Page 44 of Wanted

“Don’t wait on me,” I told her. I needed to drink some water. My voice sounded rough.

Valentina didn’t give up. “You’ve barely left your room in a week. We’re eating breakfast together. That’s non-negotiable.”

The corner of my mouth lifted. She wasn’t allowed to command things, especially from me, but circumstances made it possible.

I heardValentina’s heels click away from the hallway, and I finally convinced myself to leave my room.

The media wasn’t the only one that presented me as a soft loser. I was starting to believe it myself.

I made myself presentable and then headed for the dining room.

The light outside was too bright. I despised the house I lived in. It reminded me of who I was groomed to be, the prince who stood for Katantian values. I wanted to eradicate that part of myself.

When I entered the dining room, my senses noticed the food displayed across the dining table. Our staff had outdone themselves, serving us all types of homemade breakfast delicacies. Two male staff members stood by the door in their uniforms. They wore perfectly ironed white shirts, a light blue tie underneath a grey suit vest, and grey slacks. Their cufflinks were expensive. We had them custom-made for every staff member.

I smelled the coffee from afar. I took my seat at the table on the opposite side of my sibling and his wife. One of the staff members served my coffee. My eyes fell on the cuff link, and the Katantian emblem on it.

I was so distracted that I only noticed that we had a guest once the staff member was out of sight.

“Travis is joining us for breakfast,” Aris announced, fumbling with his cutlery. My brother had greeted me, but I only took in what he uttered about my mother’s murderer. I rarely acknowledged Valentina as Travis’ daughter, but I saw the similarities as they sat close to each other. Valentina had Felicita’s body type, but her eyes were Travis’ eyes.

I lost my appetite. Murder wasn’t appetizing to me. Aris knew, yet he still tolerated his wife’s father. I could barely stand the sight of him.

My brother and his wife began their breakfast. The plates clattered, and the forks chipped. I remained unmoved in my seat.

We had never been shown the crime scene pictures, but we had been told every explicit detail. Pretense images of my mother dead in her bathtub disturbed my thoughts. A murderer sat at my table, and he ate off of my plates. I wanted to do something about it. Punch him. Strangle him. Break his fucking legs or something, and feel the satisfaction flood my veins.

“Weston, you know, my mom’s constantly at the palace now that Kamila’s out of the picture,” Valentina commented, sipping on her freshly pressed orange juice. Our staff stood at the door, observing us as we sat at the table that they’d filled.

Aris added, “That’s why we offered to keep Travis company.”

“What about his son?” I asked dryly.

“You know Ryan,” Travis responded. I hated the sound of his disgusting voice. He dared to speak in our presence? “He’s never around for his family when it gets tough.”

“It’s tough, huh?” I replied sarcastically.

“Weston,” Aris warned me.

It was enough of a message to Travis. He kicked back his chair, standing up from the table. I wanted the filth out of my home. Valentina wanted to prevent him from leaving, but Travis insisted, “It’s fine. I should get going anyway. I have things to do at the palace.”

There was no awkward moment of silence after he left. Valentina’s sobs filled the room. One of the staff members handed her a handkerchief with the Katantian emblem on it. Aris had to soothe his wife, placing a protective arm around her while whispering calming words to her. I couldn’t hear what exactly he said, but I felt his sharp eyes staring daggers at me. He had become better at being a husband in the past few weeks.

“What are we going to do?” Valentina asked, convulsing. “We’re all being watched. Everyone’s suspicious to the police. They’ve found the dead guard’s body in Chicago, and our street’s still crowded with guards. You still hate my father. My mother’s back to being Aram’s bitch. What are we going to do now, huh?”

“It’s Kamila that went missing,” I reminded my brother’s wife. “Not some irrelevant street whore.”

“Watch it,” Aris warned me, caressing his wife’s hair smoothly.

“He keeps my mother by his side at all times,” Valentina said, her voice trembling. “The staff claim she’s following Aram around naked on all fours and on a leash. Colleagues say she gives him blowjobs in meetings in front of everyone.”

“Go save her if that’s so unbearable to you,” I countered. I wasn’t in the mood to feel pity for Valentina.

“If I were you, I’d watch my words,” Aris advised me, taking his wife’s side. “You don’t want to go to work with a rearranged face today, brother.”

Valentina dried her tears on the handkerchief. “I know it’s difficult for you, too. Come out of your room and have a conversation with us. Kamila’s Aris’ sister as well. Mandy was my friend. We got along in the end.”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?” I had enough. I stood up and left the room before Aris could throw another warning shot at me. The staff members stood there quietly, observing the chaos.