Kyle kept his gaze fixed on Aleksi, feeling the tension in the air. Every fiber of his being screamed at him not to make any sudden movements or turn his back. He knew that facing a wolf was never easy, and even less so with someone like Aleksi. Any mistake, no matter how small, could be fatal.
Kyle smiled politely, but the smile never reached his eyes. His clenched jaw betrayed his discomfort, although his expression remained calculated. He didn't know what Eris had told this man, but one thing was certain: he would make her pay for this later.
"Eris, go get Sabrina," he ordered in a voice that was almost a sweet whisper, but it made everyone in the room feel an immediate sense of revulsion.
Eris, a little disoriented, reacted too late, but eventually stood up carefully, as if afraid that any movement could trigger a chain reaction. She cast a quick glance at Aleksi before leaving the office. She didn't understand what was happening between these two men, but she didn't want to get caught in the middle of such a dangerous dispute. She preferred to stay on the sidelines, avoiding becoming another piece in their game.
She stepped into the hallway and, after a moment, approached a maid.
"Do you know where Miss Sabrina is?"
The maid led her wordlessly, guiding her to the young woman's room.
When Eris entered, Sabrina greeted her with a change in appearance. Her makeup was bold, almost provocative, and the short, tight dress clung to her curves shamelessly. Her long, well-maintained legs seemed endless, and the red heels gave off an air of ostentation that Eris instantly recognized. If Sabrina hadn't been her brother's fiancée, and if Eris hadn't witnessed firsthand the blind love Kyle had for her, she would have sworn Sabrina was preparing to seduce Aleksi.
Eris couldn't help but let a look of discomfort cross her face, and it was then that Sabrina, as if reading her thoughts, responded with disdain:
"For a woman, makeup and clothes are our weapons and armor. But what could you possibly understand about that?"
Sabrina glanced over her shoulder, her tone dripping with contempt. She didn't wait for a reply and walked away, leaving Eris behind as the maids followed. Eris didn't dare respond, even though, deep inside, the emotions she thought were dormant were starting to rise. In any case, there was no room for argument. It was wiser not to get involved in Sabrina's game, as she always knew how to turn situations to her advantage.
Before Sabrina left, Eris, head lowered, said:
"They're in the office and waiting for you."
Sabrina didn't even bother to look at her before replying:
"I know, now don't talk to me anymore, it's disgusting to hear you."
Eris bowed her head in agreement, but in an instant, Sabrina yanked her head back, fingers intertwining in her long purple hair. She leaned close to her, and that was when Eris remembered the mark on her neck.
"What the hell did you do now? Do you want to die and drag us all with you?" Her venomous words struck Eris's ears, and she almost swore that if it weren't for Aleksi's presence, Sabrina would have slapped her, once again showing that she could do whatever she wanted with her, whenever she pleased.
Sabrina let go of her abruptly and walked toward the office, trying to compose herself.
Everyone feared the lady of the Stella mansion today; their fates were at the mercy of a mad tyrant.
When she reached the office, the door opened with a dry creak. Aleksi sat behind the desk, impassive, his expression suggesting that nothing and no one could destabilize him. Kyle stood next to him, even more tense than before, like a shadow, waiting for an order.
"Have they arrived? Eris, hurry up and bring us the gold wine."
Aleksi's tone was clear: there was no time to wait.
Like a doll, Eris lowered her head and walked over to the room's bar, taking the bottle with the sun logo etched into it. A wine that no amount of gold could buy legally.
Sabrina was already sitting in front of Aleksi, smiling with exaggerated politeness, while Kyle remained standing, in the same position as before. The atmosphere felt heavy, charged with intrigues none of them could conceal.
"I hope you enjoyed your visit to our mansion, Mr. Aleksi," Sabrina said, maintaining her bright smile.
But Aleksi didn't respond, at least not as she had hoped. Instead of turning his gaze to Sabrina, he focused on Eris. He looked at her with such intensity that she felt her skin crawl. Everything in her body told her that she couldn't make a mistake, that any slip-up could be fatal. With trembling hands, Eris began to pour the wine, but when she approached the desk, Aleksi took the bottle from her without a word.
"For being his beloved sister, you don't seem to mind treating her like a servant." Aleksi's voice was cold, cutting. "And look, I'm more than capable of pouring my own wine. Why can't you do the same? Can't your hands work? Should I rip them off to check?"
The harshness of his tone made everyone in the room feel uncomfortable. Kyle paled, clearly worried about Aleksi's reaction. Sabrina, unsure of what to do, also averted her gaze. The discomfort was palpable, but at least there was no blood. Not yet.
Eris, trembling, lowered her head, maintaining a submissive posture, while she listened to Kyle try to calm the situation.
"No… no… the doctor can check it, I mean, I… can do it, but my dear sister loves me so much that she pampers me with these things, haha…" Kyle's laughter quickly faded when he noticed the icy stare from Aleksi.
"You're the first one to lie to me and still live to tell another lie." Aleksi's tone was so serious that the air in the room seemed to thicken. "In a way, you're incredible, Mr. Kyle."
The venom in his words was so evident that everyone in the room felt compelled to bow, even if only slightly, showing their submission. Seeing Eris like this made Aleksi feel even more repulsed. She was born to be his equal, to face him with her head held high and her shoulders back, not to revere him. On her side, Eris was also biting her lip in helplessness. She wasn't there to surrender, to give in. She should have faced Aleksi, not lowered her head like a prisoner.
"Last chance. I want the truth."
Kyle bit his tongue, hating how Aleksi treated him with so much disdain. Who did he think he was to speak to him like this? If he had to share information, it would be on his terms, in a way that benefitted him.
On the other hand, Eris felt completely frozen by the question. She hated remembering, and above all, she hated what Kyle did when the topic came up. No one in the mansion had ever defended her. She had always depended on herself.
Kyle mistreated her mercilessly, and Sabrina even enjoyed her suffering.
Eris didn't know what to do. She couldn't move, but she knew she had to escape. She would take advantage of the chaos the wolf was causing to flee.
"Eris was involved in the death of our parents," Kyle said, his voice firm, as if he didn't care about what he was revealing. "With a history like hers, how could I expose my dear little sister?"
Eris closed her eyes, fighting the waves of rage and pain that overwhelmed her. Her brother was a damn compulsive liar, and each word of his destroyed her a little more.
"Involved in what way?" Aleksi pressed, not taking his eyes off Eris.
"I don't like to talk about it," Kyle said, clearly enjoying the moment. "But she suffers from hallucinations, and in one of her episodes, she ended up causing our parents' deaths. They died to protect her."
The revelation hit the room like a weight, and the atmosphere grew much darker. Aleksi frowned, evaluating every word Kyle had just said.