Shadows of Destiny

The Dark Side Of Fate By Karima Sa’ad Usman Chapter 135 –

~Sylvester~

After breakfast, we had to converge at the lounge to discuss matters. Tamia went with Linda and Avery

while my mother left us to handle the issues concerning the upcoming ceremonies.

I have never been this mentally busy, but dealing with this king forced me to put my brain cells to work.

If it weren’t for the lives it threatened, I would have said I was enjoying the cat-and-mouse game the

uprising was playing.

“Four days to go, and you will be the official king. How do you feel about it?” Dominic asked me, and I

looked at him, searching my mind for an honest answer.

“Honestly, Dominic. I feel nothing. I feel under pressure like I will be taking up more responsibilities,” I

confessed, and he laughed.

“To think father fought tooth and nail for what was given to you on a platter,” he said in deep thought.

I knew Dominic cared for our father a lot and wasn’t aware of what our father did to him. I hope the time

won’t come when I must tell him the man he held on to in his happy fairytale memory never

acknowledged his worth.

“I never agreed with your ideology, Sylvester, but I do now,” he said and sat beside me.

Marcel and Theodore were making themselves comfortable, while Leo and Devin were yet to join us.

“If you had attacked the south and destroyed the east as I advised, these people would have won. I am

glad you know when to be merciful and when to be ruthless,” he confessed, and just then, Leo and

Devin joined us.

“Since you told me what Ramsey said, I took it upon myself to check the people on that list and the

names checked out. The list she gave us was accurate. I returned to the prison to show Ramsey, and

he agreed with the list. Those were names of their associates and members,” He said with concern.

“So, what are you driving at?” Dominic asked him.

“Amanda and her lover planned on using these people, and if it goes wrong, dispose of them. See what

she did to her cousin and father. They are trying to make us clean up their mess,” He said, and I knew

where he was driving.

“The uprising group has ended, and the so-called king man would look for another means of getting

what he wants. See these people and the uprising thing as a failed project.

These people on this list do not have any viable information about the king man and Amanda.

They make her seem like a victim and keep saying he is an older man. That would force us to a point at

Ramsey, but we know Ramsey doesn’t have the capacity and smarts for this.

They have stylishly disposed of their allies so they can go into hiding and start afresh later.” Marcel

said, and Theodore cleared his throat.

“That is why it is paramount that Annika wakes up. She must have information that is not in circulation

to make Amanda go as far as slipping her poison. We might be wrong, but it’s worth the attempt,” he

said, and I nodded. Just then, Tamia linked me.

“Amanda is in Cains, and Jacob Mikhailov just visited her. They argued, and he left. I asked Hendrix to

stay with her. Levi will be joining him in Cains,” She linked me.

“Let’s talk about it later,” I said, and she closed the connection.

“What is the matter?” Marcel said; he must have noticed my eyes glazed over while Tamia and I

communicated. A not so nice giveaway that I always do my best to mask.

“Amanda is in Cains,” I linked Marcel and Theodore, not wanting Devin and Leo to know.

“Ramsey said we should check there,” Marcel linked back.

“She is in Cains, and Jacob Mikhailov visited her at her hotel to complain and argue,” I linked them, and

Marcel gently nodded, not wanting us to discuss it further.

“So what are we going to do? You asked that we should not declare her wanted,” Devin said, and I

nodded.

“Yes, we want her to think she succeeded and is home free. She will contact Leo. He is now on the

council and very powerful. She will contact him,” I said, and Leo frowned.

“I believe there will be trouble in paradise soon,” I said with a broad grin.

“What do you mean?” Marcel asked me, and I cleared my thought.

“Just as everyone on that list was a target for a specific reason and their emotions were worked on, I

believe the king man targeted Amanda,” I said, and they were confused.

“Her father was the only one that survived the uprising against Maurice, my father. It had to count for

something. This king man knew he needed a protective shield in case the operation blew up. So he

recruited Amanda, worked on her and made her fall in love so she would wholeheartedly do his

bidding: to recruit her father and make him the face of the operation.

On the surface, it would look like a continuation of what happened in my father’s era, but in actual

sense, it is something new,” I said, and Leo shook his head.

“I think they fell in love,” he said, and I nodded.

“I thought as much until Tamia broke it down for me,” I said and looked at Leo because what I was

about to say would make both of us uncomfortable.

“We fell in love with the same woman. I can never imagine sharing Tamia with someone else so I can

achieve my goal; I would find another way. Likewise you.

It took you a while to let go of her, and you are still battling yourself. Would you have sent Tamia to

Devin, allowed him to sleep with her and claim her so you can have power over his region?” I asked

him.

His eyes were misty, and he shook his head.

I knew he was fighting fresh tears, and I did not mean to be cruel. I just wanted them to see my point.

“Leo didn’t even want me dancing with her,” Devin said, “almost beat me up when the north took her.

He wouldn’t have,” Devin said, and I nodded.

“Likewise myself,” I said.

“I can’t. I can’t imagine her having someone else’s scent. It would drive my wolf mad. I scented Leo on

her, and it took a lot to calm Knight down. It was a friendly hug, but my wolf won’t have it,” I said, and

Theodore and Marcel laughed.

“Yet this so-called king man sent the woman he loves to another Alpha. A powerful one at that, simply

because they were fated, he had found a way to use the bond to his advantage.

He allowed her to stay with him and screw him severally.

Tamia said you two were like rabbits in that house, so Amanda must have had your scent regardless,” I

said, and Leo became quite uncomfortable.

“I am sorry about where this discussion is going, Leo, but I need to explain something; please bear with

me.

I am not being insensitive, just proving a point Tamia made,” I said so he would know I did not mean it

as a jab. It was clear the man would never heal, and I knew why.

It was because he knew it was all his fault. Everything could have been avoided if he had kept his

promise and said no.

I am living proof of that after what happened between Susan and me. She moved on, and Devin moved

on. He thought he could get away with it, but the goddess didn’t allow it.

“But he got her pregnant,” Devin said, and I nodded.

“Amanda is crazy about this guy. That is why she would go as far as she has gone for him. She has

destroyed her bond and her entire family for his sake.

She was the one that kept going back to sleep with him; she was the one that wanted the babies and

not him. To him, she is dispensable,” I said, and they understood my point. Then I looked at Leo.

“Back to our topic of discussion. He won’t kill her, but he might separate from her and blame it on the

problems. He won’t kill her because he knows she won’t give him up, but he might disappear and make

himself inaccessible.

When that happens, she will reach out to you, Leo. Because she will be grabbing on straws, looking for

comfort, she will reach out to you. Maybe not to come back but to make a connection because you will

be her only family. When that happens, I want you to act like everything is normal. Can you do that?” I

asked him, and he looked at me with red eyes.

“I can’t promise you she will be alive if I find out where she is,” he said, and I knew there was no point

pushing it. The man was ready to destroy her.

“Please, Leo, we know this has destroyed your life. It took everything from you, but we need you to act

as if everything is the same when she reaches out to you. If not, we won’t catch all of them.

Your enemy is the king. He was the one that had the bright idea of using your bond with her. She was

just too in love to see the error of her ways. I do not mean that you shouldn’t deal with her, but hold on

a little until we catch that bastard,” Devin pleaded, and he gradually nodded. I knew it was a difficult

situation, but it was necessary.

“So what do we do about the names on that list?” Marcel asked, and that was an easy one.

“Declare them wanted to keep up appearances,” I said, and he nodded.

We finished our meeting, and I returned to my office to handle matters.

I had documents on the table I needed to study and sign before the inauguration. When I was through

with my work, I searched for David.

I learned he was at the western Garden with his family.

That was the Garden Tamia and I loved to visit.

We would have to find a new spot because our activities there weren’t child appropriate.

David was having a picnic with his children, but Nicole was nowhere in sight, so I figured she was with

my mother.

“Hey,” I called out to David, and the children stopped playing while he looked at me.

David stood up immediately and tried to bow his head, but I stopped him.

I honestly felt like shit because our father wanted him to be lord had my mother not manipulated the

situation.

“Where is Nicole?” I asked him with a smile on my face so he could relax.

“Went shopping with Lady Volkov,” He said, referring to my mother. It was awkward.

“You know you can just say Stephanie,” I said, and he nodded.

The children also seemed uncomfortable, and I realised I had to help them relax.

“Won’t you come to say hello to your scary uncle?” I said, and they giggled and rushed towards me.

I guess an invite was all they needed.

I played with them briefly while they greeted me and returned to play.

“Thank you for making them relax,” David said while they walked away, and I nodded. “How do you like

it here, David?” I asked him, and he smiled. “It’s a temporary arrangement, so can’t get comfortable,”

he confessed, and I shook my head. “Volkov brothers have always lived together.”

I said, looking at him, “I want to say I do not mind you living here, David. I can give you a section to

make your own,” I said, and he was surprised. “Won’t that be too much?” He asked, and I shook my

head. “As a lord, you will have to stay here,”

I said, and his eyes widened. “I know you do not want to have anything to do with power, but it is in

your blood. I have decided I will make you lord. You can choose to be inactive if you like, but you have

the title,” I said, and he sighed and nodded.