Nights Burn With Regret — by Nathan Perez 154
Chapter 154
Chapter 154
Hades
I looked down at the chessboard through my glasses, the faint reflection of black and white pieces staring back at me. My sleeves were rolled up, the cuffs creased, my tie long gone and forgotten somewhere in the room. My hair was a mess, fingers having dragged through it one too many times as the game dragged on. Calmly, I picked up my black piece and moved it forward.
The white piece in its path fell. I removed it from the board without hesitation and set it aside.
Across from me, my father studied the board in silence. His gaze was dark, and focused in that way that always made people uneasy. He took his time before finally moving one of his white pieces forward, the faint scrape of wood against wood breaking the quiet tension between us.
I didn’t rush. I pushed my rook forward instead, boxing him in. In response, he moved his king.
My lips curled slowly as I leaned back in my chair, studying the board and then lifting my gaze to him, amused.
“Why move your king when you clearly have an advantage with your queen, old man?” I asked, one brow lifting as I studied his expression.
He frowned immediately, clearly displeased by both my tone and my confidence. His eyes flicked up to meet mine as he answered, “Because I can win with my king. I don’t need the queen to help. I’ll move her only if it’s necessary.”
I tilted my head slightly, as if considering his words, before reaching out and lifting my black queen from the board. I turned it between my fingers slowly.
“That mentality is exactly what will get you killed.”
His brows furrowed deeper. “What?”
I leaned forward then, resting my forearms against the table, a smirk playing at my lips as my eyes stayed locked on his.
“You think a queen can’t protect anything. You think she always needs protection,” I continued, my voice low and steady. “That just because she’s a woman, she can’t take control. That she has to be shielded, guided, told what to do.”
I placed the queen back onto the board, my fingers firm as I slid her forward. “That’s where you’re wrong. In fact, that’s exactly what makes her the deadliest piece on the board. Because she’s a woman. Women aren’t easy prey for men to keep locked away and protected. They’re not fragile decorations.”
I pushed the queen forward decisively, knocking his king from its position and setting it aside before placing my queen in its place.
“She’s powerful because she takes control,” I finished, lips curling slightly. “And she’s sexiest when she does.”
I leaned back, tapping the board lightly with my fingers.
“Checkmate, Father.”
He stared at the board for a long moment before finally exhaling and leaning back in his chair.
“You win again,” he said, his voice flat.
I shrugged casually. “Don’t I always?”
He didn’t respond. He simply watched me in silence, his gaze lingering. I looked at him too, my expression unreadable as
the silence between us stretched. The chessboard sat forgotten for a moment.
21:13 Tue, Jan 13
Chapter 154
Just then, the door to the kitchen opened.
My father’s new wife stepped out, wiping her hands on a cloth. The moment her eyes landed on me, her face flushed, and she openly checked me out. She hesitated, shifting her weight nervously before smiling.
“I-I made some food. Are you staying for lunch, Hades?”
I didn’t even look at her.
I barely registered her presence, if I was being honest. I couldn’t remember when my father married her, or where he even found her. I didn’t care enough to ask then, and I cared even less now. She was irrelevant. Violet was the only woman who occupied my thoughts these days. Everyone else existed somewhere on the outside.
My father turned his head toward me, his gaze sharp. “Why did you come here, Hades?”
She opened her mouth again. “Honey, you-”
“Enough,” my father snapped without looking at her. “Leave us. I will call you when I need you.”
She froze for a second, clearly hurt, then nodded slowly, before turning and retreating back into the kitchen, her footsteps quiet.
Nothing had changed.
He still treated his wives like servants, like decorations meant to be quiet and obedient. Women were never partners to him, just things he owned.
My father leaned back in his chair and stared at me. “I asked you a question,” he said coldly. “Why did you come? Are you here because you’re planning something again?”
I leaned back as well, crossing my legs casually, resting one arm against the chair as if this was nothing more than an ordinary visit. A faint smirk tugged at my lips.
“How low you think of me, old man,” I said lazily. “I might not be here for you, but I didn’t come because I’m planning something. Can’t I visit my own father without having an agenda? Maybe I just wanted a friendly visit.”
He let out a short, humorless laugh. “There is nothing friendly about you, Hades.”
His eyes hardened as he continued. “Even your mother, no matter how much she pretended to care, you still scared her. That alone shows what kind of monster you are.” He leaned forward slightly. “Nobody will ever truly love you. Who would love a devil like you, Hades?”
I looked at him emotionlessly.
I had heard those words too many times since I was a child for them to mean anything anymore. They were familiar, and boring. He had thrown them at me over and over again, hoping one day they would finally cut deep enough to make me
react.
They didn’t then. They didn’t now. And they never would.
I simply stared back at him, unbothered, as if he had just commented on the weather.
I stood up slowly, the chair scraping faintly against the floor as I’straightened to my full height. I slipped my hands into my pockets, tilting my head slightly as I looked down at him.
“What’s with the emotional outburst, old man?”
My father stiffened. “What?” His brows furrowed, irritation flashing across his face.
21:13 Tue, Jan 13
Chapter 154
My lips curled into a mocking smirk. “And what if nobody loves me?” I continued. “I never knew what love even meant in the first place. Why would I feel sad over something I don’t understand?”
The room fell silent.
He didn’t answer. He just stared at me.
I reached into my pocket, pulled out an envelope, and tossed it onto the table between us. It slid across the surface and came to a stop near the chessboard.
His gaze dropped to it. He raised an eyebrow. “What is this?”
“An invitation,” I replied flatly.
“I can see that,” he snapped. “An invitation for what?”
“For my wedding party.”
He froze, staring at the envelope as if it might vanish if he blinked. Slowly, he looked back up at me, disbelief written all over his face. “You’re getting married?”
“I already am. And I expect you to be there.”
I turned away before he could respond, already done with the conversation. “My wife wants it to be as dramatic as possible, I added over my shoulder. “I’d hate to disappoint her.”
I didn’t wait for his reaction.
I walked out of the house without looking back.
Outside, Alec was already there, opening the car door for me. I slid into the back seat and leaned against the leather, the tension in my shoulders easing the moment the door closed.
As the car started moving, my phone vibrated.
I pulled it out and looked at the screen.
Dear wife: A thumbs-up sticker, and a small heart.
My lips curved into a real smile this time. I could already imagine her hesitating before sending it, overthinking something so simple, probably convincing herself it was silly before finally pressing send.
I rested my head against my hand, eyes drifting to the window.
Who cared if anyone loved me?
As long as I had Violet, nothing else mattered.
田
AD
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21:13 Tue, Jan 13
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