Hades kept a gentle but firm grip on Evadne's wrist, subtly tugging her forward. Meanwhile, Evadne kept jerking her hand away in quiet protest.
"Good evening, Young Master Hades," the floor manager greeted with a respectful bow. "The Madame and Master are already waiting in the private lounge. Allow me to escort you."
"Thanks," Hades replied curtly, his tone polite but distracted.
The manager led them to the third floor, where the ultra-exclusive VIP lounges were located. Each private room was worth thousands of dollars just to reserve, and only the most powerful families in the city had the privilege to dine there.
The lounge they entered resembled a luxurious hotel suite, minus the bed. Velvet walls, imported wood floors, golden accents, and an opulent chandelier made it feel more like royalty's personal chamber. The space overlooked the private amphitheater below, offering a view either from the glass balcony or through the massive flat screen mounted on the wall.
"Good evening, sorry I'm late," Hades greeted the moment they stepped inside, only to pause mid-step.
He expected to see just his parents. But no. The room was packed.
The Clarks and the De Luca family were there too.
"I didn't realize we had... company," he added, voice tightening slightly.
"Vee, sweetheart!" Angelina Falcon rose immediately upon spotting Evadne behind her son. Her smile was warm, maternal, almost eager.
"Good evening, Mom," Evadne replied in a soft, muted voice, her tone low, her body language withdrawn.
"Hades, you're late," came Jupiter Falcon's voice, emerging from the balcony after apparently taking a call. His expression was stern, until he saw Evadne.
"Sweetheart." His face softened instantly as he approached Evadne and kissed the top of her head with genuine affection.
"Sorry, sir," Hades answered respectfully. "I picked up Vee from her house." Then he leaned in to whisper to his mother, "She's on a hunger strike."
Angelina and Jupiter exchanged a brief glance and a knowing sigh. Of course they understood what this was about.
"Take your seat," Jupiter instructed calmly, then turned to the manager. "Get us one more chair."
"Yes, sir," the manager nodded and quickly left.
Hades tugged Evadne toward the empty seat beside where Angelina had been sitting earlier. She resisted.
"Baby, please. Just sit," he whispered through clenched teeth, already straining his patience.
Evadne refused to budge.
Left with no choice, Hades slipped an arm around her shoulder and gently forced her to walk with him. Just as he reached the chair, she stomped hard on his foot.
He didn't react, except for a deep exhale and a tightening of his jaw. Still, he pulled out the chair, his chair, for her.
Evadne sat down with annoyance, the kind of sulky, defiance that screamed teenage rebellion.
"Good evening," Hades said as he turned to the rest of the table, the Clarks and the De Lucas.
He hadn't been informed that they would be here.
Rozel and Penelope Clark were seated, the aging patriarch and matriarch of the Clark family. With them were their children, Ryzel and his wife Ciena, as well as their daughter Ryza, her husband Rafael De Luca, and finally, Cieryl.
"Good evening, Hades," Rozel Clark greeted in a measured voice.
The Clarks knew about Cieryl's connection to Hades. Everyone did. Though he'd never officially claimed her, he had always treated Cieryl with special favor, soft glances, discreet gestures, subtle attention. Enough to make the Clarks believe there was something real. And they had hoped, even planned, for it to blossom into a marriage that would cement their family's place among the Falcons.
But now... Hades hadn't even looked at Cieryl. His tone was cold. His energy was different.
They couldn't understand what had changed.
"Good evening, Evadne," Penelope Clark greeted kindly, with a gentle smile.
"Good evening," Evadne replied with sincere politeness. The older couple had once been close friends with her parents. And despite the quiet rift that had grown between their families over the years, Evadne wasn't the kind to hold grudges against people who hadn't wronged her directly. She was respectful to those who deserved it, and ruthless only to those who didn't.
She offered them a small nod of acknowledgment, nothing more, nothing less.
But across the table, Cieryl's eyes followed her every move. Her perfect smile had faltered ever so slightly.
The extra chair Jupiter requested arrived promptly. At the manager's signal, one of the servers placed it right beside Evadne, where Hades had been standing.
Once everyone was seated and the servers began laying down the first course, Hades turned to his mother with a composed but mildly curious tone. "Mom, what's the occasion?"
Though such formal dinners weren't exactly common, they happened every now and then, especially considering that Angelina Falcon and Penelope Clark were step-sisters. Technically, there was a family connection between the Falcons and the Clarks.
As the plates were set down one by one, Hades made sure to personally place a plate of food right in front of Evadne. With a quiet glance, he pleaded with her silently, Please eat something.
Jupiter's eyes flicked toward his goddaughter, then to his wife. Angelina gave the slightest shake of her head.
"Business," Jupiter finally replied, settling back in his seat. "And... it's been a long time since we had a family dinner like this."
But when Evadne tapped into his thoughts, just for a flicker, she understood the truth.
This wasn't just dinner.
Jupiter had called the Clarks to confront them. Specifically, to confront Cieryl for what she had done at school.
For the disgusting act of ordering that sex video to be spread.
Angelina, perhaps trying to salvage the evening or simply soothe Evadne's visible distress, reached forward with a gentle smile and placed a portion of Shrimp Carpaccio onto Evadne's plate.
"Sweetheart, try this Shrimp Carpaccio," she said warmly. "Remember when we had this at Château de Chambord? You loved it so much, you even asked the chef for the recipe because you wanted to try cooking it. I miss your cooking. How about this, next week after school, you come by the house and we'll cook together?"
"Mom–"
"Wife–"
Angelina was interrupted simultaneously by Hades and Jupiter, their voices firm. She looked at her husband in confusion, unsure of what she had said wrong, until she saw the look in his eyes.
That's when it hit her.
Next week was immersion.
Some students and all SBO members of NYE would be leaving, except for Evadne.
Angelina turned to her goddaughter, just in time to see a tear slide down her cheek.
Evadne wiped it away quickly, saying nothing. Her face remained unreadable, shielded behind large black shades, completely inappropriate for a formal dinner, but no one dared correct her. Angelina understood. She was trying to hide that she had been crying.
Despite never being vain, Evadne always carried herself with pride, elegant, composed, and refined. But tonight, even her outfit betrayed her. Angelina and Jupiter exchanged a silent glance. She hadn't dressed herself. Hades must have been the one who convinced her to come.
And yet, a flicker of something warmer passed between the couple. Because no matter how forced this moment looked, it meant something. There was no more pretending, no more performance to appease their families.
Something real was starting to grow between Evadne and Hades.
"She promised to cook for me this Friday," Hades said, trying to shift the atmosphere with a gentle smile. "Though I don't know yet what to ask her to make. Maybe I should request this Shrimp Carpaccio." He nudged the plate closer to her. "Why don't you take a bite, baby? Then you can tell me if the one you make tastes better than this. Which I am very sure it will."
Across the table, Cieryl's hands tightened on her napkin beneath the tablecloth.
The attention, the adoration, Hades and his parents were showering on Evadne made her blood boil.
And that word.
Baby.
He called her baby in front of everyone.
It was loud, public, unmistakable. A declaration.
She tried to regain composure.
"Are you okay, Vee?" Cieryl asked with feigned concern, her voice syrupy sweet. "You weren't at school today. Although everything went smoothly with the SBO even without you, thanks to Hades, of course, I don't think it's right for you to keep relying on the Vice President to do your job as President."
The air chilled a little.
But Cieryl's smile remained, sharp at the edges.
Evadne could hear Cieryl's thoughts as clearly as if they were spoken aloud.
She wanted everyone at the table to see Evadne as nothing more than a spoiled brat.
But perhaps Cieryl had forgotten why Evadne was spoiled.
It was because everyone chose to spoil her, her own parents, and even more so, Hades's parents, the very people Cieryl had been desperately trying to impress for years… with no success.
"Really? It went well?" Evadne asked, her tone calm, but only at first. "I hope so. After all, I was the one who stayed up for days making sure every detail of the immersion went smoothly."
She turned to Cieryl fully now, her voice rising.
"I lost sleep just to ensure there wouldn't be any setbacks. Everything was in its final stage, the only thing missing was the parent consent forms. The same ones I assigned to you and your little group of friends, since you refused to contribute to the project from the very beginning. You all opposed it, remember?"
Evadne's hands trembled slightly, her voice beginning to break.
"And now that everything is almost polished, of course it'll look like it went fine. Because I made it that way."
"Baby…" Hades placed a gentle hand on her arm, attempting to calm her.
But Evadne pulled her arm away violently.
"Don't baby me!" she snapped.
Her voice cracked with raw fury, and tears streamed down her cheeks without restraint.
"You want the truth?" she continued, facing the entire table now. "I was the one who came up with the immersion project. I delegated every task. I contacted the community chief. I handled every damn thing, and yet I'm the one who's not allowed to go?!"
Hades reached for her again, but Evadne stood her ground, voice rising even higher.
"And now I hear her say, 'everything went smoothly thanks to Hades', now that it's all in the final stage? Of course it did! I'm sure your brilliant little friends finally submitted the consent forms I asked them for last week, right on cue, so that everyone will think you pulled it all together. You credit-grabber…"
"Credit grabber?" Hades repeated, stunned. "Me? How am I a credit grabber?"
His brows drew together, and his voice, usually calm, sharpened.
"It's literally the VP's job to take over if the President is absent. Also, Dad asked me to handle your duties to ease your stress. And I didn't even know your father retracted your consent until you told me yourself earlier!"
"Maybe you planned all of this," Evadne hissed, pointing a trembling finger at him. "Maybe that's why your friends didn't complete their task earlier, because you wanted to be the hero."
"You think I planned it?" Hades's voice rose now, disbelief and restrained anger in his tone. "You collapsed in my arms! You had a full-blown seizure! We had to rush you to the hospital!"
His voice cracked, not with weakness, but with the weight of everything he'd held back.
"You were shaking so violently you nearly bit your own tongue. You think I orchestrated that?! Just so I could get credit for a school project?! Do you hear yourself? Do you realize how crazy that sounds?"
"So I'm crazy now?!" Evadne screamed.
"I didn't say that," Hades growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Stop twisting my words, Evadne. I said it sounds crazy."
"Liar!" Evadne shrieked, unable to contain the storm inside her.
"You planned all of this! All I needed was rest! Nothing was wrong with me! But you just had to tell Mommy and Daddy that I was being bullied! Did you forget? It was your friends who bullied me!"
Her voice echoed like glass shattering in the silent room.
"And if they did, maybe it's because you told them to!"
The tension in the room became suffocating.
Jupiter's jaw clenched so tightly that even from across the table, the sound of his teeth grinding was audible. His usually controlled expression twisted with something darker. The Clarks, especially Cieryl, noticed the shift.
Cieryl paled.
"I never said you were bullied," Hades said through clenched teeth, his voice lower now, but colder. "I said there was an incident at school that might've triggered your stress. That's it."
The warmth in his eyes was gone.
"And even if I had ordered them to bully you, who the hell would believe it? You've been putting my so-called 'friends' in their place since the first day they crossed you."
His voice sharpened with finality.
"You're not some helpless victim, Evadne. And we both know it. And it's not like the bullying was the reason your dad didn't want you to join the immersion," Hades snapped, voice tight with frustration. "Why can't you understand? He did it because he was scared you'd have another seizure."
Evadne's lips trembled, but he pushed on.
"The doctors still don't know what caused it, so of course they're assuming it's stress. And you're already crumbling just from the planning stage. What more if we were already there?"
"Did you forget who's going to the immersion? A bunch of privileged brats with silver spoons lodged so far down their throats, they don't even know how to breathe properly. Even if they don't mean to, someone will throw a tantrum. Especially the girls. And when that happens, you'll get stressed again. What if you have another seizure? We'll be far from civilization. Probably some village with a half-baked clinic and a 'doctor' whose degree came from a cereal box. The medics coming with us? One nurse and a general practitioner. That's all."
His hands clenched on the table.
"The problem with you is that you're used to getting everything you want. The moment someone says 'no,' you convince yourself the world's conspiring against you. Did it ever occur to you that your father said no because he's worried about you? Because they care? If it weren't dangerous, do you think they'd stop you?"
Evadne's eyes brimmed with tears, but he wasn't finished.
"They always gave you everything your way," Hades added bitterly. "Fine. You want someone to blame? Then blame me. I planned it all. I wanted the credit for myself. I asked my friends to bully you. I told them to accuse you of abusing your power as president. I even had them edit a damn sex video with your face on it and spread it around school, just to stress you out, just to push you into having a seizure, just so you'd be too sick to join the immersion that you worked so hard for."
His voice cracked, chest rising and falling rapidly. "There. I admitted everything you've been accusing me of. I'm owning up to all the sins you want to throw at me. Happy now?"
The room fell into an unnatural silence.
The Clarks, especially Cieryl, had turned pale as ghosts. Their eyes slowly shifted to Jupiter Falcon, whose face had turned completely unreadable.
And that was far worse.
Because the more stoic Jupiter Falcon became… the more dangerous he was.
With a furious swipe, Evadne snatched off her sunglasses and hurled them straight into Hades's face.
"I hate you!" she screamed, her voice raw and trembling. Then she stood up, shoulders stiff, and stormed out of the room without looking back.
Angelina caught a glimpse of her goddaughter's swollen, tear-stained eyes. Her heart sank.
Hades sighed heavily and bent down to retrieve the shades from the floor. He didn't even flinch when they clattered at his feet. He only straightened up and faced his father.
"Please excuse me, sir," he muttered.
Jupiter didn't blink. "Go."
Hades didn't wait another second. He strode after Evadne, disappearing through the door she had slammed shut.
And the moment they were gone, Jupiter finally turned his attention to the remaining people at the table, most especially to Ryzel and Ciena Clark, and their daughter, Cieryl.
His gaze was cold, fixed, and far too sharp.
"Now," he said, his voice calm in a way that made the air around them feel heavier, "let's discuss the real reason I called this dinner."
His eyes locked on Cieryl, who stiffened in her seat.
"Your friend Selena, and several others, confessed. They admitted that you were the one who told her to pay someone to edit that sex video of Evadne. You ordered it to be circulated throughout the school."
"No," Cieryl whispered, shaking her head violently. She glanced toward her father, only to see Ryzel glaring at her in open disbelief and fury.
"How did you raise your daughter, Ryzel?" Jupiter asked, never raising his voice but slicing through the tension like a blade. "I remember when Ryza and Ceres hated each other. Their fights were legendary. But even then, your sister never did anything like this. She never went behind Ceres's back. Their hatred was loud, confrontational, and honest. That's why Romos never interfered. He knew Ceres's enemy was at least an honorable one."
He turned his gaze back to Cieryl, his stare colder than ice.
"And here your daughter sits. Smiling sweetly at Evadne… while orchestrating this disgusting tactic behind her back. I can't blame your parents for this. This one's on you, Ryzel. You raised a backstabbing daughter."
Jupiter's voice dropped.
"And Falcons do not take kindly to being stabbed in the back."
A few hours earlier…
"Princess, do you have a remote control for those tears? Why are they falling on cue like that?" Casadin's eyes widened in disbelief, matched only by the look of panic on Hades' face as they both stared at Evadne, who was crying in front of them.
They had planned it earlier, Evadne would go with Hades to dinner with his parents. The goal was simple, guilt-trip them into becoming unwitting accomplices in convincing her parents to let her join the immersion again.
Step one? Look like she's been crying nonstop.
So here she was now, seated in front of them, tears streaming down her face like a broken faucet, displaying the very same waterworks that had gotten Hades into trouble too many times before.
"I know those tears are fake, Princess," Casadin muttered, fighting the urge to wipe them away. "But damn, why do I still feel guilty? Shit."
"No wonder I always end up in trouble with you," Hades said under his breath, swallowing hard. "Is crying easily part of your mermaid powers, baby?"
If anyone walked into the room right now, they'd easily assume Evadne had been hurt, by them, because of how convincing she looked. Her tears were a full-blown performance.
"Can you two shut up? You're ruining my focus," she snapped, eyes flashing at them through the tears.
"Sorry! But you know what would make it even more effective? Add some hiccups," Casadin teased, as if challenging her.
"Like this?" Evadne suddenly switched gears, crying in silence, and then letting out soft, uneven hiccups, as though she'd been crying all day and couldn't breathe properly anymore.
"Oh my god," Casadin and Hades breathed at the same time, stunned.
She kept it up for another hour, crying and hiccuping, until her face was so swollen she could barely open her eyes.
"Is this okay now?" she asked, looking at them while checking her reflection to make sure her eyebags were just the right size.
"Yes, baby. Honestly, you are terrifying," Hades answered with a grimace.
"I don't like my outfit," she complained, standing in front of the mirror. She wore a plain white long-sleeve top, maroon shorts, and flat slippers, an ensemble that looked as thrown-together as it was intentional.
"Princess, come on. You're supposed to look like you were dragged out of the house. You're not supposed to serve a whole OOTD." Casadin chuckled as he untucked her shirt to make it look even more disheveled.
"I look like a fashion disaster!" Evadne pouted dramatically.
"Exactly. Because you're on a hunger strike, remember?" Hades said, walking over to her. "Ready? We're leaving your phone and wallet behind, okay?"
"Wait, I need my shades," she said, moving toward her collection of sunglasses.
"Nope. I've got one in the car. You can use that," Hades stopped her.
"But your shades don't suit my face!" she gasped, horrified.
"Baby," Hades groaned, rubbing his temples in exasperation.
"Fine," Evadne rolled her eyes and made a face at Casadin, who burst into laughter.
"Don't forget you're dropping me off at NYE first. My car's still there," Casadin reminded, holding the backpack, the same one they'd used to smuggle in fast food for Evadne earlier. He handed the bag to Hades.
"Okay, I'm ready," Evadne said with mock solemnity.
"Great!" Casadin stretched his arms like an athlete preparing for the Olympics. "Action!"
In one smooth motion, he swept Evadne off her feet and tossed her over his shoulder. Immediately, she started flailing and screaming at the top of her lungs, demanding to be put down.
Hades, already opening the door, walked out ahead of them with a perfectly calm expression. He played along, coaxing her gently. "Relax, baby. We're just going to dinner with my parents."
He made sure his voice was loud enough for the household staff to hear. Even the family butler, Horace, glanced their way with wide eyes but said nothing, watching helplessly as Hades strolled out while Casadin carried a still-screaming Evadne straight into the waiting car.
Hades swiftly opened the passenger door of his car, making sure Evadne and Casadin could get in without issue, especially with Evadne still putting on her dramatic show of "resistance." He subtly guided her in without letting her hit herself mid-flail, careful as always.
Once everyone was inside, he circled to the driver's seat and pulled out of the Monteverde estate quickly, Evadne still screaming like she was being abducted. But the moment they were far enough from the estate's gates and no longer within earshot of any staff or guards, she suddenly went quiet.
"And the Golden Globe Best Actress Award goes to… tan-tan-tan-tan! Evadne Persephone Monteverde!" Casadin declared like a proud awards show host.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Evadne replied with a mock pageant wave, mimicking a Miss Universe winner. All three of them burst into laughter inside the car.
Without missing a beat, they jumped into planning mode again, mapping out the next scene of their drama.
"I'm going to curse at you," Evadne announced, looking directly at Hades. "Then I'll accuse you of stealing credit. What do you think?" She adjusted the oversized pair of sunglasses she borrowed from him and turned to Casadin. "How do I look?"
"Like you're about to beg for coins in a park," Casadin replied flatly, then messed up her hair playfully for added effect.
"I know right," Evadne laughed. "Now my forehead looks gigantic."
"Your forehead's fine, baby," Hades murmured gently.
"No, it's not," Evadne snapped, narrowing her eyes at him, though the sunglasses hid her glare completely.
They arrived at NYE, now quiet and mostly empty. Most students had already left for the evening.
"Break a leg, Princess," Casadin grinned, pulling her into a quick kiss on the lips. "And if breaking a leg doesn't work… break some plates."
"I love you," he added.
"Love you," Evadne replied sweetly, making Casadin smile as he stepped out of the car. "Bye."
Once Casadin was gone, Hades began driving again, heading straight for Aureum.
Evadne curled up against his side, and Hades instinctively wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"What's wrong, baby?" he asked softly, concern lacing his voice.
"My head hurts," Evadne murmured, leaning into him more.
"It's probably from all your 'crying'," Hades teased, earning a dramatic tongue-out from her.
"Later I'm going to yell at you, then when Mom tries to comfort me, you need to disagree with her," Evadne instructed, shifting into full strategist mode.
"But why?" Hades frowned, genuinely puzzled.
"Because if you take my side right away and Dad doesn't, they'll assume we rehearsed everything! Come on, do you even know basic Theater Acting 101? You know your dad, if you give in too easily, he'll think you're scheming. So you have to be against me going on immersion. Remember, I had a seizure in your arms, so you're traumatized. You want to protect me, right? You don't think immersion is safe for me. There's no proper medical facility there. That's your angle."
"Okay! Geez, you're a strict acting coach," Hades laughed, kissing her gently on the temple.
"You need to match my performance level," Evadne insisted. "Hook, line, and sinker, we're playing for both of them tonight. Especially Dad. He's the only one who can change Daddy's mind."
"How are you so good at this?" Hades shook his head, almost in disbelief.
"What are you talking about? This is just me being me," Evadne grinned smugly. "The crying part was the only thing that needed effort."
A few minutes later, they pulled into the private underground parking space of the Aureum Lounge, one of the most exclusive venues in the city. A place where everyone came dressed to impress… unless, of course, you were a Falcon or one of their inner circle.
"Should I carry you over my shoulder too?" Hades asked with a teasing smirk.
"Of course not. That would be too much. I'm not planning to embarrass our parents or have the entire elite gossip circle talking about us. I'll just argue with you during dinner, like a well-mannered maniac," Evadne replied coolly, adjusting her sunglasses. "I look ridiculous wearing shades at night."
Hades chuckled and stepped out of the car first, circling around to open the door for her like a true gentleman. With his hand offered, Evadne stepped out, her disheveled look and maroon shorts standing in stark contrast to the usual couture of the Aureum crowd.
The moment they stepped onto the grand marble steps of the Aureum Lounge, both Hades and Evadne snapped into character.
Hi readers! 💌
It makes me a little sad to announce that starting today, I will no longer be updating my stories every day. 😢 Instead, I'll be uploading multiple chapters every Saturday. 📚✨
I had to make this change because I've been losing sleep and getting constant headaches, especially now that I have a new work schedule. 💤💼 My health has to come first, and I really need to take better care of myself. 🧘♀️
Thank you so much for all your love and support, it truly means the world to me. 💖🙏 See you every Saturday! 💫