Chapter 257

Chapter 257
Hades' POV

The drive back to Aeson’s pack was the longest of my life. My hands tightened on the steering wheel until my knuckles went pale, the growl in my throat low and restless. The moon hung above, veiled behind restless clouds, and its glow spilled across the hood of my car like a judgment I couldn’t escape.

Serena’s voice replayed in my head — clipped, distant, and unlike her. Something about it gnawed at me, twisting deep inside like a curse refusing to fade. I tried to steady my thoughts. Maybe this was the right time, I told myself. I was ready to tell her everything — the truth I’d buried so deep it haunted my sleep sometimes. Tonight, I’d lay it bare. She deserved honesty, even if it might make her have a second thought of having eternity with me.

The engine purred to silence as I pulled up in front of her house. The light spilling from her windows wasn’t warm, it was sharp, cold. I stepped out, heart drumming in my chest.

When I knocked, the door swung open almost immediately. Serena stood there, her face drawn, her eyes red and lifeless, her lips trembling like she’d been crying for hours.

“Serena…” I started, my voice low. “What’s wrong?”

She didn’t answer. She stepped aside, her body rigid. “Come in.”

That tone — detached, formal — it felt like I’d walked into an interrogation, not my lover’s home. I hesitated, then stepped inside.

The air inside was heavy, suffocating, charged with something unspoken. Serena closed the door quietly, her movements slow, deliberate. I followed her into the living room, my boots crunching faintly on the marble floor.

Then I saw him.

Aeson.

He sat casually on the couch, leaning back with his arm stretched along the rest, that same arrogant smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. The bastard didn’t even bother to hide the satisfaction in his eyes.

My gaze flicked past him, and my heart skipped. Serena’s parents were there too. Her father’s face was stony, her mother’s eyes glistened with restrained tears. The atmosphere reeked of something grim, irreversible.

“Serena,” I said again, forcing steadiness into my tone. “What’s going on?”

She didn’t look at me. Instead, she walked to the table, picked up a photo, and turned to me with shaking hands.

“Recall this girl?”

The question hit like a slap. I froze, my breath caught halfway. My eyes dropped to the photo — a young girl with bright eyes and chestnut curls. My stomach twisted. I knew that face. I’d seen it before, a lifetime ago, in the wreckage of impulse and regret.

My lips parted. “Yes,” I managed to say, voice rough. “How… do you know her?”
I swallowed hard.

Serena’s eyes filled instantly, her face contorted with pain. She sniffed, her voice trembling but sharp enough to cut air.

“She’s my sister, Hades.” Her voice broke. “You killed her. You bullied and killed Shelly!”

Her words hit me harder than a blow. I staggered a step back, pulse roaring in my ears. No. No, that can’t be right.

“What?” I rasped. “Serena, that’s—”

“That’s my daughter, Shelly,” her mother cut in, her voice trembling with grief and fury.

My head snapped toward her. Serena’s fingers fisted my collar before I could speak.

“What did she ever do to you, huh?!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face. “She was twelve, Hades! Twelve! You took her life. Why?!”

Her fists struck my chest, weak but desperate. I let her. I couldn’t even defend myself. My chest tightened, breath shallow.

“It’s not—”

“Shut up!” she screamed again. “I should’ve known! I should’ve known you were a monster beneath all that control!”

“Serena…”

Aeson’s voice cut through. “Hades was seventeen back then,” he said coolly, his tone dripping with disdain. “He was never a saint. Serena, he never could be deserving of you.”

“Shut up!” I snapped, glaring at him. “You know nothing about that night!”

Aeson’s lips curled into a smug sneer. “Oh, I know plenty.”

“Serena, something isn’t making sense here,” I said quickly, turning back to her. My heart thudded painfully. “Listen to me—”

“What?!” She shoved me back, her body shaking. “What doesn't make sense? You killed her! And to think I told you about Shelly just moments ago and you comforted me?”

“Serena—”

“Oh, typical Hades,” Aeson snorted, rising from the couch. “He always acts like he’s never harmed a fly. He’s a two-faced prick, that’s what he is.”

Serena’s eyes darted to me, filled with disgust and disbelief. “He’s right. You’re worse.”

"And if you stay with him long enough, you'll see that beast come out,” Aeson warned intently, gazing at her.

Her words sliced me open. My jaw tightened, but I didn’t move.

“Serena, please…” I tried again, softer this time. “Tell me you don’t believe—”

“Tell me you don’t know this girl, Hades!” she screamed, shoving the photo in my face. “Tell me you never bullied her. Tell me… you didn’t kill her.”

“I know her, but—”

“But what?!” Aeson barked, stepping forward. “Don’t lie again, you sick bastard! Can’t you see you’re hurting her more with your endless excuses?”

Before I could retort, Serena shoved me backward, tears glistening down her cheeks. “Get out!”

“Serena, please, just listen—”

“I said GET OUT!” She screamed so loud it shook the walls.

The door slammed against the wall as she pushed me outside. I stumbled, catching my balance.

“Serena, wait—”

She turned to Aeson. “You too. Get out.”

Aeson blinked, clearly surprised, but obeyed. As he stepped out, she slammed the door shut, locking it behind him.

I stood there, staring at the door, my chest heaving. “Serena…” I whispered. But there was no answer.

Then — laughter.

Low, mocking, deliberate.

Aeson chuckled, strolling a few paces away before stopping. He turned, his smirk wide and triumphant.

“What?” I growled, stepping toward him.

He cocked his head. “You mad, Hades? Mad that you got Serena… but now you’ve lost her because your past finally caught up?” He clicked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk. Pathetic.”

Rage exploded inside me. I strode forward and punched him square in the jaw. His body staggered, his laughter turning into a grunt as he stumbled backward.

He wiped blood from his lip, then laughed again. “There it is. The beast I warned her about.”

I grabbed his collar, snarling. “You told her about that girl?”

He smiled wickedly. “Yes. I’m sorry… I guess you’d never tell her yourself. So I used it against you.”

“How could you?”

“Why couldn’t I?” He smirked. “Because I promised twelve years ago it’d be a secret between us? Come on, we’re not best friends anymore, Hades.” His voice dropped, eyes gleaming with spite. “And besides—”

He scowled. “You stole Serena from me. I couldn’t just let that slide. I had to do this. I had to go extra miles. I had to go… under.”

He smiled, satisfied. “But now? I’ll have Serena back. Because she was never meant to be yours. Also, she’ll never stay with the man who killed her sister… right?”

He pulled my hands off his jacket and straightened himself, laughing softly as he walked away into the night.

I stood there, fists clenched, chest burning with fury and dread.