Chapter 41 Story Time

Alicia Davenport Nicholas sat across from me, his expression unreadable. “The floor is yours, Mr. Andrieux.” I say as I waited for him to speak. “So,” he began, his voice steady, “about my brother.” I crossed my arms and leaned back, watching him carefully. He started by saying that he and George never had a good relationship. “When we were kids, we got along well enough,” he admitted. “But as we got older, everything became a competition—especially after my father made it very clear that birth order didn’t mean anything in our family.” I frowned slightly as I listened. “In the Andrieux family,” Nicholas continued, “there’s no such thing as ‘the oldest takes over the business.’ Whoever is best wins. And from that moment on, George and I were put against each other.” I didn’t say anything, but I could see where this was going. In our world, this kind of thing wasn’t uncommon. Legacies weren’t built on sentiment—they were built on power, ambition, and proving yourself worthy. "