Happened years ago...

Arthur stared at the woman as she walked away from their premises, his gaze lingering as if tracing the echoes of a past he couldn't escape.

Watching her disappear into the distance, he was pulled back to the moment years ago—the very moment that had set everything into motion, the reason he had become the bank that funded her ambitions.

But that was only until she had served her purpose.

For now, she needed to believe she was invaluable, that she was a crucial piece in his game.

And when the time came—when she was no longer of use—he had no qualms about erasing her from the equation entirely.

Arthur's gaze shifted, settling on the cold, unyielding tombstone before him.

The name carved into the stone was one he once spoke with familiarity, now nothing more than a remnant of a past lesson learned.

He lifted the cigarette to his lips once more, inhaling deeply before releasing a slow, deliberate breath of smoke into the crisp air.