Sacred Flame: His Enemy, His Mate (BL)-Chapter 75: Father

Kael Dreaven

I stepped out of the car, my boots hitting the pavement with a dull thud. A quick glance around told me there were new faces here today. Fresh blood. Some of them stood stiffly by the entrance, trying too hard to look like they belonged. Others carried themselves with the kind of ease that only came with time—like they already knew what kind of place this was.

The mansion in front of me was grand, almost picturesque, the kind of place anyone would dream of living in at first sight. But if only they knew.

Two men in dark suits and sunglasses stood at the door like statues. They didn’t speak, just stepped aside the moment they saw me. Good. At least some people around here still knew their place.

Inside, the air was cold. It always was. Not the kind of cold that made you shiver, but the kind that sank into your bones, the kind you stopped noticing after a while because it just became part of you.

That’s how it worked for me.

You don’t fight it. You just learn to live with it.

I headed up the stairs, my steps steady, unhurried. Today was just another day so the guest sitting room should’ve been where he was. It was his usual spot at this hour. But as I stepped inside,

"Mr. Draeven said to come to his office," one of them guards said, standing rigid by the door.

I turned on my heel and made my way back down, my pace quickening as I descended.

I knocked twice on the door to his office before it was opened by a guard who head out and shut the door behind him as soon as I got in,

The man’s gaze was buried in some documents in front of him. I approached the table and drew out a chair in front of him and sat down in it.

It was only then that he lifted his head up and looked at me with a frown. He didn’t speak right away. He just sat there, staring at me like he was deciding whether I was worth the effort of being angry at. Then, finally, he let out a slow breath, placing the document he was holding onto the desk.

"You think this is a joke?" His voice was calm, but the edge beneath it was sharp. "Ignoring my orders, running off as you please, should I be impressed by how little you care?"

I leaned back in the chair, resting an arm on the armrest as I met his gaze with an easy smile. "I just took a little trip back to the base yesterday evening. No big deal, right? Surely Father wouldn’t be upset over something so small?"

His expression darkened. "A little trip?" He scoffed. "And what about my guards? Beating them half to death, breaking their bones. Was that also part of your little trip?"

I sighed, feigning innocence. "What can I say? They were too stubborn they refused to let me go."

Of course, that wasn’t the full story.

Yesterday evening, after taking the whips, I intended to go back to the base. Kain hadn’t seen me for two days after being taken away by the chopper, so he must’ve been wondering where the hell I was. So I couldn’t leave him waiting, even though I knew he was definitely going to yap, scream his lungs out and scowl when he saw me, but that was among the intriguing things I can’t seem to get enough of from him.

Thinking about him now, I couldn’t help picturing his face as he slept peacefully in my bed before I slipped out this morning. After all, it wasn’t like I had served my punishment here completely.

Given that, the moment Father rushed off to handle some emergency yesterday, I took my chance. Just that there was a little problem. His dogs were so devoted to him that they wouldn’t back down, wouldn’t let me leave while I was still being nice so I just let it all out and cleared them out.

The man exhaled sharply, his fingers drumming against the desk infuriatingly. His gaze boring into me, his jaw tightening with a flicker of irritation flashing across his face before it disappeared behind that cold, unreadable mask of his. "You still think you can do whatever you want?"

I held his gaze, my smile unwavering, but inside, I weighed my next words carefully knowing fully well this man wasn’t a man to be pushed too far or he’ll bounce back.

But that didn’t mean I wouldn’t push him at all. I mean what fun would that be?

I exhaled lightly, tilting my head. "Father, if you wanted me locked up like some caged beast, you would’ve done it already." My voice was calm, almost lazy, but there was a flicker of challenge beneath it. "Unless, of course, you enjoy all this, calling me back just to scold me like an unruly child. Or it couldn’t be because father was afraid I would be disappearing on him? Well, you can stay rest assured, I’m not planning to do that anytime soon."

"I’d be careful if I were you," he continued, "One wrong move, and someone else might decide to step in."

I kept my face neutral, but something in my chest twisted but I didn’t let go of my smile, "Father, if you wanted him gone, he’d be gone even before he ran. Not to mention spending a whole five years out there like a free bird."

The words barely left my mouth before his fist slammed down on the desk. The impact rattled the documents some flew away and scattered on the floor,

"Fucking bastard!" He sneered, leaning to strike me across my face.

I didn’t move. Of course I knew how to push his button, and given that news must’ve touched him about his precious kain Locke spending the night in my room. I knew that must’ve angered him more. Good! All that show wasn’t for nothing.

I mean I only kissed him at the party and he sent two trailers to squash us. Maybe me, because no matter what, I was certain he couldn’t afford Kain’s death. Even though he wanted him dead, but not until he saw his motive, I’m trying to get to the bottom of it to the very end.

"Kneel." he commanded in that sharp voice of his he never gets tired to use, his voice leaving no room for argument as he motioned his hand to the middle of the room. "Over there you bastard!"

He sprang up from his chair, striding over to one of the shelves near the back of the office.

My eyes followed him as he pressed a button between the books, it hummed for a second before creaking and sliding open the next second to reveal a hidden compartment that has always been there since the very first moment I got here. A row of whips hung neatly inside, each one crueler than the last. Some had spikes, some with metal-tipped ends designed to cut deep.

He ran his fingers along them, selecting one with practiced ease. "Since you refuse to listen, and defy my orders at any given opportunity, then I’ll have to make you understand since it seems you tend to forget." he said, striding closer.

I still didn’t move.

That only made him angrier.

With a growl, he lashed out without warning, the whip cutting through the air before snapping across my back. A sharp sting followed, then a deeper, searing pain as it tore through the bandages Kain had carefully wrapped around me just last night.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to react.

"Still sitting? Good. That means you can take more." he sneered as the whip cracked again, striking across the same spot, splitting the skin open painfully so that I fell from the chair and landed on the polished floor.

Pain flared hot and raw, but I refused to make a sound, even turned to him with a little smile to taunt him more.

I could almost hear Kain’s voice in my head, scolding me, furious that I was letting this happen. But this wasn’t about endurance or pride. It’s about not giving him the satisfaction he gets each time he does this.

After several minutes of being whipped without stopping, and the whips tearing and yanking out my back, even the bandages must be shreds now.

Blood was all over the floor now,

I could barely lift a finger, but I groaned, shutting my eyes against the stinging pain, and my shoulders feeling like it would be falling off as I planted both hands on the floor and dragged myself up, fiercely wiping the blood running from my nose.

The whip struck again, slicing through my back with a sharp, searing pain. I bit down the sting, exhaling through my nose.

Then, just as suddenly as it began, it stopped.

Was he done? I thought lifting my head to look at him to see his fingers still remain tightened on the handle before tossing the whip aside like it was nothing more than a used-up tool. His attention had already shifted, his gaze flicking toward the door as it creaked open.

I followed his line of sight, my muscles still tense from the pain.

A figure stepped into the room, moving with quiet, controlled steps. A cloaked woman, or at least, that’s what she wanted people to see.

I barely spared her a glance at first. Caspian’s people always came in different types like silent shadows that followed his every command,

But something about her made my instincts prickle.

I let my gaze drift, taking in the smooth, unnatural way she moved. This wasn’t a woman. Not really. It might be, just as it might not be because this person was obviously wearing one of the most expensive cloaking devices in the city due the usual shape of a bald-headed figure, usually worn by many of the android copy of someone.

I didn’t react, didn’t let my expression shift. But then, something else caught my eye.

It was a file.

Thick, official one, clutched firmly in her hands.

My eyes landed on the emblem stamped in gold across the front.

I knew that emblem.

I mean it would be impossible not to recognize the logo of my mother’s company.

My pulse gave a single hard thud against my ribs.

For years, her company had been untouchable. A fortress of wealth and power, built to withstand even men like Caspian Draeven. I had never tried to claim it, never dared, because to do so would mean challenging him directly. After all, he wasn’t entitled to it. Grandfather made sure of it.

So if such a file was here, in his office...

What the hell was he planning?

I didn’t even have a chance for an answer when he said to me, "You can go now."

There would be no point staying here, whatever he has to say, he wouldn’t do it in my presence anyway, so I ground my teeth and forced myself to stand with great difficulty, but just as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me cold.

"You have something to do for me, so wait in your room. I’ll be with you soon, and I don’t want to have new guards here tomorrow. You can choose to dare me, just know that the one who will be kneeling here next will be him, not you."

I forced my expression to remain neutral, swallowing down the irritation clawing at my throat as I walked out of his office, the door shutting and the person starting to speak.