PRICE OF POWER
946 Words
By noon, the entire city knew.
Xolana Brooks was engaged again.
But this time, not to Darius.
To Kyro.
And the world had opinions.
The headlines were ruthless.
“SCANDAL BRIDE MARRIES INTO SAME FAMILY”
“BROTHERS AT WAR OVER ONE WOMAN”
“REVENGE OR LOVE? INSIDE THE DEVEREAUX DRAMA”
Xolana stared at the screen in Kyro’s penthouse, her expression unreadable as article after article painted her as either a victim… or a villain.
“They work fast,” she said quietly.
Kyro, standing behind her with a glass of whiskey in hand, didn’t look surprised.
“They’re controlled,” he corrected.
She turned slightly. “By your father?”
“By influence,” he replied. “Which, until this morning, belonged to him.”
Xolana crossed her arms. “And now?”
Kyro took a slow sip before answering.
“Now it’s being contested.”
A notification popped up.
A video.
Sanaa.
Xolana’s jaw tightened as she pressed play.
Her sister sat elegantly in front of the camera, dressed in soft white, her voice calm… almost sympathetic.
“I don’t want to speak about this, but I feel I have to. My sister is going through something emotional right now. What happened at the wedding clearly affected her deeply…”
Xolana scoffed under her breath.
The video ended.
Silence filled the room.
Then,
“She’s good,” she admitted.
“Very,” Kyro agreed.
Xolana shook her head slowly. “She just painted me as unstable.”
“And herself as concerned,” Kyro added.
Xolana let out a humorless laugh. “Classic Sanaa.”
Kyro stepped closer, setting his glass down.
“Then we respond.”
Xolana looked at him. “How?”
One Hour Later – Press Conference
Flashes exploded the moment they stepped out.
Cameras. Reporters. Microphones.
The energy was chaotic—but controlled.
Because this time,
Kyro was prepared.
He guided Xolana forward with a firm hand at her back, steadying her without making it obvious.
“Stay calm,” he murmured.
“I am calm,” she replied.
But her pulse said otherwise.
They reached the podium.
The noise didn’t stop until Ethan raised his hand.
Then,
Silence.
“I’ll keep this brief,” he said.
His voice carried effortlessly across the crowd.
“There has been a lot of speculation regarding my relationship with Xolana Brooks.”
A pause.
Then he did something unexpected.
He turned to her.
Not for show.
Not for performance.
But for connection.
And gently,
He took her hand.
Not the calculated grip from the boardroom.
Not the strategic display.
This was different.
Softer.
Realer.
Xolana felt it instantly.
And for a split second,
It unsettled her.
“I understand how this may look from the outside,” Kyro continued. “But let me make one thing clear.”
His grip tightened slightly.
“This is not impulsive.”
Cameras flashed wildly.
“This is intentional.”
A murmur spread.
Kyro’s heart beat faster.
She didn’t know if it was the attention—
Or him.
A reporter shouted, “Is this revenge against your brother?”
Kyro didn’t even hesitate.
“No.”
Another voice cut in, “Then why her?”
Kyro’s gaze didn’t leave Xolana’s.
And when he answered
His voice lowered.
“She chose me.”
That wasn’t part of the plan.
Xolana knew it instantly.
Her eyes flicked to his.
But his expression didn’t change.
“Xolana,” a reporter called, “Is this true? Are you acting out of heartbreak?”
All eyes turned to her.
This was her moment.
Her move.
Xolana stepped forward slightly.
Lifted her chin.
And spoke.
“I’m not heartbroken,” she said clearly.
The crowd quieted.
“I’m done being underestimated.”
That landed.
Hard.
“This decision,” she continued, “is mine. And I stand by it.”
Her gaze swept across the reporters.
Sharp.
Unapologetic.
“Anyone who thinks otherwise…”
A small pause.
“…clearly doesn’t know me.”
The press conference ended in a storm of flashing lights.
But this time,
The narrative had shifted.
Back in the Car
The door shut.
The noise disappeared.
Silence settled between them.
Then,
“That wasn’t in the script,” Amara said.
Kyro glanced at her. “Which part?”
“She chose me.”
A brief pause.
Then,
“I meant it.”
Xolana’s breath caught slightly.
Annoying.
Unexpected.
Dangerous.
She looked away.
“This is still a contract,” she reminded him.
“I know.”
“No emotions.”
“I know.”
She turned back to him, searching his face.
“Then don’t blur the lines.”
Kyro held her gaze.
Unmoving.
“Then don’t respond to it.”
The tension between them thickened.
Charged.
Unspoken.
Elsewhere…
Sanaa watched the press conference replay on her tablet.
Her expression was no longer soft.
No longer concerned.
It was cold.
Calculating.
Dangerous.
“She’s learning,” she murmured.
Darius paced the room, furious. “This is getting out of hand.”
Sanaa didn’t look at him.
“No,” she said slowly.
“It’s getting interesting.”
She set the tablet down.
And smiled.
“But if she wants to play this game…”
Her eyes darkened.
“…then I’ll remind her who taught her how to lose.”
Back to Xolana
That night, as she stood alone in Ethan’s penthouse once again, staring at the city lights, something felt different.
Not safe.
Not easier.
But clearer.
This wasn’t just revenge anymore.
It was control.
Power.
Survival.
And somewhere in the middle of it all
A line she swore she wouldn’t cross…
Was already beginning to blur.
- Writer
