Chapter 158 Tonight
~Hermes~
I jump off the delivery bike before it even fully stops, the helmet barely off my head as I slip into the backseat of the first taxi I see.
"Grande Estate," I mutter. The driver nods and pulls out fast.
I exhale, long and heavy, rubbing my face with both hands.
My body is buzzing—adrenaline, anger, calculation all tangled together.
I’d just come from my father, after warning him. I told him everything I’ve pieced together about the Vosses—the betrayal, the plot, the sick cycle of manipulation.
Lucien listened quietly, and we planned, and stategized. Tonight would be the end of it. The gala—the perfect stage to expose them.
I just need one last piece of proof, one last confirmation.
Natalya only needed to go running to her father like I predicted she would.
I take out my phone. Ted’s name flashes: Missed call. My pulse jumps.
I immediately call back. It rings, and rings.
Voicemail.
What the hell is he doing? He should’ve been with June by now. He should’ve explained everything—my condition, the truth, the reason I’m playing along with this marriage façade.
If anything goes wrong tonight… If the Vosses strike earlier than planned… She needs to know I love her, damn it. That every stupid, cruel decision was to keep her out of this mess.
I call Ted again.
Voicemail.
"Fuck."
My jaw locks so tightly it aches.
Fine. I dial June.
My thumb hesitates for a beat—but only a beat.
It rings.
And rings.
And rings, but no answer.
She must still be upset. I can almost see her—jaw clenched, refusing to look at her phone because of me.
I swallow hard, irritation stitching itself into worry. Did Ted tell her the truth the right way? Or did he panic? Ramble? Make it worse? Ted’s the smartest out of the three of my friends, which is why I trusted him—but even smart men screw up under pressure.
The cab rolls to a stop.
"We’re here," the driver says.
I shove bills into his hand, barely looking, and step out, shrugging on my leather jacket.
I’ll deal with Ted later. I’ll meet June as soon as this war is over.
For now? I have a family to ruin.
\---
I step inside and immediately see Natalya, all dressed and dolled up, sitting in the living room. Her legs are crossed, her smile warm, almost inviting.
"You're late," she says, rising smoothly to her feet.
"I'm sorry. I got stuck in traffic," I lie, my voice calm, measured. My eyes trail to her hand, and I notice the silver bracelet I gave her that morning is gone. My adam’s apple bobbles slightly.
"Where's your bracelet?" I ask, unable to mask the unease in my tone.
Natalya gasps softly, glancing at her hands. "Oh, honey, it got broken. I'm so sorry," she says, the apology painted clearly on her face.
I exhale under my breath. I want to ask when it got broken, how it happened, but now isn’t the time. I force myself to push it down. For now, I have to hope it didn’t break at the wrong moment.
"Oh, it’s fine. It doesn’t suit your dress anyways," I say, forcing a tight smile. "I should go get dressed. I’ll be done before you know it."
"Take your time, honey," Natalya says with a teasing lilt. "We’re the host and the event. The guest will have to wait for us."
I nod, smile still fixed, and turn toward the stairs. Something feels off, a subtle shift in the air I can’t name. My instincts tell me something’s not right, but I push it aside. My questions will be answered when I reach my study.
And there, finally, I can set everything in motion.
I hastily enter my study and lock the door behind me. The sound of the click feels like a clock. A timing bomb between me and the chaos outside. I dive straight to my computer, fingers moving quickly as I pull up the CCTV feeds of the house.
There she is—Natalya—slipping into my room, methodical, searching for something. My eyes snap to her hands, scanning for the bracelet. Relief washes over me. The bracelet is still intact; it didn’t break while she was still inside the house.
I switch to the second feed, the one linked to the chip I planted inside the bracelet. The image jumps slightly, but I catch her moving onto a yacht. And there—Dominic Voss—sitting, waiting. Perfect. The moment I had been waiting for.
I watch them closely, listening as they talk, and a thin smile tugs at my lips. They are exposing themselves without even realizing it. Every word, every question and answer confirming what I suspected.
Then the video abruptly cuts out. Dominic asks her if I caught her stealing the document, and the feed dies. I try to replay it, hoping for more, but it’s glitchy, fragmented. It's enough evidence, infact more than enough, but I had wanted to hear the aftermath.
My phone beeps, drawing my attention. It’s a message from Natalya, asking if I’m done. I quickly type a reply, all the while slipping into my tuxedo, adjusting the collar, pulling the cuffs tight. My mind spins through every word exchanged between her and Dominic.
Did Dominic truly believe her story? That I have a condition? That I wouldn’t see through it?
I shake my head slightly, hiding my smile. It doesn’t matter what he believes. Tonight, everything will be revealed. Everything will fall into place.
I step out, fully dressed, a smile in place that doesn’t quite reach my eyes. Natalya watches me descend the stairs, her warm smile carefully in place.
"Now, let’s show everyone who the head of Apex Corporation is," she says, sliding her hand into mine.
I nod, but a faint wince creeps inside me. How can she pretend so effortlessly? How can she mask the scheming behind that flawless smile? I force my expression neutral, keeping my mind sharp, focused.
Just as we step outside, my phone rings. I instinctively bring it up, hoping for a missed call from Ted. Then, out of nowhere, Natalya stumbles beside me, her hand brushing mine in a too-casual way—and my phone slips.
It hits the ground and shatters.
I stare at her, my eyes sharp. Part of my evidence, my leverage, gone in an instant. I can’t yell. I can’t show any sign of anger. That would blow my cover, ruin tonight, ruin everything.
"I’m sorry, the heels were wobbling," she murmurs, pity lacing her tone, a practiced innocence in her eyes.
I take a slow, contro
lled breath, looking at the shards on the ground, then back at her. My mind races. What now? What am I to do?