King of Pride (Kings of Sin #2) by Ana Huang

“I know, but it feels like my fault.” I pulled back, my voice raw from my sobs. “I was so stupid. I should’ve caught on…”

“People like that are expert cheats. You were young, and he took advantage of that. It wasn’t your fault,” Kai repeated firmly. He brushed a stray tear from my cheek. “What happened to him?”

“Last I heard, he moved to Chicago before his business went bankrupt and he’s estranged from his kids. They’re over eighteen now, and I don’t think they ever forgave him for what happened with their mother.”

I didn’t know where Easton was now. Hopefully rotting in the pits of hell.

“I see.” Kai’s expression sent a dart of trepidation down my spine.

“Don’t track him down,” I said. “I mean it. I just want to leave him in the past, and I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

A hint of amusement bloomed at the corners of his mouth. “What do you think I’m going to do to him if I do, hypothetically, track him down?”

“I don’t know.” I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. “Maim him?”

“That’s certainly crossed my mind,” Kai muttered. “I—”

The gentle chime of the doorbell interrupted him.

I stiffened again as Kai and I exchanged wary glances. We were lying low until the CEO vote—I snuck in through the building’s back entrance earlier—and an unexpected visit these days was more cause for alarm than celebration.

A shimmer of dread threaded through me as Kai answered the door. Had a tabloid reporter somehow gotten past security? Should I hide?

A faint murmur of voices leaked from the entryway. I couldn’t hear his exact words, but Kai’s surprised tone came through loud and clear.

He reentered the living room a minute later, his face grim.

My stomach dropped to the floor when I saw who was behind him. I suddenly wished it were a tabloid reporter; that would’ve been infinitely preferable to the newcomers.

I’d never met them in person, but I recognized their pictures from the news.

Leonora and Abigail Young.

Kai’s mother and sister.





CHAPTER 31


Kai



The four of us sat in the living room—Isabella and me on one couch, my mother and Abigail on the couch opposite us.

We faced each other like opposing armies on the battlefield, each waiting for the other to fire the first shot. A plague of tense silence engulfed the room. The only sound came from the clock standing sentry in the corner, as unmoved and passionless as a god observing the petty quarrels of humans.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

I knew my mother would show up eventually. Leonora Young was incapable of relinquishing control over my personal life. However, I hadn’t expected her to drag my sister with her. Abigail looked like she would rather be trekking through the Andes in the winter than sitting here.

“I heard your meeting with Mishra went poorly.” My mother cut straight to the chase. Other than a telltale tightening of her features when she first saw Isabella, she hadn’t acknowledged her presence since she arrived. “Luckily, I have good news that might counteract the DigiStream problem. Tobias is out. He withdrew his candidacy an hour ago.”

Shock burned away my knee-jerk defensiveness at the Mishra comment. “He withdrew? Why?”

“He didn’t give a reason. He simply said he didn’t feel like he was the right fit for the role at this time.”

It didn’t make sense. He had the Black Bear deal, and we were a little over a week away from the vote. Of all the other candidates, Tobias was the least likely to throw in the towel. He wouldn’t drop out this close to the finish line unless…

An inkling of suspicion formed in my stomach.

The photos. The withdrawal.

The two leading candidates hit within weeks of each other and close enough to the election that we had little time to rally. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the timing was awfully convenient.

However, I kept my face neutral while my mother continued. I didn’t want to throw accusations out until I had more than my instincts backing me up.

“This is a good thing,” my mother said. “I like Tobias, but he was your biggest competition. His votes are up for grabs, which means you need a last-minute campaign push.”

“We were here to check on you anyway after everything that happened,” Abigail added. “The Tobias news came at the perfect time. Now, we can brainstorm how to get those votes together.”

“Abby.” I leveled her with an even stare. “You hate talking business.”

She was a professional socialite. Her campaign experience started and stopped with chairing a gala committee. My mother probably forced her to come so she could convince me to break up with Isabella. She knew I wouldn’t listen to her, but I might listen to my sister.

“I can still have ideas,” Abigail countered. “You’re my brother. I want you to win.”

“The first order of business is generating good press,” my mother said, cutting off our back-and-forth. Once Abigail and I started, we could argue for hours. “I’ve arranged for a public date with you and Clarissa.”

Next to me, Isabella stirred for the first time since we sat down. My hands clenched into fists, but I forced myself to relax until my mother finished talking.