Chapter 86: The Option and the Chessboard

The prodigal son, William Jr., had disappeared years before, leaving a trail of unfulfilled promises and dashed hopes in his wake. Now, aged and weathered, he stood before them with a menacing sparkle in his eyes. "William?John stumbled, his voice tinged with surprise. "What the heck are you doing here?" William Jr.'s mouth curled into a cynical sneer. "Oh, just paying my respects to the happy couple," he replied, his eyes darting uncomfortably to Marie. "And perhaps offering a little... family business proposition." John's thoughts were racing. "What are you discussing?" "Olivia was only a pawn, John," William Jr. admitted as he took a step closer, his voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. "A diversion. The genuine match is still in progress." He dug into his pocket and withdrew a little, finely carved chess piece, a black knight, which John recognized at once as a pilfered item from his family's personal collection that was said to possess great power. "This," William Jr