Page 49 of A Man of Prestige

“Don’t give your father another thought, Aiden. He wants the power he can’t have.”

“Aiden, I need you to tell me exactly what your father said about that.”

“Aiden, let’s have lunch. You can tell me about the results of your latest trial.”

“You aren’t serious with that woman, are you? You need to focus on your future. Wives can come later.”

“Thyme has chemical compounds that can cause paralysis.”

“You know, my father was a famous botanist. He worked for a dictator.”

“It’s not the king that has all the power, Aiden. It’s the kingmaker. That is who pulls all the puppet strings.”

“Ah…you see. You finally see,” Chuck says with a wink. A fucking wink. My world turns upside down. Was everything a lie? Did he manipulate the entire thing?

“What year did you join the brotherhood?” I ask.

“It’s not what year that matters. It’s why. Choose your questions carefully, my boy.”

“Why did you join?” I entertain his request.

“Because my father was a coward. He made a secret society of TOD brothers that he liked. He was one of the founding TOD brothers. But I’m sure I told you that.”

“You did,” I say.

“He studied chemistry and botany. He had high aspirations. He didn’t want to end up a poor factory worker. He worked hard and then, during the first world war, he made friends with a man whose father ran a country. They invited him to work there, to help them learn about chemicals as weapons. He made friends with men that were smart and got what they wanted but weren’t kings or rulers. He wanted to be those men. He wanted to control men perceived as powerful. But he never accomplished his goal. But I did.”

The words have the air leaving my lungs. It suddenly feels like the world lacks oxygen.

“Oh, Aiden. You touched the bench. It will be a shame when you fall. But it happens. Such a sad ending to such a sweet, little family.”

I look at my hands. Shit. He’s poisoned me. My mind starts to think of what I can do to stop it.

“You can’t stop it, my dear boy. But just think. You were the perfect little kingmaker while you lived. You helped me find the right combination of chemicals. And then, I just had to get Jared and Adam to realize it. It was smart of you to date that doctor. She came of use later for me so we could test some more in secret. Vance got what he wanted, but really, he was just providing me with what I needed. And they were all so easy to control. They all wanted money, power, and prestige. That is in fact what they signed up for, now, wasn’t it? Even your fathers wanted that. They also wanted bad things though. Those poor girls. But then, I had to do it. That’s how I got on Damien’s good side. And Damien controls so much. He has the ins with other leaders. So naturally, I could control so many countries, industries, everything. I could get whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted it.”

I can feel my limbs going numb. I can feel my phone buzzing in my pocket, but my hand doesn’t work right, I can’t pull it out. I can’t make a call. I feel my legs start to buckle.

“I’m the king, you see. And the whole world is my kingdom.”

“You are crazy, old man,” I manage from beneath my clenched jaw that isn’t working properly. My fuzzy mind tries to figure out what he’s given me. What have I absorbed through my skin?

It dawns on me as my body convulses and I fall to the ground, inches from the edge of the cliff. Strychnine…the tree. He has a tree in his greenhouse. Jesus! I’m a dead man walking.

“I think that’s quite subjective, now, don’t you? Oh, don’t worry, you won’t likely die from the poisoning. It was such a small dose. But that fall…you won’t make it.” He peers over the edge and tsks. “A shame. I did so want you to be my protégé. You could have been one of the greats, just like me. But you and your little friends spent too much time trying to figure things out. You saw too much. They’ll have to disappear too. It’s really quite annoying. Now, I have a whole new president to break in, and the younger brothers are not ready for the roles I need them to have. I’ve already had to dispose of the ones who failed to get me what I needed. Of course, they had unfortunate overdose deaths in their dorm rooms. I should have hired professionals for all my needs. You’ve ruined so much of my work. I think killing you and your friends will be the most fulfilling deaths I’ve orchestrated.”

He takes his cane and pushes me. I can barely move, but he manages to get my body to the edge. I try to think of a way to stop him, but he’s beyond the point of rationale.

“You should have remembered your vows. You shouldn’t put yourself first,” he sneers as he takes his cane and presses it to my chest.

I manage to use my arm to knock the cane, and using the only control I have left in the muscles, I twist and push it with the little body strength that I have left. “It’s a good thing I put my brothers first, you selfish prick,” I mutter as I roll slightly to the edge.

“Aiden!” he cries out. I don’t see him lose his balance from the angle I lie on the ground, but I feel the cane give, and then I see him roll over the side of the cliff. He grabs for me, but my arm can’t move enough to get him. I close my eyes, unable to watch the man I viewed as a second father falls to his death, unable to look into the eyes of the man who has likely signed my death warrant.

I can feel the tears fall from my eyes. I need to wash my hands. Anyone who touches me or that side of the bench could die.

“Aiden!” I hear Conner yelling and then I see him, Sebastian, Alexis, Vivienne, and Ella.

“Stop!” I manage to say as they approach. I look to Ella. “He put strychnine on the bench. It’s on my hands. He said the dose was minimal, but…” I trail off because even a small amount can kill a person.

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