CHAPTER 41: 41-SHE NEEDS TO GO

Lara:

My temples throbbed with anger. My fists were clenched, nails digging into my palms and leaving crescent marks.

My mind kept repeating the words that Kash had spent the night in Iris’s room. I had stormed out just to confront him.

The confidence in Iris’s body told me a dark story.

I should have known she had some sort of expectation or hope for her to act so sure of herself now.

Ever since she returned, she had been different. Even my father mentioned that others had started reaching out to him, young alphas asking about Iris in particular.

They said they had seen her behind the scenes at the launch of the new product, and all they could think about was her.

It infuriated me every time someone praised her.

I started walking through the mansion to find Kash. My father was already sitting in the living room.

We had come together. I had planned to make my father meet the kids, and show Kash how kind and ready I was to bring his children into our lives, to give them something better.

But no, he had to ruin that moment for me.

"Ah, my daughter is here," my father greeted me with a smile.

Rising from the couch, Kash’s mother also stood. Lady Vivian was a proud mother of Kash, the Alpha King, so strong that it wouldn’t be a surprise if he took over the East one day.

I was certain it would happen.

"Where were you? You didn’t sit down with us?" Lady Vivian smiled a little too widely, showing her perfect white teeth.

I walked over and took a seat, making sure my father could see that I was upset.

"I was in the guesthouse," I replied, holding Lady Vivian’s gaze.

Of course, she understood exactly what I meant by that.

"Oh, you must have met Iris." As soon as Lady Vivian said her name, my father’s ears perked up.

"Iris? As in Kash’s ex-wife?" Of course my father knew.

He just needed to make sure my mother understood how outrageous it was, not only to allow Iris back into Kash’s life and the others’, but also to give her a guest house of her own and include her in the business.

I understood that a contract had been signed before she was introduced.

It didn’t matter. Kash should have accepted the losses and ended the contract.

If he wanted the scent so badly, he could have simply bought their company.

I was sure that even if he had taken over the business, no one would have dared to question him.

But when I told him that, he looked upset, as if I’d asked him to do something wrong, like having an affair with me while he was still married to Iris wasn’t already wrong.

Of course, I didn’t remind him of that. It would only make us look bad and make him start thinking about poor, innocent, victim-like Iris.

"Oh, actually, I thought you had been informed about it," Lady Vivian said, glancing at my father while stealing nervous looks at me.

For once, after all the respect I had given her, it was her duty to make sure her son didn’t cheat on me and that the woman who ruined everything never returned to his life.

"Actually, the thing is, she came back with his children. And you know my son, any alpha, children mean a lot to them. He couldn’t possibly leave them with her. So he decided to keep her around only as a mother to co-parent." Lady Vivian chose her words carefully in front of my father.

They had to maintain a good relationship to ensure that Kash’s and my bond remained stable.

"He could have just taken custody from her. It’s not like a rogue could demand justice," my father pointed out.

I agreed with him. Kash should have done that.

Those children were innocent and carried Kash’s pure blood.

"They shouldn’t have been left with a woman who ran away, had an affair, and let someone else care for an alpha king’s children," I chose my words carefully, making sure Lady Vivian understood, in the simplest way, just how low and unfit Iris was to be considered a mother to an alpha king’s heirs.

"My daughter is absolutely right. We’ve all heard about her shenanigans. First, she appears out of nowhere, then she runs off with the children, and then she returns claiming she had a family. A family so well-off they started a business from the ground, they say, but they must have had some means, education, or talent. That woman, I wouldn’t be surprised if she turned out to be a traitor of some sort."

My father’s words made Lady Vivian’s eyes widen.

That was exactly the reaction I wanted and thanks to my father, I achieved it.

"I’m pretty sure my son made sure of everything before bringing her back into his life, before letting her stay in the guest house. You know my son doesn’t want the children to see him as a cruel man." Lady Vivian’s voice no longer carried the same strength as before.

I was certain she was conflicted, maybe even frightened by what my father had said.

"Well then, you’ll be surprised to know that your son didn’t just bring her to the guest house but back into his life as well." As soon as I said that, both my father and Lady Vivian turned their attention to me.

"What do you mean? That would never happen. My son knows her character. There’s no way he’d be foolish enough to let her deceive him again." Lady Vivian’s tone sounded desperate, almost delusional, and I was here exactly for that reason, to break her illusions.

"I’m coming from the guest house, and guess what I found there?" I said, watching both of them stare at me. "Kash and Iris spent the night together in the same room."

The moment I said that, my father’s jaw tightened, and Lady Vivian’s eyes widened in shock.

I leaned back in my chair for a moment, letting the silence linger.

"I did what now?" A thick and velvety voice echoed and everyone gasped.

When I turned around, I saw Kash standing there in a gray suit, ready for work, his hands on his waist, looking anything but calm.