Chapter 203 CLASH OF CLANS
KAI'S POINT OF VIEW.
"I was talking to you two arrogant buffons.” Dad hissed, stepping in front of them. They looked to him, shock as wide and sharp as a fucking bridge on their faces. They shared a look for a second before looking back at Silas.
“W-w-what?” Denise and Morgan whispered at the same time. Silas didn’t bother turning to them. He gave me a look, and I knew it was time.
I turned to Aurora and wiped her tears again. “Do you trust me?” I whispered, wrapping my arms around her for added strength. She stared into my eyes for minutes that bled into hours, blinking slowly. There was a twinge of confusion at first in those greenish blues….but they cleared before I could fully register them.
“Yes.” She whispered with a nod, and I saw it then. The Aurora I fell madly in love with….the Aurora I knew.
I pressed my lips to her forehead softly, before moving on to her tear-stained cheeks, and then her hands. After one final kiss, I looked at my friends, my fellow horsemen. They nodded at once, each one of them with their girls, well….besides Cassian, stepped to Aurora. They stood behind, offering the support she’d need since I had to step away from her.
Lucien nodded at me, his eyes filled with sadistic joy. He loved the game most. When I’d told him everything, he didn't hesitate to call the rest of the guys, and even Killian, in the psych ward to get everyone on board. We planned together for years, piecing evidence to support our convictions. Killian was still our brother….while Lucien would never forgive him, he still made sure he was alright.
“Here it is, brother.” He said, handing me the envelope.
I gave him a nod of thanks, my silence enough to convey my gratitude. Where my connections stopped, his could never. He made sure to get the contacts I needed on board since Silas had different convictions towards Aurora.
"Wash away the shame, Denise? Filth?" I stepped forward, finally letting Aurora’s hand go so I could address the room, the press….the world. This was our stage, but they didn’t know…they were our puppets tonight. Aurora held on tighter, but let go after a second. She nodded at me, pursing her lips to show me she was okay. I might have left her side physically to head on stage, but I still stood as her shield. "That’s a bold choice of words for a woman whose entire existence, whose entire life, entire hope is built on a foundation of lies, identity theft, and a slow-acting poison."
The room didn't just go silent; it turned into a hollow vacuum. They turned to Denise, who looked at everyone like a wolf baring its teeth. Every breath, every whisper, and every shutter of the high-end cameras from the press, and Ravenscroft High’s gossip team seemed to vanish. But they were still livestreaming.
They wouldn't dare stop…not if they did not want the wrath of the five founding families on their asses. Denise stood frozen, her hand still raised in that frantic, prayer-like gesture, her eyes darting toward the lit stage.
I felt the weight of the envelope in my hand. It was more than just paper; it was the final nail in a coffin ten years in the making.
"Identity theft?" Denise’s voice cracked, no longer the confident, dramatic one it was earlier, but now, a frantic, shrill sound. "Kai, you’ve clearly been brainwashed by that... that thing.” She sputtered, pointing at my Aurora. She glanced from me to my father. Rushing to him, she gasped with a false cry….her theatrics knew no bounds.
If this weren’t real, I'd ask myself if I were in some sort of movie production. “Silas! Are you going to let him slander me? Armando!"
Armando finally moved, but it wasn't to defend her. He looked at me, his eyes hollowed out and filled with so much cowardice that it made my blood boil. He’d known. Maybe not the depth of the poison, but he knew the theft… hell, they planned it together.
"You want to talk about blood or filth, Denise?" I drawled, stepping up to the microphone. It made a loud hiss and shrieked for a second, a perfect soundtrack for the carnage I was about to unleash. "You want the Orsini and the Vaihala to judge a bastard? Fine, let’s have them judge a bastard, shall we? Let’s look at the actual math."