CHAPTER 283: CHAPTER 283: BEAUTIFUL PROBLEMS

The secure line went dead with a sharp click, silence swallowing the room in its wake. Trevor stayed seated, one hand still clutching the phone while the other dragged down his face, palm pressing against the sharp line of his jaw. His violet eyes burned in the dim light of his study, the last edges of sunset painting long shadows across the polished floor.

Dax was a fucking problem.

A beautiful disaster wrapped in authority and rage, but a problem nonetheless.

Trevor had made fun of him often enough, too easy with the king’s oversized ego and his equally oversized obsession with that stubborn little omega. But tonight, humor was a luxury he couldn’t afford. He’d heard the strain in Dax’s laugh, the razor’s edge under his words, and he knew what came next if Christopher didn’t pull him back. Saha would choke on its own king.

The door opened without warning.

Trevor’s head snapped up, irritation flashing before he caught himself. Lucas slipped inside, his gaze immediately narrowing on the phone still in Trevor’s hand, on the tautness that lingered in his shoulders.

"Let me guess, the mighty king is mad beyond reason." Lucas said, leaning onto the door frame, his ash blonde hair slowly pulling from the fingers treading through it.

Trevor leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. "Mad

doesn’t even cover it. He’s circling the edge, ready to tear his own walls down if Christopher doesn’t speak soon."

Lucas pushed off the frame and stepped further inside, his posture loose but his eyes sharp, cutting straight through the room. "That’s not just his temper, Trevor. That’s someone feeding the fire."

Trevor’s violet gaze narrowed. "Go on."

Lucas stopped in front of the desk, folding his arms. "Cressida called me. She thinks Cornelia’s been busy in his absence. Dax left for Rohan, Christopher was left alone, and suddenly every misstep looks like deliberate cruelty. Cressida thinks that Cornelia is making sure that her sons won’t be killed the moment Chris accepts Dax."

Trevor’s jaw tightened, the humorless sound he let out closer to a growl than a laugh. "Of course she did. That viper’s been waiting years to find a vein."

"Then she found one," Lucas replied flatly. "And now Christopher believes the collar is a leash, the silks a cage, and Dax the one who ordered it all. Tell me that doesn’t stink of someone’s hand guiding the story."

Trevor dragged a hand through his hair, frustration pressing deep into his shoulders. "So the king’s on the verge of madness because Cornelia couldn’t keep her poison tongue still."

Lucas’s gaze didn’t waver. "She waited until he was out of the country, until Christopher was isolated, and then she struck. Every seed of doubt was planted when Dax couldn’t defend himself and now those doubts are blooming into rage."

Trevor’s mouth twisted, half a sneer, half a grimace. "Convenient, isn’t it? Christopher thinks he’s been caged, Dax thinks he’s been betrayed, and Cornelia gets exactly what she wanted: a fracture wide enough to push her sons through."

Lucas inclined his head. "Cressida believes the same. Cornelia isn’t reckless; she planned it from the moment the rumors about another dominant omega being found started. If Christopher accepts Dax without question, her children lose their shield. But if she poisons the bond before it can settle, then she keeps her sons breathing."

For a long moment, Trevor said nothing, his violet eyes fixed on the far wall as though he could already see the chaos unraveling through Altera’s streets. Then he leaned forward, elbows braced on the desk, his voice a low growl. "Dax doesn’t know. Not yet. When he finds out..."

Lucas finished it for him, voice steady, almost calm. "He’ll tear her apart."

Trevor’s laugh was dry, humorless. "If we’re lucky, he’ll only tear her apart."

Lucas’s lips curved faintly, though his eyes remained cold. "Do we tell him?"

"No, we won’t meddle in Saha’s court and royal family problems. Dax is capable of dealing with them." Trevor moved from his desk to Lucas. "He will deal with the temples and the corrupt priests to dim his rage, then will search for the unfortunate soul that interfered."

Lucas’s eyes flickered, a shard of cold amusement cutting through his calm. "And when he finds her?"

Trevor stopped in front of him, violet gaze steady, voice edged like a blade. "Then Saha will learn why its king is feared. Cornelia thought herself clever, but she’s only shifted his fury from silence to blood. When it lands, there won’t be much left for us to meddle in."

Lucas tilted his head, studying him, the faint curve of his mouth more shadow than smile. "You sound almost eager to watch it happen."

Trevor let out a short, humorless breath. "Believe me, if anyone would meddle between us, I would be as mad as Dax. In that regard we are the same. And that reminds me of some pests I still have to deal with."

Lucas’s brows arched slightly, though his eyes remained cool, assessing. "Pests?"

Trevor’s mouth curved, but it wasn’t a smile, more a flash of teeth, sharp and fleeting. He moved past Lucas, retrieving a glass from the cabinet as though the act of pouring himself a drink was no different than planning bloodshed. "Vivienne. I’ve made sure her deeds are documented and I think it would be perfect to release them as soon as possible."

"You are having fun with this." Lucas said, taking the glass from Trevor and drinking.

"Why wouldn’t I, hmm?" Trevor’s tone was velvet, but the edge beneath it was pure steel. He swirled the liquor in his glass, watching the amber light catch like fire. "She thought she could make herself untouchable. That no one would search under her image and that I won’t see the truth. I wouldn’t if she didn’t target you or work with Velloran."

Lucas almost choked on the drink. "What? She was working with Velloran? How?"

"He reached for her, but I’ve my suspicions that Benedict is the one pulling the wires."

Lucas lowered the glass slowly, his knuckles tightening against the crystal. His voice stayed level, but there was steel running beneath it. "Benedict. That name doesn’t ring a bell. I’ve never heard of him until now. Not in this life or the other one."

Trevor hummed and reached for his tablet. "Do you want to see him?"

Lucas’s brows furrowed slightly, but he nodded once. "Show me."