As soon as the maniac started playing How to be a Millionaire on the stage with billionaires as his players, I got out.
The summer air was suffocating. My heart was pumping out of my chest.
I could feel tears gathering in the corners of my eyes.
The statues- the d-mned statues keeping me captive under their stare, incapable of breathing, incapable of coping with what went down in that mansion.
Why?
Why is he always ten steps ahead of me?...
This was my chance. My opportunity to get Luther back and yet-
He controlled everyone- every single person in that room. The alphas, me, Claus, and Cassian.
The garden bench, despite its sturdiness, threatened to slide from under me as my nausea increased. What now?
What am I supposed to do?
How am I supposed to win?
I-I still have Damian planted in his house. He doesn’t seem interested in anyone else, but he kept Damian.
That must mean something, right?
But what?
My trail of thoughts interrupted as the tightness in my chest spiked—sharp, sudden, like something invisible had clamped around my ribcage.
I sat up straighter, instinctively trying to breathe deeper, to shake it off, but it didn’t work.
The air was thick. Every breath felt like it stopped halfway.
My heart kicked up.
Fast.
Wild.
No rhythm, just pounding.
I pressed a hand to my chest like I could calm it with touch alone. I couldn’t.
A panic attack.
And no way to stop it. Just the aggravating thought of the consequences of it.
I was losing to Emiliano. Not just the bidding, the auction, but everything. Myself included.
I brought my knees to my chin in a lame attempt to soothe myself. I haven’t felt this intensity of a panic attack since my mother died.
My mom was a beautiful woman, although her exact features faded over time in my memories. I couldn’t say what the color of her eyes was, but I could spend hours talking about the gentleness of her gaze.
We lived in poverty, yet I never saw her crying or upset. She was always smiling-
Not pearly whites on full display-
Just a curve of her lips.
Comforting and reassuring.
It’s been years since I clung to her memory. No matter how negligent I was with her remembering, no matter how little I could picture how her face looked, she always came to rescue me.
And nevertheless, I would still prefer this luxurious life to the life I used to live with her and my sister.
That alone fits me right in with those b-st-rds inside. I keep seeing myself above them, but Emiliano proved tonight-
I am nothing special. I’m just like them.
And they are all in the palm of his hand.
He just keeps on winning everything. I have no chance against him, do I?
I didn’t notice Tom until he lightly patted my shoulder.
He just caught me in a fetal position, crying to myself, thinking about my dead mom and how I am such a loser.
This night just keeps on getting better and better.
"Did you know he’s here?"
"No."
Tom hummed to himself while nodding.
He seemed rougher than at the start of the night. Holding a cheap cigarette between his fingers, he messed up his dark hair and pulled his tie.
Didn’t said anything. Just sat there next to me on the bench, elbows on his knees with an unreadable expression.
We must have looked ridiculous-
Me curled up in a ball of self-pity.
He smoking like a freshly diagnosed cancer patient.
The auction was rough for everyone I guess.
"What now?" I asked.
I couldn’t say who. Maybe myself, maybe Tom. Nonetheless, I wasn’t looking for an answer.
I was just thinking out loud.
"Now, we go to the after-party."
His tone was cold. So cold it made me feel a shiver down my spine. His complete change of personality made the tension feel even more pressing.
If the bubbly, cheery, funny lawyer was outside-
Hiding from the world with me-
Then doomsday is approaching us.
"Why would we go there?"
"To see what the maniac wants. He wouldn’t have invited us if he had nothing to say. He would just have said he won and nobody touches his property or something stupid like that."
"Why are you here, Tom? How do you know Luther? Or were you after some type of presidential privilege?"
"Nah. I’m a lawyer. I bend the law however I want. I-I-"
He inhaled deeply, but didn’t continue.
I nodded. It’s fine. We don’t need to be friends who share everything with each other.
My feet touched the ground yet again. I could breathe, although I couldn’t feel my hands yet.
"What about you? What got you so obsessed with Luther?"
"I asked myself that more and more every day."
I chuckled and he smiled.
For now we were on the same side -
The losers. The defeated-
But that didn’t change the fundamental truth between us.
We were competing with Luther and only one can win.
"Why do you smoke the cheap stuff?", I asked mindlessly.
He chuckled without looking at me. He looked lost, recollecting his thoughts in what felt like an eternity.
"I knew someone was smoking those. I keep his memory alive by doing the same. It gives me a weird sense of comfort. It’s stupid, I know."
"Nah. It was just unusual to see it in such an ocean of wealth."
"Hah. After this night, I lost, I’m hungry and tired and I have a headache. So much for the highest social class."
We smiled and sat in silence for a while. Maybe one or two cigarettes long. I wouldn’t know.
I didn’t look at Tom and he didn’t look at me.
It was a quiet understanding that we won’t stare at each other at our lowest point.
It was not comforting or comfortable. It was just quiet.
"Do you think he’ll bring in Luther?"
"I doubt it. He’s too smart to take risks like that."
"Do you think Cassian will approve?"
He took a moment and then let his head fall back.
"The stars are beautiful tonight."
Taken off guard, I couldn’t help but look up as well.
The stars were flickering as if they were breathing along with us. No clouds, no wind, no disturbance.
The moon was absent too. Their god left them to survive themselves- \n(o)v.e\l.com
At least that was how it felt.
Us too.
Surrounded by hundreds of statues of gods and goddesses, we couldn’t deny that the only ruler of our world-
At least for tonight-
Was the maniac inside playing How to be a Millionaire.
Emiliano.
How did everything come so easily to him?
Why does he look like he didn’t know one hard day in his life?
Always displaying a satisfied smile, not once panicked or scared.
How did he become a god?
"I’ll head back inside. Save a few waiters. These brutes are going to eat them alive to drown their sorrow."
"I don’t think any of them will survive tonight. Not if they are not locked inside a room. The dread of being powerless and the humiliation-"
"Yeah. They will unleash it on the poor boys. The strongest destroy the weak and the weak destroy the weaker."
"Good luck."
Didn’t know if I was wishing it on him or the omegas, but nonetheless he waved dismissively and headed back inside.
I took a deep breath of summer air. The overly sweet and invasive perfume of roses made my throat itch.
And yet, I was feeling better.
At least the panic attack stopped and it was quiet. Even if it was lonely.
"Killian!"
The voice of my aunt banged into my eardrums. It was too late to hide. She has found me.
"Killian, you’ve been invited to the after-party. Take my car."
"Why?"
"Trust me."
Her voice was unsteady- half excited, half scared.
"Thought you hated Emiliano. Why are you so happy that he won and invited me?"
"Killian, my dear beautiful nephew."
Lucrezia caressed my cheek, distracting, yet weirdly genuine. This was a bad omen.
"All you need to do is obey me, ok? I’ll take care of everything. Don’t mind the auction or Emiliano. I’ll get you that omega no matter what."
She smiled slightly. Maybe because of the uneasiness she carried, maybe she injected another round of botox this week.
I couldn’t tell.
She cupped my hands with hers. She never did that before.
The gentleness and care of her behavior were horrifying me. What was going on?
"What are you planning to do, auntie?"
"Nothing. Just protecting you, the face of my company. I am not gonna repeat myself. Do as I say this time. No more foolery."
"I will take your car.", I reluctantly agreed.
"Good boy. Now, whatever happens there, don’t touch anything. Ok? Get out of there as soon as it’s over."
"You’re worrying me."
"You should be worried. From tonight on, nobody inside there will ever be safe again."