Chapter 48 - A Taste of Devotion, A Vow Under Moonlight

The afternoon sun bathed my office in golden light as Roman sat across from me, his fingers nervously drumming against his knee.

"So you're saying..." he began cautiously, "the distributorship will remain exclusively mine? Even after this meeting with the Hawthornes and Prescott's group?"

I nodded, taking a sip of tea. "Your performance has been exemplary, Roman. I have no reason to change our arrangement."

Relief washed over his face. The poor man had been fidgeting since he arrived, clearly terrified that I'd been using him as bait for bigger fish. In truth, the thought had crossed my mind—but loyalty deserved reward in this cutthroat world.

"The meeting is merely to establish boundaries," I explained. "Let them understand that the Soul Nourishment Pill exists and will continue to exist in the market, regardless of their interference."

"And Sebastian Hawthorne?" Roman's voice dropped to a whisper, as though the name itself might summon the man.