Chapter 10

KAVEH

The engine hummed steadily beneath us as I gripped the steering wheel tighter because even though she had easily agreed, a part of me was still wound and restless.

Astrid sat in the passenger seat in a dress that was twice her size, the only thing I could get on short notice.

I made a mental note to stock her wardrobe and filed the thought away. Right now, all my attention was on her.

Her body was rigid, gaze fixed on the passing city lights as evening fell. I could see the way she fought back tears—jaw clenched, eyes glistening but refusing to spill.

She looked fragile, like a single wrong word could shatter her completely. Guilt gnawed at my insides, sharp and unrelenting, but I swallowed it down. Apologizing again would be weak.

A man in my position didn’t grovel. I had given her my word, taken her to that cursed street, and watched her unravel. That mistake would not be repeated again and it couldn’t be absolved with useless words.

The rest of the ride passed in heavy silence. I didn’t think she wanted the radio on and engaging in pointless conversation seemed well…pointless.

All we had was the weight of what had happened yesterday hanging between us like smoke. When the mansion gates finally opened, I pulled the car to a smooth stop in the driveway.

“Rest in your room,” I told her, my voice low and commanding. It wasn’t a suggestion.

Astrid nodded without looking at me, slipping out of the car like mist. I watched her disappear through the grand doors before I turned away. There was no time for sentiment.

I moved quietly through the halls, my footsteps measured, until I reached the old man’s study.

The door was shut. I pushed it open without knocking.

Father sat behind his massive oak desk, the room thick with the pungent scent of his cigar burning between his fingers. The smoke curled lazily toward the ceiling like a serpent.

The dim lamp cast harsh shadows across his face, highlighting the deep lines of age and power. He didn’t look surprised to see me.

But then again, nothing surprised Elias Zarvan.

I closed the door behind me with a firm click. “Do you want to die earlier than necessary with this addiction of yours?” My tone was stern, laced with the authority of the firstborn who had carried this family’s weight for years. “That poison will claim you before your time.”

The old man took a slow drag, his eyes meeting mine with calculated calm. “It would be for the best,” he replied, voice gravelly and unyielding. “Then someone competent can finally take over the empire without all this endless circling.”

I grunted, the sound rumbling deep in my chest. I knew the bait. Succession arguments had defined our relationship for decades—him testing me, me refusing to play the eager puppet.

But I wasn’t here for that fight tonight. I crossed the room and stood before his desk, arms folded across my chest.

“How did you know?” I demanded, voice steady but intense. “How did you know Astrid was your daughter in such a short time? We pulled a bleeding woman off the street and the next thing you’re declaring her as your daughter in front of everyone.”

Father raised a single brow, the cigar pausing midway to his lips. “The blood test,” he said simply, as if it explained the universe.

I leaned forward, palms flat on the desk. “A test doesn’t explain anything. Where were you for most of her life? The woman looks at us like we’re strangers trying to cage her and I don’t blame her.”

He set the cigar down in the ashtray. “I’ve always known I had a child, but her mother took off and hid her from me. Probably married another man and raised her together. But it doesn’t matter now, as it’s my blood in her veins. So she’s mine. Therefore, she’s ours.”

I straightened, letting the words settle in the silence. I didn’t put it past Father to have a child outside, he loved women. I’d always thought something like this would happen that we were only placeholders for when he got a child of his own blood.

The implications of what this meant pressed against my skull.

Slowly, I settled into the leather chair opposite him, keeping my face flat. I had learned long ago to mask my emotions well.

The way he watched me closely, his sharp eyes missing nothing, made me realize I could never fully mask around him, and he knew where my mind headed.

“Why do you care so much about this situation, son?” he asked, a hint of challenge in his tone. “Are you scared of losing your place as the heir? Does the sudden appearance of my daughter threaten the empire I’ve given you and your brothers because you boys are adopted?”

I fought the urge to glare at him, keeping my expression stone-cold. “That’s not—”

“You can relax, Kaveh. You boys, are my sons. I love you all deeply and nothing will change that.”

His assurance felt good to hear but that wasn’t why I was worried. “Father, I doubt you fully understand the hell you’ve created by dropping this on her without preparation. This isn’t some simple family reunion. We’re a powerful family, she’s missing years from her memory. It’s destruction if not handled correctly.”

Father’s lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. “The destruction you’ve already started, Kaveh? You know I didn’t agree to you taking her back there.”

“She wanted clarity and I gave it to her.”

The smile vanished from his face instantly. His expression turned to cold steel. “Do not play games with me, boy. You have to make sure Astrid is protected at all costs. She must never relapse because of your childish impulses. Her memories will come back and she will understand her place is here with us, but till then, control your actions, or I will control them for you. Dismissed.”

The word landed with finality that left no question. I stood without another word, my jaw tight, and left the study.

***

Outside in the shadowed side entrance that led to the garden, Arman leaned against the wall, a cigarette glowing between his fingers. Smoke trailed from his lips as he stared into the night.

I sighed internally. He was the last person I wanted to deal with in my agitated state. I just wanted the quiet garden so I could think.

I squared my shoulders and tried to walk past him, but his voice stopped me.

“Running from Father?” Arman sneered. “Or are you just eager to go play hero to the new sister you nearly killed today? Always the responsible one, yet you fuck up the one thing that matters.”

Something inside me snapped. The guilt, Father’s warning, the image of Astrid’s tear-filled eyes in the car—it all ignited. In one swift motion, I grabbed him by the shirt, yanking him forward until his face was inches from mine.

“Watch your mouth,” I growled, voice low and dangerous. “I made the call so I live with the consequences. I don’t need you speaking to me like that. Know your fucking place, brother or I will put you there. Do you understand?”

Arman’s eyes widened for a split second before defiance flared back. The corner of his mouth tilted with barely restrained rage.

“Get your fucking hands off me.”

The air between us crackled like live wire. I held him a moment longer before releasing him with a slight shove.

He straightened his shirt, breathing hard. “This isn’t over, Kaveh.”

I didn’t reply. I turned and walked away, my mind already shifting back to Astrid. Her presence was messing with my head more than I cared to admit. Why did her pain feel like a personal failure? Why did protecting her feel like the most important duty I had faced in years?

As the firstborn, I had built walls of steel around my responsibilities. But this woman had threatened to topple them without even trying.

I paused on the path, glancing up toward where her room was located. The lights were off. The mansion had settled into quiet around me, but the storm inside my chest raged on. Family. Blood. Duty. They were chains as much as they were armor and I knew I wouldn’t fail Astrid again.