Chapter 39

Barton paced his dimly lit study, the weight of his secrets pressing down on him. He had always prided himself on his cunning, but tonight, that very cunning felt like a noose tightening around his neck. The phone rang, shattering the silence and pulling him from his troubled thoughts.

“John,” Barton greeted, attempting to mask the tension in his voice.

“Cut the pleasantries, Barton,” John's voice crackled through the speaker, laced with barely concealed anger. “We need to talk.”

“About what?” Barton asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know damn well what,” John snapped.

“I should be the one yelling at you,” Barton snapped back. “The mining operation. You've been sending your employees into the coal mines that now belong to the King of Kenner.”

“I have my share too,” John replied, his voice carrying a mischievous tone.

Barton felt a chill run down his spine. “I sold those mines to the King. You're the one who's overstepping,” he retorted, trying to sound authoritative.

John's laugh was co