The applause still rang through the chamber as the President continued his work. One by one, he shook the hands of the gathered couple dozen n and won, the selected national heroes, offering words of gratitude. His face was carefully set into the reassuring smile expected of a leader.
So were bandaged. Others sat in wheelchairs. Many were scarred in ways that caras couldn’t capture. To each of them, he gave a few personal words, his expression steady and solemn.
But occasionally, there was a minor shift.
From ti to ti, the President’s eyes flicked sideways, aid directly at the Paragon of Sin. There was no denying it; he looked troubled. Perplexed, even.
Kaiden understood perfectly.
This was ant to be the President’s mont. His big display before the nation, proof that the governnt still held the reins of order in a world gone mad. Yet the spotlight had slipped. Millions were no longer talking about his speech, of the dals being handed out, of the major victory the United States of Arica brought while the rest of the world was still in disarray.
They were already knee-deep in the drama of ChronosX versus Valhalla’s Sinners. Kaiden and the girls had beco what the people cared about, not the politician smiling before the caras to reassure them.
Kaiden answered that sidelong glance with the smallest smile. Apologetic. Almost boyish. A silent admission that, yes, he knew he had stolen the show, but it was nothing personal.
The President’s eyes narrowed with frustration, but then sothing else followed. A strange glimr of reluctant respect.
He released the final hero’s hand, straightened his spine, and moved on.
Kaiden knew then that the man wouldn’t retaliate.
The president might not like sharing the stage, but he wasn’t a fool. Political gas were part of his life, and he knew that sotis you won while at other tis you found yourself outmanouvered. A good politician didn’t flip out and begin slinging crude insults if that happened. Instead, they zood out, waited, and evaluated what their next move should be.
And, clearly, attacking Kaiden Grey—Kaiden Ashborn—for this wasn’t in his best interest, nor the country’s.
...
The ride back was quiet. Too quiet.
Inside the artifact vehicle, no one spoke much. The mood wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t victorious either. They had been honored on the national stage, branded as heroes by the President himself. The world was on fire with their nas. By all rights, they should have been celebrating, laughing, basking in triumph.
But the silence weighed heavily, pressing on all of them.
And when they pulled into their bunker, their temporary ho, the reason beca clear.
There she stood.
Alexandra.
The blonde woman looked almost surreal under the lights. She had the kind of body that belonged among the Sinners; soft curves, striking femininity, a beauty that was very pronounced and easy to notice. In her hands, clutched tightly against her chest, was a phone. Its screen was still lit, and the feed locked on a flood of s and posts.
#JusticeForAlexandra.
#DownWithChronosX.
Her na trended alongside Kaiden’s, Maximilian’s, ChronosX’s, Valhalla’s Sinner’s. The world wasn’t just demanding answers anymore; they were demanding justice.
Alexandra’s expression wasn’t the sa shattered face the world had just watched through their screens. Her tears weren’t ones of despair. They were raw, unfiltered, brimming with emotions she had buried for far too long.
Kaiden’s eyes softened. This was the first ti he t the girl.
He had known this mont would co, which is why there was a heavy atmosphere in the car. They all watched her video, and the girls and he as well understood the depths of her misery.
Knowing Alexandra was going to be in danger as soon as the video went live, he’d moved her here while they were at the presidential event. If he hadn’t, Maximilian’s retaliation would have been swift and rciless.
Her frail parents, however, weren’t here. The girl desperately begged Nyx not to force her to look into the eyes of her parents, being extrely ashad. Ever since she submitted to Maximilian, she’d not seen them a single ti.
They obliged her request. Vespera Ashborn was with them, or rather, Julia Levander, Aria’s mom. The Ashborn residence was slowly becoming a haven for the parents of Kaiden’s lovers. Their presence there ensured no blade or political trick could reach them.
Kaiden hadn’t even considered handing them over to the governnt for protection, not after the spy incident. Not after seeing how deeply ChronosX’s rot ran through political halls. Trust was too expensive to gamble with, and, frankly, the Awakened Association had none of his trust at the mont.
The second the gang stepped inside, Alexandra broke.
She rushed forward, sobbing as she threw her arms around Nyx. The pink-haired woman stiffened for only a heartbeat before her own tears welled up and her arms wrapped tightly around the trembling blond.
"Thank you... thank you... thank you... thank you..." Alexandra’s voice trembled with every word as a broken chant spilled out between gasps of relief.
Nyx buried her best friend’s face in her shoulder while holding onto her like she would never let go. The two of them trembled together with tears staining each other’s clothes.
The weight of their shared history, anxiety, and misery ca crashing down and was lifted all at once. It was as emotion-charged a mont as they ca.
anwhile, the rest of the Sinners stood in silence at a respectable distance. The sight struck harder than any dal or applause.
Here was the real victory.
"You have nothing to be grateful for, Blondie," Nyx whispered. Her voice was rough with emotion as she squeezed Alexandra tighter. "It’s us who owe you a debt of a magnitude we might never be able to repay."
Alexandra imdiately shook her head so hard her blonde hair whipped against Nyx’s cheeks. Tears still clung to her lashes, but her smile, which was shaky and oh-so euphoric, was real.
"No," she rushed to declare with a voice full of conviction. "You’ve already done more than I could have ever dread of. You promised to help in legal battles while welcoming into your ho for my safety... and my parents into the Ashborn manor." She let out a disbelieving laugh, almost a choke. "The Ashborn manor! Do you realize how insane that sounds? The Ashborns are world-famous. And yet here we are."
Nyx smiled, knowing full well how shocking being invited to the Ashborn manor was.
"I feel... liberated," Alexandra whispered, pressing her forehead into Nyx’s shoulder. "I don’t rember the last ti I felt this good. This free. For so long, I’ve wanted to betray Maximilian, to hurt him, to strike back sohow. And now... now I might’ve dealt him a blow he’ll never recover from. That was my greatest pleasure."
The bunker remained still. Everyone felt the weight of her words, the sharpness of her relief, the magnitude of what had just been unleashed into the world.
Alexandra finally lifted her head, and her gaze swept past Nyx, only to fall on Kaiden. It was timid, shy, the look of a woman who stepped into unknown territory. But beneath it shone the sa euphoric light that hadn’t left her eyes.
Her lips parted.
"Kaiden... correct?"
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