He wasn’t exaggerating. There was pain in his voice, pain I hadn’t expected.
“Then,” he continued, “he strikes Driftwake, the source of our mineral wealth, the engine of Steel Corp, and the foundation of our power. You think he did that just to rattle our supply chain? No. He wanted it for himself. He’s building something.”
We were all quiet now, listening intently.
“This man isn’t fighting out of vengeance alone,” Vander said. “He’s working toward enrichment. He wants to be seen as a liberator. All he has to do is convince people I gained my wealth through theft, by force. If he claims I stole from him or from Natasha, how many will stand with him just to tear us down?”
His voice cracked slightly. “They already think we have too much.”
It was hard not to be moved. Despite everything,
