With a sharp intake of breath, I turned away from him and stepped back into the thrumming crowd. My heart raced as I pushed past couples dancing and groups chatting without looking back. Hades's gaze burned into my back like an unwanted brand; it clung to me even as the distance grew.
Why did he have this hold over me? The question gnawed at my mind as I fought through the throng of people who chattered obliviously about their lives while mine spiraled out of control behind them.
Where was Callista?
Why wasn't she here?
And why did he make me feel… so out of control?
An hour had passed without any sign of my sister, and the party felt suffocating without her there. It was supposed to be her night—the engagement party of the year—but instead, it felt like a masquerade of lies. I needed a moment away from all the eyes on me, all the forced smiles and empty pleasantries. The laughter and chatter from the ballroom faded into the background as I slipped down the dimly lit hallway, my heart pounding louder than the music.
The private lounge stood just ahead, its door slightly ajar, inviting me into the quiet.
As I approached, muffled voices drifted through the crack, stopping me in my tracks. Curiosity tugged at me; I pressed myself against the cool wall beside the door, straining to hear.
“I don’t care what he said! This wedding is off!” My father’s voice rose, filled with frustration.
“Henry, we can’t let this go on,” my mother interjected, her tone laced with urgency. “Callista needs to come back. We can’t lose everything we’ve built with Hades.”
“What we’ve built?” My father scoffed. “This is about our daughter’s future! You think Hades gives a damn about her? He sees her as an asset!”
I felt a cold knot form in my stomach as their words sank in.
“He’s been promising stability for years! But where is Callista? She should be here celebrating her engagement,” my mother replied sharply.
“She’s not coming back,” Hades added smoothly. “And you both know it.”
I flinched at his voice—smooth and mocking—every syllable dripped with that same charm that unsettled me earlier.
“What do you mean?” My father’s voice cracked slightly, betraying his composure.
“I mean she left on her own terms,” Hades said matter-of-factly. “You can't force her into this marriage.”
A silence stretched out before my heart raced again—this couldn’t be happening.
“She wouldn’t just disappear!” My mother sounded desperate now.
“She didn’t just disappear.” Hades’s tone shifted slightly; I could almost hear his smirk through the wall. “She made a choice.”
“Where did she go?” My father demanded.
“That's not for me to say,” he replied casually. “But I suggest you prepare yourselves for some very public fallout.”
Panic surged within me as I leaned closer to catch any more words but remained hidden in shadow—my mind racing with thoughts of Callista and where she could be. The walls felt like they were closing in around me as I realized everything had changed in an instant.
I pressed my back against the wall, heart hammering as I strained to catch every word.
Hades’s voice slipped through the door, low and dangerous. “We had a deal.”
His tone sent ice coursing through my veins. I’d heard enough stories about men like him, ruthless and unyielding. He wouldn’t let this go without a fight.
“She’s your daughter,” Hades continued, his voice smooth but edged with something sharp. “You really didn’t know her at all, did you? All those years of pretending—she was never as good and obedient as you thought, hmm?”
A choked breath escaped my throat as I processed his words. Callista had always been the perfect daughter—the obedient one, the one who made our parents proud. And now she was gone.
But where?
Why?
