Kaiden’s anger flared white-hot behind his eyes.
His fist came down.
"No-" Damian flinched violently and screamed, the sound tearing from his throat in raw terror. His arms flew up instinctively to protect his face, his broken shoulder sending lightning bolts of agony through his entire body. He squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the impact that would surely end him. After seeing Kaiden butcher the men who easily beat Damian to a pulp, the boy knew he was far, far out of his league.
But the punch never came.
The hand stopped an inch away from his face.
Damian’s scream cut off abruptly, dying in his throat. His chest heaved with panicked breaths as he slowly opened his eyes. Kaiden’s fist hung suspended in the air between them. The fury radiating from the man was palpable, a living thing that pressed down on Damian like a physical weight.
But he hadn’t struck.
Damian looked up at Kaiden uncertainly, confusion and terror warring on his tear-streaked face. His whole body trembled, and he couldn’t tell if it was from pain, fear, or the adrenaline crash finally hitting him.
Kaiden’s eyes were cold and hard as stone.
"If you truly believe that she’s being manipulated, then you never knew your sister to begin with."
The words landed like blows.
Kaiden stood slowly, pulling his hand back and turning away. His coat shifted with the movement.
Damian’s vision blurred as tears began streaming down his face, mixing with the blood and grime already coating his skin. His throat closed up, and he could barely force the words out. "I know..." he whispered, broken and small. "I know she’s not being manipulated..."
Kaiden began walking away, letting his footsteps echo against the brick walls.
"You can be angry with the world," he said without looking back. "You can hate yourself. You can despise me all you want."
He paused for just a moment.
"But Aria is the only person in this world who doesn’t deserve your disgusting attitude."
Damian broke.
A sob tore from his chest as the words shattered what little composure he had left. "Sister..." he whimpered, the word coming out choked and desperate.
Memories flooded him all at once, crashing over him like waves.
Aria coming home exhausted after working two shifts, her hands raw and red from scrubbing dishes at the restaurant. Aria skipping meals so he and Lux could eat. Aria turning down university acceptance letters because they couldn’t afford the tuition and she needed to work full-time. Aria staying up late to help him with his homework, even though she was barely staying conscious. Aria smiling through it all, telling him everything would be okay, that she’d take care of them.
She’d sacrificed everything.
Her education. Her youth. Her dreams.
All so he could have food on the table, clothes on his back, and a chance at a future she never got to have.
And he’d just called her defiled.
Called her manipulated.
Accused the man she loved, the man who helped her escape that life, of controlling her.
The disgust he felt toward himself was overwhelming, a nauseating wave that made his stomach turn. He wanted to claw the words back, to unsay them, to take back every vile thing he’d just spat about the one person who had given up everything for him.
"I’m sorry," he sobbed, his voice breaking completely. "I’m sorry..."
But Kaiden was already walking away.
He gestured to one of the agents standing in the shadows. The operative stepped forward immediately, silent and efficient.
"Take this boy home," Kaiden ordered without emotion. "I don’t want Aria to see him. She’ll not be able to focus on the competition."
The agent nodded once. "Yes, sir."
Kaiden didn’t look back.



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