VENGEANCE IN THE SHADOWS [KIM MINGYU]

{1} The Toast of Victory

Chapter-1

The Toast of Victory

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The dimly lit room buzzed with energy, laughter bouncing off the walls like echoes of victory. Expensive bottles of champagne popped open, their corks flying across the room in celebration.

The air was thick with the scent of success, the men reveling in their spoils, the weight of their power evident in their boisterous cheers.

At the head of the long mahogany table sat Alexander Whitfield, his presence dominating the room like a king who had just seized a throne. His navy suit, tailored to perfection, gleamed under the low, golden light, reflecting the glow of triumph in his eyes.

He leaned back in his leather chair, a slow smirk curling on his lips as he watched his men toast to him.

"A toast!" Alexander's voice cut through the laughter, commanding attention. Instantly, glasses were raised, the room falling into a respectful hush.

His men, loyal and greedy for the riches he promised, stood at attention, their eyes gleaming with admiration and a hint of fear.

"To the fall of a king," Alexander said, his voice oozing with satisfaction. His smirk grew wider as he paused, savoring the words. "And to the rise of another."

The room erupted in cheers, the sound of clinking glasses reverberating as the men echoed their leader's sentiment. Victory was sweet, but for Alexander, this wasn't just any victor it was personal.

He reveled in the destruction of a man who had once seemed untouchable.

As the noise died down, Alexander swirled the champagne in his glass, his eyes dark with memory. He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sweeping the room before landing on the flickering candle in front of him.

"You see, gentlemen," he began, his voice now softer, more dangerous.

"To bring down someone like him, you don't just rely on brute force. You need strategy. You need patience. And above all..." he paused, letting the weight of his words hang in the air, "you need betrayal."

Laughter rippled through the room, a cruel, knowing sound. Every man there understood the rules of the game, the stakes that came with playing it.

They had all played their part in the fall of a man they once feared and they had done so willingly.

"He never saw it coming," Alexander continued, his smirk returning. "All that power, all that influence... yet in the end, he was nothing more than a fool, blinded by trust."

The men cheered again, emboldened by Alexander's confidence. But as their voices rose in celebration, a question cut through the noise one that had been lingering, unspoken, until now.