23 #2
That was actually great advice, especially because there were a few more things that I wanted to get in order. I thanked them and left my lunch even to go talk to Sagan. All she cared about was if I was okay and if there was anything she could do to help me.
I blinked back tears as I squatted down next to her, not caring who was around. “You are truly the best of us, my niece. Never forget that no matter what they do to you, okay?”
She nodded with a frown. “You’re worrying me, Darren.”
“I’m fine. Just need to right a few wrongs and be brave.” I stood and kissed her hair. “I learned it from you. Time to put some old assholes in their place.”
She winked at me. “I look forward to hearing about your victory then.”
Because she had no doubt I would win. That faith in me when I even doubted myself carried me through what came next.
Well, not the nap on the plane and gathering the rest of my presentation, but the strength to walk into my family’s compound and basically burn it all down. Metaphorically, but… There wasn’t much of a difference at times.
I wasn’t surprised that everyone was gathered.
Father liked the dramatics and controlled most of the family in a way he shouldn’t have.
The elders probably just wanted the details because they all thought we had a great relationship.
They still saw the young boy I’d been who wanted nothing more than to be just like his dad.
That boy was long gone and replaced with a man who loathed the people who gave him life.
“Good, now that you’re finally here, we can get started and finish this nonsense,” Father said as he gestured for me to sit.
I sighed. Heavily. “I’m early. Could you try to be accurate and not always look ridiculous? You’re embarrassing, and that’s why I’ve haven’t allowed you into any business meetings in decades. You come to any fundraiser or company function to shake hands and crack jokes and that’s it.”
“I built this whole empire we have, boy, and you will—”
“You built nothing,” I roared, shocking everyone there…
Even Father. “You lost almost everything Grandfather built and would have if I hadn’t saved your stupid ass.
” A few clicks to connect what I’d brought and I loaded the start of my presentation on the meeting room screens I’d insisted upon years ago.
“And honestly, this whole meeting is moot. You’re already out. ”
My great-great-uncle held up his hand to Father and narrowed his gaze at me. “What do you mean by that, Darren? That’s not your decision to make.”
“It’s not my decision to make about being the head of the family,” I clarified but then smirked at Father. “But he no longer owns anything. I do. I own it all and have for over a decade.”
I tapped my tablet and showed the corporate entities organizational chart and glanced around the room.
“I bought out our family companies years ago. They’re all under my LLC. I own everything.” I focused back on Father. “Still think you’re always the smartest one in the room, boy?”
Father blew like I knew he would. That was honestly the goal because he hopped the table and came at me. I set my tablet down so it was safe and met him in the middle of the room so no one would get hurt.
Something he didn’t give a shit about.
“You fucking traitor!” he roared as he came for me.
I ducked his attack and grabbed his arm, spinning him towards me as I hit him with all I had. Blood exploded from his face, several people gasping as I knocked him out in one shot.
“You’re the traitor, and that’s for what you did to Amelia,” I said as I dropped his unconscious body.
Then I turned to Mother. “Do not lie for him. I will speak the truth, but so help me I will bring in truth dragons or the tigers helping Sagan and make this a hundred times worse if you lie for him like you always do.”
“Speak your truth, Darren,” one of the other family elders said as he waved Mother quiet. “Clearly, there is a lot more going on here that we didn’t know.”
I snorted. “With all due respect, you had blinders on at the time.” I gave a half shrug.
“If we are to fix this family and be the pillars of the community the nation thinks us, it’s time to be honest. About a lot.
” I let out a long breath. “I should have done this sooner.
I should have done this while Amelia was alive.
“She wouldn’t have suffered as much in that fucking place as she did.
Sagan wouldn’t have grown up so broken and under Rhys’s control if I had.
The women of this family wouldn’t still be treated like pretty mares instead—we need to start this by being honest. Even if you don’t say it here, be honest with yourselves and you ignored what happened to Amelia! ”
They didn’t like it, but I saw several of them had guilt in their gazes. They might not have known the story, but they knew it didn’t add up.
I let out a slow breath knowing I’d won the point and it was best to move on.
“She disobeyed Father by mating Rhys—dating him even. That’s what all of this was about.
She didn’t mate the man he wanted her to.
” I pointed to Mother when she opened her mouth.
“No! No more lies! For once—you owe that to Amelia.”
She swallowed loudly and lowered her head. “It’s true. It was retribution because she—there’s no reason we couldn’t have kept in touch without influencing the royal family. He wanted her to suffer for not obeying him and regret her choice. Gods help me, I never argued because…”
She wasn’t strong enough. She was raised however—it didn’t matter.
She was obedient and did what she was told.
I went over the details and showed the “receipts” basically from the business merger that was supposed to happen because of Amelia’s mating and more. Messages from Father threatening my position if I didn’t stop visiting and communicating with the “bitch of a traitor” and more.
“His pride ruined a chance for our family to shine,” I told them after I gave them a few minutes to digest it all. “Not get rich off the royal family. I did that without any help and honorably while cleaning up Father’s messes all of the time. But we could have helped Thovudin.
“Rhys was pinned down at every turn by corrupt elders because no powerful families were in his corner. None would dare when his own in-laws stayed out of it and Father laughed at that. He knew what was happening and laughed. So he did influence it all, but negatively, all to punish Amelia for not acting like his property.”
“I will kill you,” Father said as he pushed to get up.
I turned to face him and snorted. “Old man, I could take you out without breaking a sweat.” I pulled out my phone and tapped a few times before showing him something on it. “And I have diplomatic immunity now, so I can. Don’t fucking test me.”
“You don’t have it in you to kill me,” he muttered, but I saw the worry in his eyes.
I tucked my phone away and grabbed him by the front of his jacket.
“You helped do all of this to Sagan. This is where the dominoes landed because of your selfishness and desire to control everyone in your bloodline! Elders trapped her into this fucking contest and Alphas—you have no idea the damage you have done!”
I threw him across the room and knocked him out again before I couldn’t control my dragon and killed him.
“It ends today,” I said firmly as I stared around the room.
“I control the companies. Fine, don’t name me head of the family even after I’ve proven he’s completely incompetent to let that happen and only cares about his own interests, not what’s best for all of us or Thovudin.
But the money comes with me.” I gestured all around us to say it was all mine basically.
“Clearly, your father is out, but we cannot just completely reverse our position on being involved with the royal family,” one of my uncles argued. “And you’re too busy being her advisor to be head of the family.”
I snorted. “You just want the fucking job. You’re just as selfish and would act like Father.
” I waved him off and looked at the family elders.
“And yes, we can. An elder family attacked our blood. It’s an easy change of position after that.
Our nation isn’t just elder and Alpha families that matter.
Others do as well, and it’s time we step up. ”
“I agree with that—always have,” one of my great-aunts said firmly.
“But I think it’s up to everyone here how they handle it.
That was always my issue. We can all decide things like that for ourselves.
Yes, certain things we decide or should stand together as a family, but…
I don’t want to get involved in royal politics. ”