CHAPTER 34

"Words, Vera,” Kael said, his cold eyes drilling into mine.

I—I’m sorry, Kael, I whispered, voice trembling. “I thought—”

Thought? His hand shot out, gripping my neck before I could finish. My knees nearly buckled. You thought you could leave? When I told you not to? When you know exactly who’s after you?

“Kael… please… ahh… I can’t… breathe…” My hands went up, trying to push him, but his grip was iron.

“Kael…” Livia gasped from beside the car, her hand halfway forward, unsure whether to intervene. “Vera—”

I struggled, panicking, my chest tightening. “Kael… please…”

He pressed me back, shoulder slamming me against the side of the car. My back hit the cold metal, and I couldn’t even take a full breath. His eyes burned. No hesitation. Pure dominance.

How dare you disobey me, he growled, voice low and authoritative, after everything I warned you about? His hand didn’t loosen an inch.

“I… I—” I choked, coughing out words I couldn’t even form. My vision blurred slightly, the world narrowing to his face, his eyes.

I tried to push back, slap at him, fight, but he was impossibly strong. My hands barely grazed his chest before he shoved me again, forcing me to stagger. My body pressed against him, and even then, he barely moved an inch.

“Kael… please… ahh… I—” I gasped, feeling my strength slip.

Shut up" he said sharply. His other hand lifted slightly to steady me.

I tried to step back, my legs wobbling, but before I could, my knees gave out. Everything went black. My body collapsed against him.

He caught me immediately, holding me effortlessly. His eyes didn’t show surprise. That was exactly what he intended.

“Unbelievable,” he muttered under his breath. Then, without any delay, he turned and carried me toward the house.

Livia’s eyes were wide, jaw dropping. She had never seen him like this. She had thought he liked me… but this? Handling me like a threat, like I was nothing? The shock in her gaze made him smirk, just a little.

Every step toward the house felt heavy in the morning light. The guards froze, unsure whether to move, their hands twitching near their holsters. Livia’s lips parted slightly, but she stayed where she was, watching, frozen. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t breathe properly. I could just feel his weight and his control, and it made my stomach twist.

Up the stairs, Kael didn’t break stride. He bumped into Lucian near the landing.

“Finally catching up on house chores?” Lucian teased lightly, a smirk dancing on his lips, but his voice held no real bite.

“Shut up,” Kael muttered, not looking at him, keeping his eyes forward.

Lucian grinned anyway, watching him carry me like I weighed nothing. “She still kicking?”

“She’s fainted,” Kael replied, his tone sharp, impatient.

“Ah, that’s new,” Lucian said, laughing softly. “You usually don’t go full… mafia mode on a lady.”

Kael didn’t answer. He just kept walking, taking me straight to my room.

Inside, he set me gently but firmly on the bed. My head lolled to the side, hair tangled, clothes slightly messy.

“Stay,” he said, voice commanding. “Do not move. Not until I say so. Understand?”

I tried to nod, but my lips barely moved. My body shook slightly, heart racing faster than it should have.

“I said understand!” His hand tapped the bed next to me, sharp.

“Yes… Kael,” I whispered faintly, still catching my breath.

He stared for a long moment, his eyes scanning every inch of me, making sure I was alive, compliant, no more disobedience. The intensity of his stare made my skin prickle. His gaze wasn’t just anger. It was a warning. A promise. A reminder that nothing in this house moved without his control.

Then he turned, leaving the room.

Livia hovered by the door, silent, shocked, her arms crossed.

“Vera… I—”

“I’m very sorry…” she whispered, weakly, too shocked to speak.

“Am Very Sorry, she echoed softly, finally understanding the truth.

Down the stairs, Kael’s voice sounded, sharp and cutting through the yard. “Get inside your room Livia! he barked, the kind of voice that demanded obedience from everyone in the yard. “And don’t come out until I ask of you.”

The words hit like a gunshot. Livia froze, her mouth slightly open. The guards flinched. Even in his usual calm, commanding tone, Kael had an edge that left no room for argument. The kind of authority that made you obey immediately, or regret it.

I sank back against the pillows, still shaky, heart racing, replaying every moment outside. The fear wasn’t just about him. It was about the consequences, the power, the control he wielded. And yet, in a strange way, it made everything feel… real.

Outside the room, the hallway was quiet. The only sound was the distant tick of a clock and Kael’s measured steps on the wooden floor. Guards on duty gave him space instinctively, tense, alert, almost as if the slightest misstep could set him off.

He entered the parlour. Aaron was there, pacing slightly, phone in hand. He looked up when Kael’s presence filled the room. The air shifted immediately. Kael didn’t need to raise his voice. His mere presence demanded attention, commanded focus.

“Kael,” Aaron said cautiously. “I found something… about the organization that took Vera.”

Kael’s gaze snapped to him, dangerous, dark. “What?”

“U… um… you might want to sit down for this,” Aaron stammered, the phone shaking slightly in his hand.

Kael’s jaw tightened. “Aaron Talk… what is the problem?” His tone was low, sharp, deliberate, leaving no room for hesitation.

Aaron swallowed, looking at Lucian, unsure how to start. His mind raced. One wrong word, one misstep, and Kael could explode.

“Em… Kael… I found out that the people that took Vera… are also the same people that took you twelve years ago.”

Silence filled everywhere.

Kael looked like he’d seen a ghost. Every muscle in his body froze for a moment. The glass Lucian had been holding slipped from his hand, shattering against the floor.

“What did you just say?” Kael asked, his voice low, deadly, like a storm about to break.

“I… I’m sorry, what!!!” Lucian shouted, all at the same time, disbelief making his words sharp.

The room was quiet after that. Every breath felt heavy. Aaron’s hand trembled slightly as he lowered his phone. Kael’s eyes darted between the two of them, trying to process. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Every second stretched. The silence screamed. Nobody dared move, not even the guards at the door. Outside Vera’s room, faint echoes of the earlier chaos still lingered, but inside, all that remained was the looming threat of Kael’s wrath mixed with disbelief.

Kael’s lips pressed into a thin line, jaw tight. His eyes, dark and unreadable, scanned Aaron and Lucian like he was measuring if they were lying. The past twelve years, the danger, the betrayal… it all flashed through his mind.

Outside, the guards shifted slightly, sensing the tension but unsure what to do. Inside, Lucian’s smirk faded. Aaron’s nervous pacing slowed. Kael’s control over the room was total.

Finally, after a long, heavy pause, Kael’s hand flexed, jaw tight. No words. No outburst. Just cold, lethal authority hanging in the room like a dark cloud.

I.....I don't understand, Dad killed everyone involved, how!!!How is that possible? Lucian Asked.