CHAPTER 57: 57

Karma had finally caught up to me, and it was not a lie.

The soft, rhythmic chirping of birds filtered through the fog of my sleep, pulling me slowly back to my consciousness. As my senses sharpened, I became aware of the muttering voices surrounding me, low and indistinct, not far from where I lay. The warmth of sleep faded, replaced by a chilling realization as I felt the cold, hard surface beneath me.

There was no doubt that I was lying on the floor; the biting cold seeped into my bones, making my body stiffen. I resisted the instinctive urge to shiver, forcing myself to remain still.

Cracking one eye open, I saw a narrow beam of sunlight sneaking through a small window above, casting faint, angular shadows in the dim space. My heart skipped a beat as I took in my surroundings. Thick, iron bars encased me in a cage like cell, the metallic scent of rust mingling with the dampness in the air.

Panic threatened to claw its way to the surface, but I swallowed it down.

"Not now, Carmela," I urged myself to stay calm.

The voices beyond the bars continued, unaware that I was awake. Straining to catch their words, I maintained the pretense of being asleep, hoping to gather some crucial information or even a clue. But my breath caught in my throat as I heard what they were saying.

"You’ve got some nerve coming all the way here to treat me like this," one man said, his tone laced with contempt. I squinted through the bars and saw a man in a lab coat standing beside another man dressed in simple black clothing. They seemed to be watching something I couldn’t see.

"Call it whatever you want, but I’m just trying to protect what’s rightfully mine," the man in black replied, his voice cold and calculating. "Even you must agree that we can’t lose to the same person twice. I never gave up my right to Carmela as my betrothed, and I won’t let anyone steal it."

A chill ran down my spine. "Wait... who exactly are they talking about?" I wondered, my mind racing. "It can’t be me, right? This whole situation can’t be some messed-up triangle, right?"

The man in the lab coat scoffed. "Took you long enough to realize, after letting all my efforts drown in the rivers," he retorted, but his partner just picked up a glass filled with a jelly-like liquid, his expression unreadable.

"If only you had done your job discreetly that day," the man in black continued, "then Alpha Two would have been engaged to Alpha Four, not One, and we wouldn’t be in this situation. Our families would have been the most powerful in the dynasty, and you’d rule while I and my wife toured the world. But no, you had to ruin everything."

"I ruined everything?" The man in the lab coat snapped. "Don’t call yourself righteous, you demon. What did you do when I gave you another chance to amend things?"

"Amend?" The man in black laughed, a bitter sound that echoed off the walls. "Sometimes I wonder if your brain is like a system that needs to be updated after a certain number of days. You sent the person I wished to kill to the same place I was at. Did you forget why I was locked up there?"

The lab coat man’s eyes narrowed. "You could have used your talent on him. After all, you love making art pieces from human bodies."

"And then what? Kill him and lose my right to compete as heir? Don’t put all the blame on me. You’re at fault too for our plan backfiring. If only you had injected him with whatever concoction you created, he would have gone insane, and the blame for those deaths at the hospital would have been pinned on him. But no... he managed to escape, not just me but also jail."

"That fucking bastard!" The man in the lab coat cursed, turning to input something on the huge computer system set up on one side of the room.

Despite their argument, the aura in the room wasn’t suffocating. Both men seemed calm, focused on whatever they were doing. But I still couldn’t tell who they were, they both wore masks and I had no idea why they wanted to frame Nix or what their plot entailed. One thing was certain, the man before me wasn’t my father and both Nix and his demon we’re mistaking.

I didn’t know why Nix’s demon said all those words, but I would stake my life that he wasn’t my father. The father I remembered was gentle and loving, not full of hate and twisted madness.

"I’ll leave her in your care. I hope you get the job done properly this time," the man in black said, standing to take his leave. The man in the lab coat didn’t respond, but it didn’t seem to bother him.

"If you’re done listening to our conversation, come here," the man in the white coat called out, his voice like a cold breeze on a winter night, sending shivers down my spine.

My body betrayed me. My heart raced, my palms sweated, and my breath caught in my throat. It was as if my body recognized this kind of fear, but my mind didn’t. The feeling of being summoned to face something I’d rather avoid or stay miles away from was all too familiar.

A familiar dread crept up my legs, like an old friend I’d rather not revisit. My mind went blank, but my body reacted on autopilot, as if it knew exactly what was coming.

But my brain couldn’t recall why I was so afraid.

What was it about this man’s voice that triggered such a strong response?

I searched my memories, but they seemed shrouded in a thick fog. All I knew was that I felt a primal urge to run, to escape, to hide.

My body trembled, my muscles tensed, ready to flee. But my legs felt heavy, as if rooted to the spot. I was trapped, caught between the instinct to escape and the need to find out the truth.

I bet this is the sign of unwanted change.

. . .

The wind seemed to have come to a sudden stop, and even the birds went quiet as only the clicking of heels against the marble floor could be heard. No one dared to stand in her way or stop her, as they feared not only for their jobs but for their lives.

Her gown swayed side to side with her hips, and the eye catching thigh chain she wore peeked through the slit of her dress.

Though half her face was covered by a black mask, the demeanor she exuded was dangerous. As she approached her target, her hand swiftly picked up the double barrel rifle lying on the table. She aimed at the sky, and in just a matter of moments, the peaceful ambiance was shattered by the sound of the gun being fired, hitting a bird in the sky and startling the person beside her out of the blue.

"You take too long to aim," she said, but was met with the disapproving eyes of the owner of the property she had just trespassed on.

"They say the patient dog eats the fattest bone," he responded, taking a seat on the couch behind them.

"That’s just a myth, not reality, Mr. André Dubois. In reality, the patient dog starves." A smirk played on her lips as she placed the rifle aside and took a seat opposite him.

"To what do I owe this visit, Alpha Two?" The question sounded serious but still amused her as she took off her sunglasses.

"Miss Delton... I’d prefer you refer to me as Miss Delton, not Alpha Two. That title sounds quirky, don’t you agree?" She narrowed her eyes at him, and as expected, got no reaction. This was exactly why she chose him he was a puppet she could use, a puppet no one would know had a master.

"You must be aware that the selection for the next dynasty heir has been delayed, but that’s not a priority because we already know who’s going to be the heir."

"What do you actually want from me, Miss Delton? Accommodating your unannounced visits over the past year has sincerely been a pleasure, but I bet even that pleasure comes with a price, doesn’t it?" He poured wine into a glass before him, showing off a polite smile.

"I’ll make you the president in exchange for you being my person." The air between them suddenly thickened with unspoken words. Their eyes locked in a silent standoff. Every glance was a challenge, every breath an unspoken accusation. The room suddenly felt smaller, the space between them charged with a tension that neither could escape. Neither willing to back down, the tension suddenly cracked with a soft chuckle from André.

"You make such good jokes, Miss Delton."

"But it’s no joke, Mr. Dubois. Although you belong to our world, you are a righteous man, and this attribute of yours is what I like the most about you," she smiled, taking a sip from her glass.

"I appreciate that, but no matter what you do, I doubt I’d be able to reach the presidency. Firstly, I have competitors like Louis Moreau and Benoit Lefebvre, and not to forget, my political party isn’t as strong as theirs."

"Leave the worrying to me, Mr. Dubois, and prepare yourself. No ifs or buts, because once I make up my mind, it’s hard to change it," she said, standing to her feet.

"You’ll receive an invitation. Make sure to be there."

"But.. "

"I’ll take care of the obstacles before you and be your shield. All you need to do is secure that position." Her steps resumed after she said that, and Dubois couldn’t help but sigh as he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"She’s about to make a move," he said, but the caller at the other end ended the call without giving a single response.

As Carmela approached her car, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she saw the figure awaiting her. She quickened her steps.

"Babe!" she called, and he turned to her, stretching out his hands, which she ran into.

"Why didn’t you call me when you arrived?" she pouted, taking off her mask, but he lightly smacked her forehead and put her mask back on her wanting to conceal her identity.

"I didn’t want to interrupt your work," he smiled, placing a peck on her forehead. She scoffed, taking a step away from him.

"Why do I feel your love for me is wavering, Damian Floquet?" She raised an eyebrow, but he only chuckled, leading her to the passenger seat.

"My love never wavers. I just want us to fulfill our duties as fast as we can and leave this world behind," he said, closing the door after her before rushing to the driver’s seat.

"Where are you headed this time?" he inquired but received only a smug smile in response.

"My little secret, Mr. Floquet," she winked