Kairen wasn't spoiled. He was trapped. And the worst part? He knew it. He knew exactly what he was, a pawn in his father's game, a puppet with strings he couldn't cut, a prince in a kingdom built on blood and bones.
And despite everything, despite being born into this world, despite being raised in it, despite being shaped by it, he still had something I didn't.
Empathy.
He'd refused to close that deal with Reyes. Refused to sell weapons to a group that would use them to massacre innocent people. He'd sabotaged his own family, cost his father millions, risked his own safety, all because he couldn't stomach the thought of contributing to more death.
I'd watched it happen. Watched him make that decision in real time. Watched the fear in his eyes, the way his hands trembled, the way he forced himself to stand his ground even when Reyes threatened him.
And I'd known—known—that Dimitri would make him pay for it.
I was right.
