"Step away from them, Richard," Joshua commanded, his voice hard as steel.
Richard's eyes narrowed. "Joshua. I should have known you'd betray me."
Joshua's jaw tightened. "I'm not the one who betrayed anyone. You did that the moment you became a monster."
The tension in the room reached a fever pitch as the two men faced off, each knowing that this confrontation would determine all of their fates.
"What's your plan, Joshua?" Richard sneered. "You think you can take me down? I built this empire. I have connections, power you can't even begin to imagine."
"I'm not alone," Joshua replied, his voice filled with conviction. "And we have everything we need to expose you. It's over, Richard."
Richard's expression hardened, and for a split second, Claire feared he might order his men to shoot. But then, to her astonishment, Richard slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.