; fingers dug into the armrests until they turned white with strain.

Arthur waited patiently.

Seconds felt like hours.

Then...

The mayor’s shoulders sagged; his head bowed in submission.

A satisfied smile crept across Arthur’s face as he stood tall again, straightening his cuffs with an air of triumph. "Good."

He leaned down close to Veyne’s ear and whispered menacingly: "From now on, you are mine, my eyes in City Hall, my leash on the Eastern Consortium... my dog."

He leaned down, his breath a whisper against Damien’s ear. "And if you ever forget that?" He tapped the mayor’s neck, where the poison lay hidden like a serpent ready to strike.

Damien shuddered, horror flooding his eyes as he looked up at Arthur. "How... how do you know about the Eastern Consortium?!"

With an evil smirk, Arthur replied, "Let’s just say I did my homework after you decided to threaten me!"

He straightened, not waiting for a response as he turned toward the door. "The first dose of the antidote is in four weeks. Don’t be late."

Without another word, he left.

Behind him, Damien Armitage,the man who had ruled Neo-Luminara for a decade, collapsed forward, his forehead hitting the table with a hollow thud. The king had knelt. And thus began the reign of a new ruler.

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Outside, Arthur slid into his sleek car where Ashley awaited him, idly flipping a coin in her hand.

"Well?" she asked expectantly.

Arthur ignited the engine; it purred to life beneath him. "Everything went well."

Ashley’s eyes sparkled with curiosity but she held back from probing further. "Oh!" freёnovelkiss.com

"By the way," Arthur said thoughtfully, glancing at her. "What are you doing here? You didn’t have work today!"

Ashley grinned back at him mischievously. "I wanted to see how things would go! You wouldn’t let me follow you inside anyway!"

Arthur simply shook his head as they sped away in the Hyperion GT20, leaving the Municipal Palace behind.

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Meanwhile, within a towering skyscraper in Neo-Luminara, an executive lounge that radiated wealth and power, Chairman Renshu Wu sat motionless at the head of an intricately carved obsidian table.

His fingers were steepled beneath his chin; calmness adorned his face while sharp eyes betrayed an inner tempest.

A holographic screen flickered before him, displaying live footage from the Municipal Palace, the unmistakable image of a pale and shaken Damien Armitage was clear as day.

"So," Renshu murmured silkily over steel-like resolve. "Who is this guy in the mayor’s office?!"

To his right sat Scarlet, a woman clad in a form-fitting blood-red silk suit,leaning forward with purpose.

Her beautiful crimson eyes flashed as she tapped on her tablet and presented it to Renshu.

"He is Arthur Osborn, the current head of the Osborn Family."

A chuckle rippled through shadows at the far end of the table as General Jones shifted ominously, a massive figure whose muscles seemed alive under dim light. "That Osborn Family causing waves recently?"

Scarlet nodded affirmatively at Jones’ remark while Renshu’s gaze remained locked on the screen showing Arthur injecting something into Damien’s neck.

Renshu’s eyes were glued to the screen, his focus unwavering. "Oh! Looks like he’s got his sights set on the mayor too, he’s already ahead of us."

The display zoomed in, revealing an injection pen glinting ominously in Arthur’s hand.

Scarlet and General Jones exchanged glances, their attention darting between the pen and Renshu.

The screen split, unveiling fresh footage of Arthur’s car pulling away from the Municipal Palace, Ashley’s smile visible through the tinted window.

"This Osborn guy has made a critical misstep," Renshu asserted, his voice steady yet laced with intrigue. "He thinks that controlling the mayor means controlling the city."

His finger traced along the hologram’s edge as if mapping out a strategy. "But remember: some snakes strike when cornered."

Scarlet’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "You want Damien to turn on him?"

"Not just turn," Renshu whispered conspiratorially. "Break."

Suddenly, a new image flickered onto the screen, a molecular schematic of a neurotoxin, now coursing through the veins of their unsuspecting mayor.

General Jones grunted skeptically. "Poison? We have antidotes for every....."

"Not an antidote," Renshu interrupted sharply. "An accelerant."

The room fell silent, tension thickening in the air.

Scarlet gasped softly, her breath hitching in realization. "You mean to..."

"Trigger it prematurely?" Renshu finished with a chilling grin.

"Absolutely! Just picture it: Damien collapses during his next public address, live on camera as the city watches their mighty mayor disintegrate before their very eyes."

His smile turned icy as he added, "And who do you think they’ll blame?"

Kho leaned forward with a savage grin. "Osborn."

"Exactly!" Renshu exclaimed triumphantly. "We’ll anonymously leak footage of Arthur injecting poison into the mayor." He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled thoughtfully.

"Let Arthur play his little games; let him think he’s won." A gleam danced in his eyes as he continued, "And when the time is right?"

The screen shifted one last time, revealing a live satellite feed of the Osborn Family Mansion, its dark spires piercing through the night sky like ominous tombstones.

"We’ll bury him beneath the ruins of his own arrogance, for trying to block the Eastern Consortium from conducting its business!"

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Meanwhile, high above in a lavish office at Osborn Holdings...

"Sir?"

Arthur glanced up from his holographic display to see Evolon’s blue visage materialize on screen.

"What is it?"

"They’ve taken the bait."

"Good." An evil smirk spread across Arthur’s face, this was just getting interesting.