Rhys

"Are you actually going to the Calder estate?" Kayden demanded for the umpteenth time the exact second we stepped out of the Glacier Dome.

And each time he asked, I responded with the same calm nod. After finalizing that high-stakes deal with Anderson Park about preparing Raymond for the upcoming preseason, I had to stop by my grandfather’s estate. It was a necessary move, no matter how much Kayden clearly loathed the entire idea.

Kayden heaved a deep, frustrated sigh, rubbing a hand slowly over his face. "Why the hell do you have to physically go there? You told me yourself that you always feel like someone is suffocating you each time you step foot on that property, so why not just call Raymond to our house instead?"

Logically, that idea would have been the best approach. It certainly would have saved a lot of trouble if I had simply summoned Raymond to our house and layout the training schedule there. But a petty, vindictive part of my soul deeply wanted to boast directly to my father and grandfather.

I wanted to force them to see that the child they had always favored over me—the one they treated so much better than they ever did me—wouldn’t get a single foot inside a professional league without my direct intervention.

I wanted them to know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they owed me now. I could already perfectly picture the look of bitter defeat on Rami Calder’s face once he realized that he had lost his leverage, and I didn’t want to wait forever to witness it. I wanted to see it right now.

"I will have the security driver take you straight back to the penthouse if that is fine by you," I murmured, adjusting his coat for him. "Or would you rather go to your own apartment? You haven’t been back there in a while."

Kayden gave me a sharp, questioning look, his eyes searching mine so intensely that it had me wondering what was going on beneath his calm facade. The absolute last thing I wanted was for him to accompany me to that house and end up being insulted by Rami Calder.

My grandfather had a malicious knack for getting entirely under people’s skin, and if he had targeted Kayden before, he would do it again. Over and over again.

"You don’t want me coming with you?" Kayden asked softly.

I shook my head firmly in response. "Not in this case."

He sighed in defeat, finally offering a reluctant nod. "Alright. I am definitely not going back to my apartment because that place is empty, but I am watching the Olympics tonight. Tonight is the final event, and I can’t wait to watch Soren and Rio compete."

"Oh!" My eyes widened slightly as the realization hit me. I had completely forgotten that we were supposed to watch Soren’s big event tonight. "I will be back with Raymond long before it starts, and we can watch it together. Just stay safe and don’t let anything stress you out. Let Starlight keep you company until I am home, alright?" I muttered gently, leaning down to press a soft kiss against his forehead before stepping out of the van to head toward the secondary vehicle. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"Make sure that you take him straight to the penthouse, and the exact moment you are there, call me," I commanded the head of security, my tone dropping into a low register that left absolutely no room for argument.

"Yes, sir," he responded respectfully, climbing into the driver’s seat.

As the heavy vehicle began driving out of the enclosure, I waved at Kayden through the tinted glass, but he was already leaning back against the leather car seat, staring straight ahead without waving back.

He must be upset, I thought, a small pang of guilt hitting my chest. But there was no way in hell I would ever let him walk back into my family’s toxic line of fire. I had to face the Calders entirely alone.

"Let’s go," I muttered to the driver assigned to take me to the estate.

The moment I settled into the back seat and the car pulled into traffic, my phone buzzed with an incoming text from Kayden.

Be safe.

I smiled softly at the screen, knowing that he was only upset because he was fiercely protective of me, especially when it came to dealing with my family. But I was completely over that old fear; there was nothing left for them to weaponize against me anymore.

To assure him that everything was going to be perfectly fine, I typed back an instant response.

I will be.

As the hour-long journey to my grandfather’s estate got underway, I let out a slow, deep breath and leaned back against the leather seat. For the first time in my entire life, I didn’t feel a single ounce of anxiety. My heart wasn’t racing at the mere thought of entering my father’s house. There was no physical shaking, no suffocating weight crushing my chest—absolutely no panicking at all in this case.

And in that quiet moment, I realized just how drastically I had grown over the past few months.

Most people say that a profound internal change occurs the moment you meet the most wonderful person in your world, and there was absolutely no lie told there. Ever since I met Kayden, my entire life had turned around for the better. I had never been happier, and now, with our child on the way, I knew the best Chapters of our lives were about to begin. I was completely eager for everything the future held for us.

The journey took over an hour from the Glacier Dome.

As the car finally approached the massive perimeter of my father’s estate, the gate guards immediately recognized me and opened the gigantic black iron gates. I shifted smoothly in my seat, remaining entirely unbothered by the looming, oppressive shadow of the property.

In the past, my heart would have been hammering against my ribs by now, and I would have been on the verge of a massive panic attack. But not in this case. There was absolutely nothing of the sort.

"Sir, we have arrived," the driver announced, parking smoothly in front of my grandfather’s grand mansion.

I offered him a short nod. "Thank you."

Taking one last, slow, deep breath, I stepped out of the car, feeling a profound sense of absolute calm wash over me. I wasn’t overwhelmed or afraid; instead, a steady wave of unbreakable confidence carried me forward as I walked up the marble steps.

I reached the front door, and it was opened by one of the veteran maids, who looked completely paralyzed with shock the moment her eyes landed on me.

"Young master... you... you are actually here," she stuttered nervously. "The master is—"

"Oh, I didn’t come here for the master. I came for my brother. Where is Raymond?" I demanded flatly.

A sharp, artificial throat-clearing suddenly sounded from the foyer. Standing at the top of the mansion’s grand staircase was Linda, slowly walking down the steps with a pretentious, practiced smile plastered all over her face—a face I was incredibly grateful didn’t bear a single shred of resemblance to Kayden’s.

"Oh my, look who it is. You’re finally home, Rhys... It’s been an absolute while," she said, her voice dripping with layer upon layer of artificial warmth. "It’s so good to see you. How have you been holding up with everything?"

I maintained my stoic look—the cold, unreadable alpha mask I always wore each time I was forced to interact with her—and began walking directly toward the staircase. "I am sure you know exactly how I am doing, since you do absolutely nothing all day but spend your time scrolling through the internet, Linda. And no, it’s not good to see you. I didn’t come here for you; I came here strictly for Raymond."

Linda’s eyes widened in brief shock, as if I had mentioned the name of a ghost, but before she could formulate a venomous reply, my grandfather’s booming, authoritative voice echoed from the top of the landing.

"Raymond has left the estate. He hasn’t been home for days. Come to my study, Rhys. There is something that I must tell you."

As usual, there was no hello or welcome home, but what else did I genuinely expect from a ruthless, cold-hearted man like Rami Calder?

But his lack of manners wasn’t my main concern. Why the hell was Raymond not back at the house? Where could he have possibly gone, considering we had completely turned down his desperate offer to stay away from us days ago? I suddenly wished that I actually had his personal number; then I could have tried to call him directly to find out where he was hiding.

"I am highly surprised that you showed your face here after such a long time, Rhys," Rami stated coldly as I approached him. "The internet must have been incredibly brutal on you and Kayden today. I imagine you must desperately need my help to suppress the media."

I came incredibly close to chuckling out loud at my grandfather’s arrogance, because he had gotten the entire situation completely wrong.

"No, I didn’t come here because of your influence," I countered, looking him dead in the eye without flinching. "I am here strictly for Raymond."