Later that day...
In her chambers, Lady Audrey stood before a tall mirror as she dressed, gently letting her gown fall over her well-sculpted body.
She adjusted different parts of her clothes moving unhurriedly and with such care.
Then a knock ca at the door.
"Enter," she said, in a calm voice.
Her personal servant stepped in. "My lady... there is news."
Audrey didn’t turn imdiately. She continued adjusting the sleeve of her gown, still gazing at her reflection.
"What is it?"
"It’s Edgar, my lady," the servant said carefully. "He was arrested by enforcers. On the charge of murder; specifically, the murder of Isaac Hargreeves."
There was a brief pause.
Audrey hand movents stopped for just a mont, then resud its motion as though nothing had been said.
"There is also a video circulating online," the servant continued. "It is being used as the basis for the arrest."
Audrey’s expression barely changed. She reached for a bracelet and slipped it onto her wrist.
"Hmm," she murmured. "Am I not too old to be concerned with the affairs of my grandchildren?"
Her servant said nothing at first. But after a short mont, she spoke again. "There is also an official statent from the King, my lady. Would you like to hear it?"
Audrey gave a nod, finally turning away from the mirror to face her servant. "that might be of so interest. Let hear what he has to say."
The servant pulled out her arcphone and tapped the screen a few tis before. The statent was a written one and she began reading it out;
"Citizens of Gritnia, it is with great solemnity that I address you today. Recent evidence has co to light regarding multiple assassinations that have taken place within our nation over the past several years. Among those whose lives were taken was Isaac Hargreeves, one of our nation’s most brilliant minds. This evidence has prompted imdiate action from our enforcent agencies. I want to assure the people of Gritnia that justice will be pursued without hesitation, regardless of status, wealth, or family na. The n implicated in these cris will be held accountable. We owe it to them, and to all those whose lives were taken unjustly, to see this through. I have instructed Chief Enforcer Roland to arrest all those individuals nad in the evidence. No one is above the law."
Audrey let out an amused laughter. "And what, exactly, has Carson got to gain from this?"
She sighed and shook her head, with a smile still playing on her lips. Then, as though recalling sothing, Audrey turned slightly.
"Who was my grandson in court against a few days ago?"
"Stark Industries, my lady," the servant replied.
Audrey’s gaze sharpened faintly, her smile growing just a touch wider. "Ah... yes."
She rembered now. Alistair had ntioned it the last ti he was here; sothing about a eting between the King and Stark.
"I see." Her smile returned once again.
—
The video currently in circulation had not been about Edgar alone, and for good reason
If the recording had pointed solely at Edgar Desdemona, it would have raised suspicion. It would have felt targeted, and too convenient.
And therefore, much easier to dismiss as magically fabricated.
So instead, the hitman, Joe Sanderberg, had been made to na a few others he could rember.
Enough to make it real.
Politicians and Businessn who had eliminated rivals. Cri lords who had ordered hits on witnesses.
The nas Joe ntioned were mostly the worst of the worst; those who had killed people with no apparent justifiable cause, whose cris were already whispered about in the shadows but never proven.
By spreading the net wider, the video gained legitimacy. It beca less about Edgar and more about a systemic problem. A revelation of corruption at the highest levels.
And there was another detail, which is that the video was "incomplete"
It was made to appear this way, deliberately.
The way it ended made it seem as though Joe had been about to ntion even more nas before the recording was abruptly cut off.
The final monts showed him opening his mouth to speak again, his expression suggesting he had more to say, before the screen went black.
That alone ignited even more speculation. Questions flooded the networks.
Where was the rest of the video?
How many more nas were there?
Who else was involved?
Was soone trying to suppress it?
What began as a revelation quickly turned into a storm and n began to panic.
So began trying to trace the origin of the video in an attempt to suppress it before more could surface. Others began pointing fingers, claiming they had always suspected certain individuals, using the chaos to settle old scores.
And as for why Ethan needed the King on this...
It was mostly because he sought protection for Chief Enforcer Roland.
Roland had been involved, yes. But not by choice. He had been blackmailed and forced to hand over the catalyst that allowed Edgar to summon Isaac in the first place.
If the case escalated without protection, Roland would be caught in it, dragged down alongside n like Edgar and painted with the sa brush.
That was not sothing Ethan intended to allow.
And to this, the King had agreed.
Carson had his own reasons, of course. The opportunity to weaken the Desdemonas was too valuable to pass up. But the result was the sa: Roland would be shielded from prosecution.
And then ca the final piece.
Isaac Hargreaves.
While he had lived, Isaac was not just a man. He was an institution. The most sought-after mind in all of Gritnia.
Companies competed for his ti. Entire industries leaned on his insight. He consulted, advised, designed—sotis for multiple firms at once. His presence alone could determine whether an idea succeeded or failed.
And when he died...
The gap he left behind was severe.
So companies collapsed outright, unable to sustain themselves without his guidance. Others stagnated, with their projects grinding to a halt as they realized no one else could replicate what he had done.
Plans were abandoned and certain sectors of the economy felt the ripple effects.
It wasn’t just Lucy who had lost a father.
Gritnia had lost one of the most important figures of its era.
So when the truth spread; that Edgar Desdemona had ordered his death, and that he had gone even further, coveting Isaac even in death, seeking to claim him for himself as a summon..
The reaction was explosive.
Outrage unlike anything the country had seen in years swept through every corner of society. The online space was ablaze with fury. News outlets ran continuous coverage. Protests broke out in the streets of Grayfort, demanding justice not just for Isaac, but for every na on Joe’s list.
The Desdemona na began to fracture within hours.
Corporations moved quickly, distancing themselves from the family. Board mberships were revoked, Contracts began dissolving and Investors pulled their funding.
Even smaller businesses that had once proudly displayed the Desdemona na on their doors began removing the signage.
No one wanted to be tied to them. Not with the weight of public anger pressing down on them.
And just like Ethan had wanted, this had gone from winning a case to dismantling a na.
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