bChapter /b108

    KADE

    55 bvouchers /b

    I stormed into the hall, my hands flexing by my side. Though I felt eyes on me, everybody but one person faded. He looked at me as bI /bapproached him, trying to appear calm, but I saw him shift on his feet.

    “You fucking bastard!” I roared, swinging my fist back before dragging it forward with a force so great that when itnded on Ss‘ jaw, his head whipped to the side with a crack, the skin splitting open and blood poured out. My own fist split open, blood dripping onto the floor, that tiny sound echoing in my ears, louder than everything else, including the pounding of my heart.

    I was bleeding. I bwas /bfeeling something.

    Multiple voices shouted my name, but I was too far gone.

    I grabbed Ss by the cor,nding another punch at the same spot so it wouldn’t heal so beasily/b. He didn’t deserve it.

    My fist came down for the third blow but he blocked it with his hand, and before I couldnd the fourth oneb, /bI was dragged

    away.

    “Let go!” I bellowed, thrashing against them. “Fucking let go!”

    But the person was strong, and their hold never wavered. “Get your shit together, Kade!”

    Krossb. /b

    “Kross, that fucking bastard!” I pointed at Ss who someone was helping up. He held a hand to his bleeding jaw, his eyes hard on me, but he said nothing. That only pissed me off more. “You’re ring at me? You’re fucking ring at me?! bI /bshould have fucking broken your damn jaw!”

    Kross continued to drag me further away from him. “Kade, calm down and tell me what happened.”

    “He hid an important part in the contract,” I managed to answer without shouting, my eyes still fixed on Ss‘

    Anger. It burned through my veins like poison, hot and harsh, and it felt like it was going to melt my insides. It felt so fucking good.

    “The most important part, Kross. I would be leaving everything behind. I would be going to Italy.”

    Kross’s hold finally faltered and I broke free from it, but I didn’tunch forward. Instead, I just turned to him and grabbed his shoulders.

    “What am I going to do in Italy, Krossb?/bb” /bbI /basked, my voice shaking. “What do I have in Italy? Who will I be there? My whole life is here! I’ve never thought of leaving! I’ve never thought of giving everything up!”

    Kross stared at me, his chest heaving heavily. He looked behind my shoulder, his eyes hard and I knew he was ring at Ss. “I would find a way,” he said, eyes still fixed on Ss. “I would find a way and end this, Kade.”

    “You can’t,” the fucking bastard had the guts to say. My head whipped to him, my teeth bared, a growl vibrating in my chest. Right now, I know I was acting more like an animal than a human, but I couldn’t bring myself to care or to stop.

    Ss still had his hand on his jaw, and even though it had stopped bleeding and must have healed, he still didn’t remove his hand. “Your shares are sitting in escrow. The contract says they don’t return to you unless the marriagests five years. You leave her, you lose everything. bThe /bsame goes for her.”

    b5:00 /bpm bPPP /b

    He pointed at something and my eyes followed his hand,nding on wide, ck eyes.

    55 bvouchers /b

    Bedonna stared at me like she was just seeing me for the first time, but it wasn’t fear that was in her eyes, but rather bit /bwas

    awe.

    I looked away from her, because just that brief eye contact made that anger re even hotter.

    I looked back at my bastard of a father, my chest heaving, my ws itching toe out. But not here, not right now.

    That anger felt like it bwas /bgoing to consume me whole, swallow me, and only spit out my bones, and that would be bad for everybody here.

    Leave everything in the States and go to Italy where I have nothing, or leave this marriage and lose my shares at thepany? Which could be worseb? /b

    “If you weren’t my father, I would have killed you years ago,” I snarled.

    “I–don’t doubt that, Kade,” Ss said, the usual smug look nowhere to be found in his face. “This is the way we Varkas are, Kade. We must have what we want, no matter the means.”

    “No,” I shook my head. “That is the way you are, Ss. We’re nothing like you.”

    I turned to leave, but then I paused in my steps when I finally felt the weight of the stares on me.

    They were all looking at me like I was some sort of animal that should be caged. Maybe they were right, or maybe they should all fuck themselves.

    I looked at Mr. Iannelli, fixing a look on him. “It’s toote to back down now, father–inw. You can’t be regretting your choices.”

    He had the same look in his eyes as everybody else. The only person who didn’t was… Bedonna. I looked at her and she still had that look of awe in her eyes, and then her eyes went down and they widened slightly. I followed her eyes and saw she was looking at my fist. My fist that was split open seconds ago but was now healed with not a single scar in sight.

    “Fuck’s sake,” I muttered, storming out of the hall.

    I went home that night, not bothering with any shit as such as a wedding night. This wasn’t a real marriage, but only a business deal. So a wedding night wasn’t necessary in this case.

    Axel called and we talked for what felt like hours. I knew Kross must have told him everything, but he didn’t mention it once. Kross returned at some point, joining in our conversation. That was when Axel made the big announcement.

    “I’m getting married.”

    “Whoa” I sat down, looking at the phone as if I could see him. “No shit?”

    “No shit,” he answered and I could feel the smile in his voice. “I proposed and she said yes.b” /b

    “So when is the wedding?” Kross asked, smiling softly.

    I searched for the usual bitterness that I usually felt when Rosette was mentioned, but it wasn’t there. All I could just bfeel /b

    pain.

    wasb… /b

    Pain and bdespair/b. And if I were being honest, a little resentment. Resentment towards Axel for not being able to share and being selfish. Maybe… maybe if things had gone differently, all this bullshit wouldn’t be happening. Maybe bI /bwould have gotten ba /bchance at being happy.

    b2/3 /b

    b5:00 /bbpm /bP bP /bP D

    “Congrattions, man,” I said, forcing lightness into my voice.

    Axel epted it, and Kross bjust /bstared at me with his eyes

    sad.

    55 vouchers

    I spent the few days I had left in the mansion, packing and wrapping up my life. But this wasn’t goodbye, this was just a temporary pause. Five years, that was how long I needed to hold on. Five years and it would all be over.

    The day finally arrived when I was supposed to leave.

    Kross grabbed me by my shoulders, looking into my eyes as he said, “This isn’t goodbye.”

    I scoffed. “Of course it’s not. Do you really think I would give up everything just like thatb?/b”

    He dragged me into a tight embrace, pping my back.

    “Will you be alright on your own?” I asked, hugging him back.

    He didn’t answer.

    On my way to the airport, that was all I could think of. For the first time in our lives, all three of us are apart.

    I got to the private airport, and the private jet was already ready to leave, my wife waiting for me.

    AD