Chapter 154\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 154\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hades\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The white piece in its path fell. I removed it from the board without hesitation and set it aside.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t rush. I pushed my rook forward instead, boxing him in. In response, he moved his king.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My lips curled slowly as I leaned back in my chair, studying the board and then lifting my gaze to him, amused.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy move your king when you clearly have an advantage with your queen, old man?\u201d I asked, one brow lifting as I studied his expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He frowned immediately, clearly displeased by both my tone and my confidence. His eyes flicked up to meet mine as he answered, \u201cBecause I can win with my king. I don\u2019t need the queen to help. I\u2019ll move her only if it\u2019s necessary.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat mentality is exactly what will get you killed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His brows furrowed deeper. \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned forward then, resting my forearms against the table, a smirk playing at my lips as my eyes stayed locked on his.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think a queen can\u2019t protect anything. You think she always needs protection,\u201d I continued, my voice low and steady. \u201cThat just because she\u2019s a woman, she can\u2019t take control. That she has to be shielded, guided, told what to do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I placed the queen back onto the board, my fingers firm as I slid her forward. \u201cThat\u2019s where you\u2019re wrong. In fact, that\u2019s exactly what makes her the deadliest piece on the board. Because she\u2019s a woman. Women aren\u2019t easy prey for men to keep locked away and protected. They\u2019re not fragile decorations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pushed the queen forward decisively, knocking his king from its position and setting it aside before placing my queen in its place.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s powerful because she takes control,\u201d I finished, lips curling slightly. \u201cAnd she\u2019s sexiest when she does.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I leaned back, tapping the board lightly with my fingers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCheckmate, Father.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stared at the board for a long moment before finally exhaling and leaning back in his chair.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou win again,\u201d he said, his voice flat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shrugged casually. \u201cDon\u2019t I always?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t respond. He simply watched me in silence, his gaze lingering. I looked at him too, my expression unreadable as\u00a0<\/p>\n
the silence between us stretched. The chessboard sat forgotten for a moment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
21:13 Tue, Jan 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 154\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just then, the door to the kitchen opened.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI-I made some food. Are you staying for lunch, Hades?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t even look at her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I barely registered her presence, if I was being honest. I couldn\u2019t remember when my father married her, or where he even found her. I didn\u2019t 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father turned his head toward me, his gaze sharp. \u201cWhy did you come here, Hades?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She opened her mouth again. \u201cHoney, you-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cEnough,\u201d my father snapped without looking at her. \u201cLeave us. I will call you when I need you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She froze for a second, clearly hurt, then nodded slowly, before turning and retreating back into the kitchen, her footsteps quiet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nothing had changed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father leaned back in his chair and stared at me. \u201cI asked you a question,\u201d he said coldly. \u201cWhy did you come? Are you here because you\u2019re planning something again?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow low you think of me, old man,\u201d I said lazily. \u201cI might not be here for you, but I didn\u2019t come because I\u2019m planning something. Can\u2019t I visit my own father without having an agenda? Maybe I just wanted a friendly visit.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He let out a short, humorless laugh. \u201cThere is nothing friendly about you, Hades.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes hardened as he continued. \u201cEven your mother, no matter how much she pretended to care, you still scared her. That alone shows what kind of monster you are.\u201d He leaned forward slightly. \u201cNobody will ever truly love you. Who would love a devil like you, Hades?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I looked at him emotionlessly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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\u00a0<\/p>\n
react.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t then. They didn\u2019t now. And they never would.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I simply stared back at him, unbothered, as if he had just commented on the weather.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stood up slowly, the chair scraping faintly against the floor as I\u2019straightened to my full height. I slipped my hands into my pockets, tilting my head slightly as I looked down at him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s with the emotional outburst, old man?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father stiffened. \u201cWhat?\u201d His brows furrowed, irritation flashing across his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
21:13 Tue, Jan 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 154\u00a0<\/p>\n
My lips curled into a mocking smirk. \u201cAnd what if nobody loves me?\u201d I continued. \u201cI never knew what love even meant in the first place. Why would I feel sad over something I don\u2019t understand?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room fell silent.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He didn\u2019t answer. He just stared at me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His gaze dropped to it. He raised an eyebrow. \u201cWhat is this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAn invitation,\u201d I replied flatly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can see that,\u201d he snapped. \u201cAn invitation for what?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFor my wedding party.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
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. \u201cYou\u2019re getting married?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI already am. And I expect you to be there.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned away before he could respond, already done with the conversation. \u201cMy wife wants it to be as dramatic as possible, I added over my shoulder. \u201cI\u2019d hate to disappoint her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t wait for his reaction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked out of the house without looking back.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the car started moving, my phone vibrated.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pulled it out and looked at the screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Dear wife: A thumbs-up sticker, and a small heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rested my head against my hand, eyes drifting to the window.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Who cared if anyone loved me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
As long as I had Violet, nothing else mattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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21:13 Tue, Jan 13\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 154 Chapter 154\u00a0 Chapter 154\u00a0 Hades\u00a0 I looked down at the chessboard […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-craving-the-guardian-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28070","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28070"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28070\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28070"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28070"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28070"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}