Two

Chapter Two

The Man Who Knew My Father

“Please, don’t take me!” I begged, pressing my back against the door. “You can’t take me with you. Please!”

King Asherstopped in front of me, his towering figure casting a shadow over my trembling body. His cold eyes moved from my tear-streaked face to the locked door behind me.

“Why can’t I?”

I stared at him, unable to believe he had asked me such a question.

“Because I haven’t done anything wrong!” I cried. “I never agreed to this arrangement. I don’t care what my husband promised you, but you cannot force me to leave with you!”

“My men will not harm you,” he replied calmly.

“But I don’t want to go with you!”

His expression remained unchanged.

“Your husband has already accepted my terms. The agreement is settled.”

My heart sank.

“Then take me back to my husband!” I demanded desperately. “Tell him to return whatever he received from you. I don’t want your food or your protection. I don’t want anything from you!”

Asherstared at me for a moment before turning to one of his soldiers.

“Take her to the vehicle.”

The soldier immediately stepped forward.

I moved away from him. “Don’t touch me!”

He reached for my arm, but before his fingers could make contact, Asherspoke.

“That’s enough.”

His cold voice stopped the soldier in his tracks. The man immediately withdrew his hand and stepped back.

Asherturned his attention to me.

“You will get into the vehicle yourself, or you will remain here when the infected arrive. The choice is yours.”

I looked toward the street.

People were running in every direction, their screams filling the air. Smoke rose from nearby buildings, and the sounds of crashing vehicles echoed through the neighborhood. In the distance, several infected people were chasing a group of terrified civilians.

One man stumbled, and the creatures immediately descended upon him.

I quickly looked away, my stomach twisting.

I had nowhere to go.

My husband had locked me outside our home, abandoning me to die while keeping our son for himself. I couldn’t return to my family because I had no one else to turn to.

And the man standing before me, the very man I had spent years fearing, was now my only chance of surviving the night.

I hated him for putting me in this position.

But I hated Kael even more for making it possible.

I wasn’t ready to die.

Not when my son was still alive.

With tears running down my face, I reached for the vehicle’s door and climbed inside.

Asherfollowed me, settling into the seat opposite mine. The door closed, and the driver immediately started the engine.

As we drove away, I turned to look through the window.

The neighborhood I had called home was descending into chaos. People were fighting over supplies, vehicles were abandoned in the streets, and the screams of those being attacked followed us until the distance swallowed them.

I pressed my hands together, desperately trying to stop them from shaking.

My son was still with Kael.

I didn’t know whether my husband would protect him or whether he would eventually abandon him, too.

The thought made my chest ache.

I turned toward Asher, hoping he might offer some reassurance, but he was looking out the opposite window, his expression unreadable.

“Please,” I whispered. “I need to know if my son will be safe.”

He glanced at me.

“You will be safe at my residence.”

“That isn’t what I asked.”

His eyes settled on mine.

“I heard you.”

“Then answer me!”

My voice cracked, but I didn’t care.

“Will you help me get my son back?”

Asherstudied me for a moment.

“We will discuss it when we arrive.”

I let out a bitter laugh and turned away.

Of course.

Another man making decisions about my life without asking what I wanted.

The journey to King Asher’s residence took almost an hour.

By the time we arrived, the sky had darkened, and the streets had become even more dangerous. We passed overturned vehicles, burning buildings, and abandoned stalls. Occasionally, we saw people desperately trying to escape the infected, but the king’s convoy never stopped.

His soldiers had one priority: getting us safely to our destination.

When the massive iron gates finally came into view, I understood why people said King Asherwas one of the most powerful men in the country.

His residence looked more like a fortress than a home.

Tall concrete walls surrounded the entire property, reinforced gates guarded the entrance, and armed soldiers stood at regular intervals along the perimeter. Surveillance cameras were mounted on the walls, while several military vehicles were parked inside the vast courtyard.

Unlike the streets we had passed, this place seemed prepared for the disaster outside.

Soldiers unloaded crates of supplies while other men checked their weapons. Several people hurried between the buildings, carrying food, water, medical equipment, and boxes of ammunition.

The gates closed behind our vehicle with a heavy metallic clang.

For the first time since the apocalypse began, I felt a small measure of relief.

At least I wouldn’t die tonight.

But that relief lasted only a moment.

My son wasn’t here.

And until I saw him again, I wouldn’t be able to rest.

Asherstepped out of the vehicle without looking at me.

“Your Majesty,” one of the maids greeted him as she approached.

“Take her to a room,” he ordered.

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

I climbed out of the vehicle and followed the woman into the residence.

The interior was just as impressive as the exterior. The floors gleamed beneath the bright lights, expensive paintings decorated the walls, and the furniture looked as though it had never been used.

Everything was perfectly arranged, almost as if the world outside wasn’t falling apart.

“My name is Martha,” the maid introduced herself as we walked down a corridor. “You can call me if you need anything.”

I said nothing.

What could I possibly need from her?

My son was miles away, trapped with a man who had willingly sacrificed his wife to save himself.

No amount of luxury could make me forget that.

Martha eventually stopped in front of a bedroom and opened the door.

“This will be your room.”

I stepped inside.

A large bed stood in the middle of the spacious room, and a private bathroom was accessible through another door. Clean clothes had been arranged neatly inside the wardrobe, while a small table beside the bed held a tray of food and a bottle of water.

Under different circumstances, I might have admired the room.

But all I could think about was my son.

I turned to Martha before she could leave.

“Please, can you help me contact my husband?”

Her expression changed slightly.

“I need to know if my son is safe,” I explained quickly. “I need to speak to him, even if it’s only for a minute. Please.”

“I’m sorry,” she said hesitantly. “I cannot do that without His Majesty’s permission.”

I stared at her.

“Why? Is my husband not allowed to receive calls?”

Martha lowered her gaze.

“I don’t know the details of your arrangement, but His Majesty’s orders must be followed.”

I wanted to scream.

Of course.

I was no longer a wife or a woman with a family. I was a possession that had been traded between two men, and neither of them seemed to care about my wishes.

“Please, just tell him I need to speak to my son.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” she replied, though her uncertain expression told me not to expect much.

After she left, I sat on the edge of the bed and finally allowed myself to cry.

I cried for my son.

I cried for the home I had lost.

And I cried for the husband I had loved so deeply that I had never imagined he would be capable of betraying me.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when someone knocked on the door.

I quickly wiped my cheeks.

“Come in.”

A maid entered and bowed her head slightly.

“His Majesty wants to see you.”

My heart began to race.

Why did he want to see me?

I had heard the rumors about King Asherlong before meeting him. Women entered his residence, but many never returned. People said he was ruthless, that he took whatever he wanted, and that no one dared to question his decisions.

Now that I was under his roof, I feared I was about to discover why.

I rose from the bed and followed the maid.

We walked through several corridors before stopping in front of a set of double doors.

“His Majesty is inside,” she informed me.

I nodded stiffly.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open.

Asherwas sitting behind a large desk, reading some documents. He didn’t look up when I entered.

I stood silently near the door, waiting for him to acknowledge me.

He continued reading.

The silence made me increasingly nervous.

I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, wondering why he had summoned me if he had no intention of speaking.

Finally, unable to bear the uncertainty any longer, I decided to get it over with.

If he intended to demand something from me in exchange for his protection, I would rather know immediately.

My hands trembled as I reached for the neckline of my gown.

I slowly pulled the fabric from my shoulders.

Asherraised his head.

His eyebrows drew together as he watched me.

I swallowed hard and reached behind my back to unfasten my bra.

“Stop it!”

His cold voice made me freeze.

I quickly held my bra in place, staring at him in confusion.

“W-what?”

“Put your clothes back on.”

I blinked at him.

“Isn’t this what you want, Your Majesty?” I asked, my voice shaking.

His expression darkened.

“What gave you that idea?”

I lowered my eyes, humiliation burning my cheeks.

“Didn’t my husband promise that I would satisfy you? Isn’t that why you agreed to take me?”

Asherslowly rose from his chair.

“No.”

I stared at him, unable to understand.

“No?” I repeated.

He looked at me as though I had said something ridiculous.

“This isn’t the Aria I know.”

My heart skipped a beat.

“The Aria you know?”

I quickly pulled my gown back over my shoulders and fastened it with trembling fingers.

“Do you know me from somewhere?”

“Yes.”

He walked around his desk and stopped a few feet away from me.

“You are Aria, the daughter of Richard.”

The room seemed to spin around me.

I stared at him in disbelief.

Nobody in this residence had mentioned my father’s name. In fact, I rarely spoke about him because he had died when I was young.

“How do you know my father?” I whispered.

Asher’s expression changed slightly.

“Years ago, I worked for him. Your father trusted me more than most people. Before he died, he entrusted you to my care.”

I shook my head.

“No. That’s impossible.”

“It’s the truth.”

“My father never told me about you.”

“He didn’t have the chance.”

Asherpaused, his gaze briefly drifting toward the window.

“I had to leave on a mission shortly before his death. I promised him I would return, but by the time I came back, I learned that he was dead. I searched for you, Aria, but I couldn’t find you, no matter how hard I tried.”

He looked back at me.

“By the time I finally discovered where you were, you were already married.”

My eyes filled with tears.

“So you left me?”

He said nothing.

“You promised my father you would protect me, yet you left me alone!” My voice rose as the pain I had carried for years spilled out. “Do you know what I’ve been through? Do you know how difficult my life has been?”

“Aria—”

“No!” I interrupted him. “You don’t get to say my name as if you have the right to comfort me! You knew my father, and you knew he trusted you with me. Yet you stayed away all these years!”

For the first time, I saw something resembling pain cross his face.

It disappeared almost immediately.

“I am sorry.”

I laughed bitterly.

“Sorry? You bought me from my husband instead of simply helping me! You frightened me so badly that I thought you intended to use me like all those other women!”

“I never intended to sleep with you.”

“Then why did you make me come here?”

“Because I needed to bring you somewhere safe.”

I stared at him.

“You could have told me that!”

“Would you have believed me if I had approached you and told you that your husband was not the man you thought he was?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Ashercontinued.

“Your father was a good man, Aria. He was respected by many people, and he knew how to recognize the character of those around him. If I had simply walked up to you and told you that your husband would betray you, you would have defended Kael. You would have believed the man you married instead of a stranger.”

I looked away.

I hated that part of his words made sense.

I had loved Kael. Even if a stranger had warned me about him, I probably would have defended my husband.

But that didn’t excuse what Asherhad done.

“You still didn’t have to let him sell me to you.”

“No,” Asheradmitted. “I didn’t.”

His unexpected agreement made me look at him again.

He continued, “Your husband approached me and offered you in exchange for the things he wanted. I had been trying to find a way to get you somewhere safe for a long time, but I never imagined he would make it so easy.”

I felt sick.

“So you accepted?”

“I did.”

“And you didn’t think to ask me what I wanted?”

His jaw tightened.

“I thought that getting you out of his hands was more important than allowing him to keep you there.”

I stared at him, my emotions warring inside me.

Part of me wanted to slap him. Another part wanted to demand answers to all the questions I had carried since childhood.

Why hadn’t he found me sooner?

Why hadn’t he protected me?

And if my father had trusted him so much, why had I never heard his name?

But there was one thing I couldn’t ignore.

Kael had willingly handed me over to another man without even asking for my opinion.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream.

Yet I couldn’t afford to break down now.

My son was still out there, and I had no idea what would happen to him if the infected reached our house.

I pressed my trembling lips together and wiped my tears.

“I need to take my son away from Kael,” I said firmly. “I need to bring him somewhere safe.”

Asher’s expression hardened.

“He refused to let you take your own child?”

“He didn’t let me.”

My voice broke.

“He pushed me outside and locked the door. I begged him to let me in, but he wouldn’t listen. My son was crying for me, and Kael still refused to open the door.”

For a moment, Ashersaid nothing.

Then his eyes narrowed.

“Aria, what happened to your power?”

I slowly raised my head.

“My what?”

“Your power. You possessed it years ago. Surely you remember.”

I stared at him, completely confused.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His gaze sharpened.

“You mean to tell me you’ve forgotten?”

“I don’t even know what power you’re talking about!”

Asherstudied me for a long moment before releasing a quiet breath.

“We will discuss it later.”

I frowned, but before I could question him further, he turned toward the door.

“Call my personal guards.”

A soldier appeared almost immediately.

“Your Majesty?”

“Take a team to Aria’s former residence. Bring her son here safely. No one is to harm the child.”

Relief swept through me so quickly that my knees nearly gave way.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

Asherglanced at me.

“Is there anything else?”

“I’ll go with them.”

His expression turned serious.

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

“Yes, I can,” I replied firmly. “I need to see my son with my own eyes. I won’t sit here waiting while he’s out there.”

Asherstudied my face for a moment before nodding.

“Very well. Go with them.”

I followed the soldiers outside and climbed into the waiting vehicle. My heart pounded as I fastened my seat belt, my thoughts already racing ahead to the moment I would finally hold my son in my arms again.

The driver started the engine.

As we passed through the massive gates, I stared out of the window, praying that we would reach my son in time.

I had already lost my home.

I had discovered that the man I loved was capable of abandoning me.

And now I had learned that my father had left a powerful stranger responsible for my protection, a man who claimed I possessed a power I couldn’t even remember.

I didn’t understand what was happening to my life.

But one thing was certain.

I would do whatever it took to bring my son back.

Even if I had to face the apocalypse itself.