By evening, the Hayes mansion was oppressive beneath Soren's newfound fury. He swaggered through the hallways, his broad shoulders squared in a custom-tailored suit, his purposeful gait ringing out against the marble floors. Staff avoided him as quietly as they could manage, but he never wavered, gliding with deadly grace. Valentina hung at the top of the grand staircase, heart racing, knowing he had called for her. There had been gentler days when he pursued her with flowers and hushed promises, but those memories were swept away by his present rage.
He discovered her beside a gilt mirror, hands shaking as she raised a delicate tea cup. "We need to talk," he said softly, though the barely veiled threat in his tone could not be missed. She put the cup down and steeled herself. Silver-flecked hair grazed his temple as he leaned in. "I see you've been meddling," Soren murmured, his gaze darting to the folder in her hands. He'd gotten wind of the fact that she had incriminating evidence: hidden accounts and documents tying him to siphon funds. She swallowed, her brain cataloguing all the ways she might not be in his hold tonight.
"I'm protecting my son," she repeated, voice quavering. Soren's laugh was a low rumble. "From whom?" he asked. "The demise of Caspian was never my goal. But if I have to throw him under the bus to keep this empire intact, I won't think twice." His eyes sparkled with cruel determination. A shiver ran through Valentina at the idea of her husband engineering Caspian's downfall. Her love for Caspian battled with ingrained patterns of yielding to Soren's will, creating a torturous tempest in her chest.
His posture went ramrod straight, an aura of invincible control emanating. "I'd advise you to remember where your loyalties lie," he said, gripping her wrist. She recoiled, even though he kept his hold steady. "Give me all of that evidence," he ordered, his tone sharpening as she did not pull it together immediately. Her heartbeat thundered. She had once told Caspian she'd make up for her past failures. Now she was trapped, even Soren's shadow suffocating, the idea of being free no longer an option.
Slowly, he let go of her arm and stepped away to regain his composure. "This whole household teeters," he said icily. "If you don't support won't me, I'll make sure you'll pay for it." Fear coursed through her veins, the threat beginning to unravel her well-made veneer. She watched him vanish into the gloom, her mind whirling over the surety that Soren would only go further with his tactics. That night, Valentina acknowledged that she had to decide whether to give up the last piece of evidence or risk incurring Soren's wrath in ways that she couldn't bear to imagine.
Morning light streamed through the mansion's windows, highlighting rows of polished silverware spread across the grand dining table. A flock of uniformed employees hurried back and forth, whispering instructions regarding table settings and floral centrepieces. Beneath the graceful veneer, though, tension simmered. Soren had ordered a formal family dinner, a display intended to show unity, one that would rehabilitate the Hayes name after the scandal. Celeste lingered near the entryway, arms crossed, chewing her lip as she surveyed the frenzied preparations.
She saw Talia at one far corner, checking a list of high-profile guests. Talia's posture was stiff, her expression evasive. A brief exchange of uncomfortable alliance in the way their eyes touched. Neither said anything, though they both suspected the evening would be yet another front in Soren's quiet war. The way he had undermined her at every turn, Soren's blistering words from earlier rendezvous echoed in Celeste's memory. She had a headache just trying to imagine the spectacle he might create.
Nearby, Caspian walked back and forth in front of a tall window, dark suit pressed, eyes flickering with weariness. He had spent the night arguing with board members, trying to beat back speculation about his instability. Now staring down that dinner, he wrestled with how to appear confident without falling prey to Soren's machinations. When he looked up at Valentina, who was coming toward him, a little uncertain, he saw darker circles under her eyes, too.
"My father wants a show," Caspian said tersely. "He's using tonight to show he's the one in charge of this family." Valentina nodded grimly. "You have to seem in control," she pressed an echo of tremor in her voice. He breathed in, remembering the times Soren had humiliated him on the world stage while grinning for the cameras. So she touched his arm, and not without apology for not having sheltered him earlier. From afar, Celeste watched as tension hung over mother and son, both marked by regrets and uncertain paths ahead.
As the day wore on, staff members draped glistening table linens and tested the intricately placed crystal glasses. Strains of classical music wafted from hidden speakers, a false calm undercut by crackling currents. Celeste came up beside Caspian, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. He flashed her a perfunctory, weary smile. "Be ready," he said, anger underlying his normally measured tone. "From here on out, it will be the break open." She nodded, preparing for Soren's next move. The approach of the evening was a storm, each passing minute and hour in the country toward a time when those illusions of togetherness could seem like spells that the reality of betrayal would un-weave with devastating effects.
A twilight glow fell across the mansion's ornate dining room like a soft gold curtain, tracing silhouettes over lavish drapery and glinting crystal chandeliers. The long table gleamed with fine china and elaborate floral arrangements, each place card meticulously placed. High-powered friends of the business sat around in evening clothes and polite conversation that felt antiseptic against the tension humming in the air. Soren arrived last, wearing a fitted jacket that highlighted his powerful frame. He had taken his place at the head of the table, surveying his kingdom with frosty scorn.
Celeste sat in the second chair, pulse hammering under her placid demeanour. Caspian picked a spot near Valentina and Soren's watchful eye. Arms crossed, Talia watched from across the table, every muscle tense. Dinner began with a graceful soup, the clack of utensils ringing in the taut silence. Polite murmurs passed around the room, but nerves crackled like sparks along a wireline. Celeste's heart buzzed whenever Soren raised his voice to speak to a guest.
Midway through the meal, he turned on her, voice surprisingly harsh. "Celeste," he said, knocking a silver spoon against his glass. Guests froze mid-bite, looking between them with cautious fascination. "I imagine you are finding Hayes hospitality…challenging," he continued, the words dripping condescension. She stiffened, her cheeks flushing beneath the candlelit glow of the table. "I'm learning quickly," she said in a flat tone. His mouth twisted into a faint smirk. "We all know some backgrounds aren't as refined, but I think patience is a virtue," she said.
For a heartbeat, silence hung. Then Talia found her voice, fists clenched at her sides. "Hold on," she exclaimed, catching everyone off guard. The customary hush became electric. Soren's gaze hardened. "Pardon?" Talia inhaled. "You have the 'belittling,' which does not give you a right to her. She's done more for this family's survival than you know." Eyes flitted across the table, guests gulping tension-stressed sips of wine. The anger flashed briefly across Soren's features, but he smiled through clenched teeth.
Soren stood without warning, a glass raised. "Yeah," he intoned, some feigned graciousness clinging to his words. "Maybe you'll also admire my latest innovation for the company." A hush rippled through the crowd as he read out a jaw-dropping announcement: Hayes Enterprises's largest project would be handed over to an external manager — someone beyond Caspian's watchful eye. Immediately, there were murmurs around the table. Caspian's gaze fastened on his father, rage and betrayal warping his features. Valentina almost dropped her fork in horror.
The implications rippled through the guests. No one had anticipated Soren's willingness to so brazenly undermine Caspian's authority. Talia seethed at the flagrant assault; Celeste felt her bowels drop, felt Caspian's own gasp as if the entire thing were on the verge of crumbling. For a heartbeat, stunned silence gripped the room, the weight of Soren's move crushing all illusions of harmony.