The heavy, suffocating silence that followed Grandfather Frost's revelation seemed to press down on Sebastian like a physical weight.
For the first time in his pampered life, the gears of his mind began to turn with a sense of genuine, cold dread.
He finally understood the source of the patriarch's explosive rage. He had no idea that the man standing behind the university lectern was a figure of such international standing and terrifying power.
If he had possessed even a fraction of that knowledge, he wouldn't have dared to look Michael Vane in the eye, let alone threaten his livelihood in front of a room full of witnesses.
Even if he had been given a hundred times his usual courage, he never would have crossed that line.
Deep down, a rare flicker of remorse began to take root in Sebastian's heart, but it was quickly overshadowed by his habit of shifting blame.
