In the marriage hall, the photographer was still setting up for the next shot when Darius cleared his throat again.
"Sir, we have the meeting," he said, voice low but firm. "We need to wrap up quickly or we're going to be late."
Zayden nodded. The camera flashed, catching the way he looked at caspian. Caspian understood. The warmth in the hall felt disappeared.
They moved to change. Caspian reached for the door so he can change dress when suddenly:
"Don't change your dress."
Zayden's voice stopped him. It wasn't an order. It was a request, he was pleading him with almost childish behavior, and it made Caspian's heart beat faster.
He turned. Zayden was looking at him like he'd disappear if the he let go.
Caspian chuckled at his childlike act, the sound soft in the suddenly quiet room. "Why?"
"I wanna see you in your wedding dress when I return." Zayden answered.
And so they sat in the car like that — Zayden in a black suit cut sharp enough to kill, Caspian still in ivory, the skirt pooling around them like spilled moonlight. Caspian leaned against his chest, ear to Zayden's heartbeat, while Zayden caressed his hair lightly, fingers threading through the strands again and again. Possessive and reverent.
Elaine and Darius in the front seat were trying really hard to pretend they didn't see anything. Darius kept his eyes on the road. Elaine typed like the tablet owed her money.
The cars entered the palace and stopped in the courtyard. Their car rolled to a halt in front of the palace doors. Elaine got down and opened the door for Caspian, while Darius opened the door for Zayden.
They got out. The evening air kissed Caspian's shoulders.
Caspian turned toward him, brows drawn. "Didn't you have a meeting?" he asked curiously.
Zayden took his hand and led him inside, as he whispered, "Meetings can wait."
There, sprawled on the grand staircase, was Elara. She was busy on her phone, but the moment she saw them her eyes sparkled. She shot to her feet.
"Ohh, wowwww, can I call him brother-in-law now?"
Zayden offered her a stare that could freeze lava before turning toward Caspian. He lowered his voice , meant only for caspian, but Elara heard anyway.
"Beauty, if she irritates you or annoys you, just hit her however you want. Don't be shy, okay? She is also your younger sister now."
Caspian's lips twitched at his words.
"I am listening!!" Elara protested from her position, hands on her hips.
Zayden just scoffed at her. Caspian couldn't help it — he chuckled at their sibling behavior, the sound bright in the marble hall.
"Wowww, he is so cute when he laughs," Elara beamed, pointing at Caspian like she'd found gold. "Brother, where the hell did you find him?"
Zayden completely ignored her. "If she talks like that, just ignore her," he advised Caspian, thumb brushing over Caspian's knuckles.
Caspian just held his gaze, smiling lightly. The world shrank to Zayden's eyes.
"When will you come back?" he questioned lightly, fingers curling into Zayden's lapel.
"I will be back before dinner." Zayden kissed his forehead. Slow. Claiming. A promise pressed into skin.
Then he turned to Elara. "Behave yourself if you don't have death wish."
Elara saluted. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Zayden's lips twitched. And after warning his little sister, he got out of the palace.
The moment he stepped past the doors, the softness disappeared from his face. There was only coldness and the craziness he never showed Caspian. The kind that made old alphas check their wills.
Darius opened the door. He got inside.
The whole convoy moved with him. There were too many cars — you couldn't even count them — because for mafias, meetings were never for peace. They were always for testing the capability of your opponent to attack them. And Zayden was too aware of their laws.
The cars moved through the roads. The public couldn't help but turn their eyes toward the black cars that looked more dangerous than war. The convoy passed a restaurant, and everyone got out to see them. There was no fear in their eyes.
One omega tugged her boyfriend. "Look, mafias are cool. I want you to be one. There is nothing in police, you should join mafia."
Her boyfriend just shook his head, because everyone knows that mafia are not like commoners. They had scars deeper than pain. And the one in mafia never _lives_ — they just _survive_.
The convoy entered the parking lot of a 40-floor building that looked like an office. Everything seemed normal — people coming and going for their specific tasks.
Some cars stopped at the sides of the road as all cars didn't fit the parking lot. People, instead of running with fear, took out their phones and started taking selfies with guards who stood on high alert with blank expressions.
Someone shouted: "Oh, it's Draykorr mafia guards!" And suddenly people were more interested in bodyguards than their own life problems.
Zayden took a deep breath as he saw the crowd in the distance. Darius offered him a black mask and cap.
He wore it and got out of the car. The cool, dominant alpha pheromones spread out with his presence — winter and iron and something feral. Many omegas looked at him in greed, while some looked at him in awe. Even one boyfriend who was trying to drag his omega far away froze at his presence.
No doubt, he is everyone's favorite. He is just too handsome. Dark brown eyes sparkled above the black mask. Dark black hair hidden in the cap. But no one dared to cross the line. One reason was the body-builder bodyguards, and the other was his cold mafia nature.
He passed through them into the lift with the guards. Everyone turned their heads to look at him. Even the old accountant took peeks at him. He just entered the lift while ignoring everyone's gazes. He was used to them.
The lift opened at the 20th floor. The floor was empty — cleared. He took off the mask and cap and gave them to Darius while Elaine gave him a tablet. He just glanced at the tablet for details of the meeting once and gave it back.
Then he entered the room.
The room was filled with light from the windows. Everyone was already seated. Zayden turned his eyes toward everyone, trying to recognize Silas. Then he saw him sitting at the corner seat, smirking at him.
Zayden nodded toward Darius. He closed the door behind them as Zayden moved deeper into the room. The coldness spread everywhere in his presence as the temperature of the room dropped ten degrees. Zayden coldly locked his eyes with Silas.
Everyone stood at his heavy presence. Everyone was older than him in the room, but he was the dominant one. It suddenly reminded everyone why they feared him the most.
Everyone greeted him: "Welcome, Mr. Volkov."
Zayden just nodded while sitting. He gestured for everyone to sit. They sat straight like their lives depended on it.
Henrik — currently the oldest and most powerful one in the room — started. "So you must know why we called you, Mr. Volkov."
Zayden signaled Elaine, who stood behind him. She passed the papers to Zayden. Zayden pressed them on the table and slid them toward Henrik.
"Here. It's our marriage contract. I didn't steal him. He agreed to marry me. Here's the proof you can see." Zayden glared at him coldly.
Henrik took the marriage contract papers and passed them to Silas. Silas didn't look at them. He already knew about this through Judge Han. He glared at Zayden as he coldly said, "I won't accept this. You must have forced him to sign the marriage contract."
Zayden turned his gaze toward him and locked eyes with him. "Then how should I believe that he is your bride to be?"
There was silence everywhere.
This time Viktor — the powerful one in logic — tried to negotiate. "Okay, okay, fine, Mr. Volkov, Mr. Silas, just calm down. We can't decide like this, so just talk about a solution. Mr. Volkov, why shouldn't you just bring the omega to the meeting so we decide the results accurately and solve this matter?"
Zayden turn his head slowly toward Viktor. "Are you saying that I am lying right now, Mr. Viktor?" He smirked at him. "You should know your limit. You are not talking about _someone_. You are talking about my _husband_ right now."
Mr. Viktor quickly tried to cover up. "Oh, it's not like that, Mr. Volkov, you see—"
"Enough." Zayden stood. "He is not your product to decide his future. I have provided the evidence you want. He is married to me. If anyone has any doubt, they can come to my territory to clear them. I am finished."
He turned but stopped at the voice of Silas. "And who the hell do you think you are to marry him?"
Zayden turned around. Everyone froze. Other mafias signaled Silas to keep silent through their glares, but Silas didn't care about them.
"YOU ARE TAKING SOMEONE FROM ME THAT'S BEEN PROMISED TO ME FOR 7 YEARS AND NOW YOU ARE TELLING ME TO STAY OUT Of This Matter. Who Do You Think You ARE?" he yelled at Zayden.
Zayden took a few steps toward him. He pressed both hands on the table as he bent toward him, their eyes pressing daggers at each other. Zayden smiled at him — all blade, no warmth.
"No doubt why he ran from you. You're such an old geezer." Zayden mocked him.
Silas lunged at him, reaching for Zayden's collar. Before he could grab it, Zayden pulled a knife from nowhere and pressed its tip into Silas's palm. With one precise movement, the knife sliced sharply through his hand.
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The hall shook with Silas's cry. The guards stood at standby, pointing their guns toward Zayden. Every mafia froze at the sudden turn of events, but they all knew they couldn't kill Zayden here. Because mafias never bluntly killed their opponents. They required plans to execute perfectly so police wouldn't catch them. All mafias in the room took a few steps away from him. Blood spread across the table. Fear spread everywhere.
"AHHHHHHHHH, VOLKOVVVV," Silas growled at him while gritting his teeth. "I WILL KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!"
He lunged toward Zayden again but other mafias stopped him. Zayden cruelly smiled at him. "You are welcome to enter the list of mafias who are always eager to murder the innocent like me?"
"YOU BASTARD!!! JUST YOU WAIT." Silas yelled at him but Zayden didn't look back as he got out of the room. The guns were still pointed at him. The yells still didn't stop, but no one dared to stop him.
He got out of the room. Elaine and Darius followed him with the guards.
He entered the lift. Darius offered him the mask and cap. He wore them, and when the lift stopped at the first floor, it felt like no one had moved the entire time he was in the meeting. The phone cameras were still pointing at him. He just got out through the crowd with a blank expression and sat in the car as the convoy again moved toward their destination.
He leaned back against the seat. Today he was too tired.
But he had promise to Kept.
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