Page 27 of Celestial Combat

Older. Wiser. The golden son.

The perfect heir to the Su Dynasty.

Dinner before Trevor’s basketball game tonight and our parents flying back to Tokyo, had been quiet. Too quiet. But I could feel the storm pressing against the walls, waiting to break. My stomach tensed, though I kept my face unreadable, already bracing for what was coming.

I didn’t have to wait long.

“So,” My father finally said, setting his utensils down with a calculated clink. His dark eyes lifted, pinning me with the kind of intensity that had made grown men shrink in their seats. “Are you finally going to stop playing around at NYU and transfer to Columbia?”

The words were casual, but the weight of them was a wrecking ball.

I exhaled slowly, setting my wine glass down. “We’ve been over this.”

“Yes, we have,” My mother chimed in, her Cuban accent crisp and controlled. She picked up her wine and took a slow sip before leveling me with a look that made my spine straighten. “And yet, you’re still refusing to do what’s best for you. For this family.”

For the family.

That was the real argument. It was never about me.

“I don’t want to go to Columbia,” I said, my voice steady. “NYU is a top school. I’m studying what I want, where I want.”

My father let out a quiet breath, like I was testing his patience. “And yet, with your capabilities, your intelligence, you’re wasting yourself on a secondary education. Your brother–”

I didn’t even glance at Trevor. I knew he wasn’t going to jump in.

“Trevor went to Columbia,” I said flatly. “Trevor is getting his degree in Coding and Cybersecurity and whatnot. Trevor is already on his way to taking over the company.” I let out a sharp laugh. “I’m happy for him, but I’m not fucking trying to be him.”

My mother’s face tightened. “Language, Kali.”

I scoffed, pushing my plate away. “Oh, sorry. Let me rephrase that – I'm not trying to live the life you picked out for me.”

“It’s not about what we picked,” My father said, voice like ice. “It’s about the future. Your future. And you refuse to see it.”

“No,” I shot back. “I seeyourfuture. The one where I become just another pawn in the Su Dynasty.The daughter who falls in line.”

Silence stretched.

My mother placed her wine down a little too hard. “And what, exactly, is wrong with following in your family’s footsteps? You think being a Su means nothing? You think people don’t kill for what you were born into?”

“I never said it meant nothing.” My fingers curled into fists beneath the table. “I just don’t want my entire life dictated by it.”

My father’s jaw clenched. His dark gaze flickered to Trevor.

“You agree with this?”

My brother sighed, rolling his shoulders like the conversation was physically weighing him down. Then, finally, he turned to me. “Kali. They’re not wrong.”

A cold sting spread through my chest.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I turned to face him fully, my blood pressure spiking. “You know what? I shouldn’t even be surprised.”

He gave me a look, the one that said I’m making this harder than it has to be.

“You’re one of the best programmers I’ve ever seen,” He said, his voice even, “But you’re wasting time when you could be putting your skills where it matters.”

“Where it matters to who?”

“Where it matters to the family, Kali.”