“You said they were wealthy,” I whispered. “Not… whatever this is.”
“They are wealthy,” he said. “But that’s not where their real power comes from.”
I stared at him, my mind racing.
“What are you saying, Karl?”
He hesitated again, like each word came with a cost.
“My family isn’t just involved in business,” he said. “They control things. People. Systems. And when someone tries to leave… they don’t let them.”
A chill spread through my chest.
“And you tried to leave,” I said.
“I did more than that,” he admitted. “I took something from them. Something they can’t afford to lose.”
“What?” I asked.
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