his antipathic world

i tried to describe you to someone today, but i couldn't tell them about how i always wanted you more than just heated gazes and brushes of arms and legs against searing skins. i yearned for you more than the unspoken words said through teeth and tongues, and the rush of electricity of my hand through your hair down to the curve of your slender neck. with you, it always felt like home. you made me feel like the sky — when light returns after each cycle of darkness. when all words failed, i only told them that you're everything i could ever wish for.

(Aillard)

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Wren sat across the dining table, clad in my white button-down shirt. Her hair was a beautiful mess of brown waves against the gentle sunlight and her pale eyes remained fixed on the documents she held in her hand. Her other hand reached for the handle of her coffee mug, taking a sip before she settled it down on the coaster and grabbed a bite onto the toast from her breakfast plate. My eyes had been tracing her moves since she had her gaze all glued on the words on the sheets of paper ahead of her. I sat on the other end of the dining table, with all my attention on her and unable to comprehend a single thing in the newspaper that I held in front of me. 

"Sir, you had been staring at her so fervently, as though you're about to devour her in full," Grecia teased quietly, settling a plate of fruits on the dining table. 

I quickly snapped my gaze onto the lady who was smiling warmly at me now and I felt my cheeks heating up somehow. I let out a dry cough and replied in a faint voice, "Grecia, please do not tease me." 

Wren piped in after hearing my cough, but seemingly unaware of our conversation. She only asked, "Aillard, are you feeling unwell?" 

"Sir is definitely fine," Grecia chuckled, but finally sparing me when she quickly changed the topic by checking on Wren, "Are you having enough for breakfast, sweetheart?" 

"Can I have that serving of eggs, please?" Wren grinned cheekily at Grecia, eyeing the plate in Grecia's hand. 

The middle-aged lady happily delivered the plate of scrambled eggs to her and said, "Of course, darling, my old man prepared this for you."

"Give my thanks to Osbert," Wren laughed, scooping up a forkful of eggs and her shoulders did a small dance to express her delight.

Grecia was smiling at her warmly, with all her affection speckling in her eyes. I knew the couple treated her like their child and they loved her from the way they took care of her since she was brought to the Illiades household. Sometimes, I hope Wren knew that even when her family chose to abandon her at birth, she had a family here — even if it was part of a place filled with haunting nightmares.

Perhaps the day I had to disappear, I could rest assured at the fact that she would be loved and taken care of even in the absence of mine.

Sitting in the backseat beside Aillard, it reminded me of those days when we would leave the household together in the morning and return in the evening. I placed the documents in my hands aside, noticing that Aillard had been exceptionally quiet this morning. I turned to face him and asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Nothing, angel," Aillard responded, but the smile never reached his eyes.

I didn't fail to catch the unease in his voice when he kept looking towards his phone, even when there wasn't anything that required his attention. The rest of the trip was silent as I couldn't figure out what was it that bothered him — it couldn't have been the Suttons.

Upon reaching the main office building, we took the private lift that took us to the level where the conference hall was located. I followed behind Aillard, seeing how his aura changed within split seconds. The unsettling feelings were gone and replaced by nonchalance and languid confidence. He entered the conference hall, facing his guests directly while Harper Sutton greeted, "Nice to see you again, Aillard."

Aillard refused to return the politesse, settling in his seat in the conference room. I took the seat beside me and recognised the lawyer that the Suttons had hired. My fellow peer from law school, Wilson Clarke. He eyed me the moment I entered the room with an intimidating gaze, and I realised that the other end seemed confident in their wage of war. Harper continued, "Ms. Ashenherst, it seemed like you took your side too."

"Yes, I did," I smiled politely, unfazed by their attempts to place pressure on our confidence.

Then, the doors opened again. This time, a group of men in suits entered the conference room and marched past us to stand behind the Suttons. First came a surprise because of the sudden tension but when I saw the group of men, I exhaled a small laugh. Raising a brow, Harper Sutton asked, "Ms. Ashenherst, is there anything that amuses you?"

"Definitely," I smiled.

Beside me, Aillard looked at me with wonder in his expression. I nodded my head before excusing myself out of the room. Standing in the middle of the empty hallway, I picked out my phone from the pocket of my blazer and made a call.

A deep voice sounded through the speaker, "Wasn't expecting this call at all, Wren."

"Good day, Darian," I greeted. "You're definitely expecting this call from me."

"How can I help?"

"Withdraw your men," I stated, making myself utterly clear about my request.

"I don't think I can do that," Darian laughed.

"Darian, I'm sure you're aware of who you're speaking to?" I asked.

"I'm very much aware, sweetie," Darian responded. "I'm risking this for an important deal."

"This is a friendly warning," I reminded. "You're on the losing end of the deal, so withdraw your men. Now."

"The Marchetti family isn't the only one in this deal," Darian mentioned. "I can't withdraw my men, but I owe you much to help you out with this information. You sure put me in a difficult position, Wren."

"Make sure you're picking the right person to team with," I cautioned. "You can choose to jump board before I fill my team."

"Two days," Darian sighed. "Give me two days, sweetie."

"Wise men make wise choices, Darian," I smiled. "I'm very confident that you know who to side with."

"I can only say that I admire you, but I fear you at the same time."

"Do not fear," I chuckled. "You'll be profiting from a better deal on my end."

Ending the call, Darian sent a text to me. He left the initials of a name to me, and I already knew the meaning behind it.

I stared at the screen for a good moment. Even when I already knew that the person behind the Suttons wasn't going to be easy to deal with, I never knew of a psychopath that would sabotage his own blood. Eldrick must've caught Aillard's attempt to pull strings in Asia, and he was trying to trap Aillard before he could no longer control his puppet.

Putting my phone back into my pocket, I adjusted my blazer and walked into the conference room again. I took my seat beside Aillard and Wilson asked almost haughtily, "Ms. Ashenherst, can we follow through with the legal procedures now?"

With a slight nod, I gestured, "Go ahead."

When the formal meeting with the Suttons ended, I returned to my office with Wren. She sat at the opposite end of my desk, swivelling in the black chair. Her arm hugged onto the document file while she bit on the end of the ballpoint pen, seemingly deep in her thoughts. I decided to leave her alone for a moment, directing my attention to the report on my desktop. My eyes skimmed through the numbers until Wren decided to snap my attention away from my calculations when she called me, "Aillard."

I reacted to the name, like how I always would — like how I was forced to. Gazing straight into her pale blue eyes, I became concerned about the worry swimming within the depths in those orbs. I asked, "What is it, angel?"

"Do you know who's behind this whole ordeal?"

I remained silent and Wren already guessed that I knew that my father was the one behind this messy situation. She fumed, "I don't understand why he would sabotage his family legacy by ruining such a big collaboration and business expansion."

"Wren, let me have a moment alone," I said simply.

"Aillard—"

Standing from my seat, I leaned over the desk to peck a kiss on her forehead. I whispered, "Please, angel. I just need a moment to myself."

"Okay," Wren nodded. "Promise me that you'll tell me what's going on when you're done with this moment?"

"Promise," I breathed.

Wren picked up the document files and her pen, leaving me alone in my vast office. I dropped myself back onto the office chair and took out my phone to tap on the message that Jeremiah sent me in the morning.

It's only natural to know that Eldrick was behind this, for the sake to keep me tamed before I got out of control and turn the tides of the Illiades against him. Again, this was a reminder that the throne never belonged to me. The moment my doppelganger awakes, I would once again cease in existence in this world.

I dialled Jeremiah's number, but Mallory was the one on the other end of the line. She said anxiously, "Alek, Aillard's waking up."

"I heard," I said. "Tell me of his condition, Mallory." 

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