Althea

06

Khaos

The night before, I held her.

I told myself I would just stay for a moment, just until she stopped shaking. But then her fingers curled into my shirt, her breathing slowed against my chest, and I couldn't move. I didn't want to move. I laid back on that goddamn excuse for a bed, her warmth pressed against me, and for the first time in my life, I felt at peace.

But peace was never meant for men like me.

I left before she woke up.

And now, I stand in this suffocating room, watching her walk straight into hell.

The engagement hall is grand, draped in gold and crimson, filled with the scent of wine and expensive cigars. My jaw clenches as I watch her enter.

Althea.

My Althea.

She is breathtaking. And she is terrified.

Dressed in soft champagne silk, the dress clings to her in all the right ways, delicate straps kissing her skin, her collarbones exposed, her hair cascading down her back in soft curls.

She's ethereal, devastatingly beautiful—so much so that it physically hurts to look at her. But her eyes.

Her eyes are screaming.

She scans the crowd, and when she finds me, it's like the rest of the world falls away. There is no music, no murmurs of approval, no clinking of glasses. Just her. Just those emerald eyes locked onto mine, silently pleading.

A silent plea.

Stop this.

My hands curl into fists. I should. I f*****g should. But I don't move.

Instead, I stand beside Sofia, the woman I am meant to marry, the woman my father has chosen for me. She is speaking, laughing lightly as she loops her arm through mine. But her voice is background noise, static against the roaring in my head.

She's beautiful. Cold, but beautiful. A perfect mafia bride.

She runs a perfectly manicured finger down the lapel of my suit, her voice smooth as silk. "You're distracted, Khaos."

I force a smirk, turning to look at her. "Am I?"

She tilts her head, eyes sharp. "It's her, isn't it?" she muses, swirling the champagne in her glass. "The little maid."

I don't answer. I don't have to. I ignore her. I have to.

Because across the room, Althea is walking toward the man who doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as her.

Eamon is already there, already pulling Althea beside him. He looks her up and down like she's a possession, something he's won. My stomach churns with disgust.

She stands beside him like a caged bird awaiting its sentence. His grip on her arm is too tight, his smirk is too wide. He's enjoying this—enjoying the way she flinches under his touch, the way she struggles to keep her chin up.

"I knew she'd clean up nice," Eamon muses, gripping her wrist as he lifts her hand. "But I prefer when she's on her knees."

Rage coils in my gut. I take a step forward before I can stop myself, but Kai's voice halts me.

"Careful, brother," he murmurs from behind me, amusement lacing his tone.

"Step in now, and you might as well put the ring on her finger yourself."

I exhale sharply through my nose, forcing my feet to stay planted.

Eamon chuckles, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring. Althea stiffens, her gaze flicking to me again. Her fingers twitch slightly, barely noticeable, but I see it.

She's begging me.

Do something.

I clench my fists so hard my knuckles turn white.

Eamon doesn't notice. He shoves the ring onto her finger, too rough, too possessive, like she's nothing more than an object to claim. He leans in, his lips brushing against her ear as he murmurs something that makes her entire body go rigid.

I see red.

Althea's lashes flutter, her entire body trembling. Her other hand, the one not trapped in his grip, clenches into a fist.

I clench mine, too.

Kai exhales a low whistle. "Must be painful, huh? Watching the only woman you've ever wanted slip right through your fingers? All because you're too much of a coward to fight for her."

"You're a coward, Khoas. A greedy coward,"

I snap my head toward him, my teeth grinding. "Shut the f**k up."

Kai only smirks. "If you say so."

Eamon turns to the crowd, lifting Althea's hand as if she's some trophy he's just won. "Meet my fiancée!"

Applause.

I don't hear it. My pulse is too loud, my thoughts too sharp, the taste of regret too f*****g bitter on my tongue.

I should stop this.

I should shove that dirty bastard away from her and claim her as mine right here.

I should let the world know this woman belongs to me and only me.

But I don't.

I want to be the Capo.

I want to have power.

And power demands sacrifice.

So, I do nothing but stand there, drowning in my agony.

But when Althea's eyes meet mine again, filled with nothing but agony, nothing but betrayal, I swear to God—

I've never hated myself more.

I've disappointed my Althea.

My stupid Althea.