Shadows of Destiny

44 A Family Matter

~Tamia~

I was afraid of the outcome of the

confrontation.

How can everything switch suddenly?

The woman claimed I threatened her; I did not remember doing that. I just

warned her that Dominic shouldn’t be in

my bad books.

From the look in Sylvester’s eyes, I knew I had overstepped, and I was worried because Stephanie

was his mother, and she was trying to make it seem as if I had instigated the arrest.

“Where is the proof?” Stephanie asked Sylvester sounding hysterical.

So you arrest your brother based on

what her ex-husband told you?” she said, pointing at me, and it hurt. Why did they always have to link

anything that happened in the east to me?

Not based on what Leo told me, mother;

head Enforcer Bryce said Dominic sent him to the east to try and collect developmental tax. The same

taxes that caused the Brighton attack.

Bryce claimed the order was given to him with my seal and signature, and he said it was Dominic. He

even called him Lord

Dominic, a title meant for me alone,” Sylvester said, and his mother searched his eyes for deception

but couldn’t find any and then looked at me.

There was mistrust in her eyes, and

slowly I began to suspect our friendship

was over. 1

“If I find out that you set him up to hel

Sylvester as you threatened, then you will have me to contend with. You might have Sylvester in knots,

but he is still my son.

Two months is enough to prove you are unworthy,” she said, and I fought back

my tears.

I was mad that she could turn on me so

quickly.

“Why are you trying to blame Tamia for this? How does she have a hand in this? What would she gain

from this?”

Sylvester asked her, and she shook her

head.

“You promised to play dirty if he poses a threat to Sylvester. You promised to do anything to help

Sylvester. You might not have used those words, Tamia, but you implied it,” She said, and I was

stunned by how her mind could twist my words

Sylvester looked at me with disbelief but

tried to hide it. I did not know what damage this woman’s rage and fear would cost me, but I needed to

speak. 1

“I did not set him up, Stephanie. I do not know Bryce,” I said, defending myself.

“Yet it is your ex-husband, who did not

want to give you up, who has teamed up with bane, that pointed Bryce out as the culprit.” She said, and

I knew what she

was trying to imply.

“I suggest you speak plainly, Stephanie. You are trying to say Leo and I set

Dominic up using Bryce so we can get

whatever you feel we are after,” I said,

and she was silent.

Sylvester gently touched my hand, a plea to ask me to calm down.

“As much as all this hurts me, I will let it pass because you are hurting, and people say a lot of things

they regret when they

are hurting, but I will not accept your accusations,” I said, and she growled at me and looked at

Sylvester.

“Even if he was accused of such, you

should have investigated instead of humiliating him like this. You have wounded his pride with your

actions. Taking the lordship from him was a hard blow; you shouldn’t have done this, Sylvester. This is

low,” she said in tears, and I felt Sylvester’s rage emerging.

“And let him force me into a war because

his feelings are hurt?” he yelled at her.

“Do you know the implications of his

action? I would have chosen to push back

if Leonardo had not reached out but

revolted instead. There will be a war.

People will die because of his hurt. Is your

son’s feelings more important than people’s lives? Is it more important than the peace we are enjoying

right now?

Answer me, mother. You say Tamia threatened you; why wouldn’t she? She saw him for what he was.

A threat to me,

a threat to the north and our world,

she did the only thing she knew she could by asking you to force him to remain so

he won’t complicate things for me at the

hearing as he and Larry had planned. Did

she force him to get involved with Larry and actively work against me?” He said,

his hands shaking.

“I would have lost the seat today. If they

could prove that I committed those

crimes, the Volkov family would no

longer be in charge. Are his feelings worth all that?” He asked her, and she began to weep and went to

her knees.

“You know he didn’t do this. He is not smart enough to pull something like this. He will not do this,

Sylvester; please, Let him go,” she pleaded on her knees,

weeping.

“If the investigation proves he is innocent, then I will let him go, but his name has been mentioned as

the main

culprit, so he will remain in custody until proven otherwise,” Sylvester said, and she began to cry. She

looked at me with

anger.

“They had different views and did not see eye to eye on many things, but they were getting along

before you, Tamia. I know you did this. I know you think you are doing this for love. I know you think

you are protecting Sylvester by removing Dominic from the picture, but you will live to regret this.” She

said in tears, and I could not believe why this woman wanted to drag me into this.

“All I can see is that you need to blame someone other than yourself for not

raising your first son properly. So you

picked the easy target, which is me. I did. nothing to Dominic; I won’t feel sorry, I won’t regret it, and I

won’t hurt over it,” I

said, a bit annoyed.

“I hope you will be a mother one day..’ she said, and Sylvester shut her down.

“Enough, mother, leave my room now!” he said, and she was in shock and disbelief, but soon she

realised he was serious and stood up. She looked at me scornfully and then looked at Sylvester.

“She is desperate, Sylvester, making her a dangerous woman. You need to be there when she was

talking about Dominic,’ She said, referring to me.

“I hope you know what you are doing, son. Dominic is the only family you have. He is your only sibling.

Just like she left her husband, she can leave you, move on and won’t have anything to do with you,

but Dominic and I will always be your family. I know you haven’t felt this way about anyone since Susan

left, but do not let your feelings blind and control you, Sylvester…” she said, and he shut her up.

“Get out,” he yelled at her, enraged.

“Sometimes I question if you are my mother,” he confessed.

“You let him disrespect me and work against me, and then you expect me to be understanding and

forgiving towards

him, but you are quick to point fingers whenever he is hurting. I do not care if he is your favourite, but if

I find out he is guilty, I will have him tried and executed for treason,” Sylvester said finally, and

Stephanie and I both gasped.

She hurried out of the room while I remained. She had messed up Sylvester’s mood and left me to deal

with it. I did not

know how he would react, but I braced

myself for it. 2

“Did you order her to keep him at home for my sake?” he asked me with a low voice, and I knew there

was no use lying.

“I meant well, Sylvester,” I tried to explain, but before I could say anything, he crashed his lips on mine

and pulled me

close to his body.

His kiss was fierce and demanding, and I

let him take me.

I knew he needed the tranquillity that love brings, and I was willing to give it. I

needed it, too.

Stephanie had come to stir up shit, and I hoped she calmed down soon and came to

her sense. 1

Sylvester tore my clothes and my

underwear. I did the same to him. He

hoisted me up with my back against the wall and rammed himself into me. He

was growling and pumping viciously. The pleasure he gave coursed through my veins, taking away the

anger, fear, anxiety and pain Stephanie had brought and replacing it with pure love and a need for the

release he offered. I held on

tightly, digging my claws into his kin, and Kaira growled and moaned simultaneously. 1

I wished he would sink his teeth into my

flesh at that moment and claim me.

I wanted to be his forever and prove

Stephanie was wrong.

He did not just have them, he had me, too, and the children we would have in future… He had my love,

heart and my life, and I know it was enough, just as he was enough for me.

I came viciously, and he pumped through it, forcing my orgasm to linger. And soon, he came and gently

let me down. With my

back against the wall, he placed his forehead against mine.

“Thank you for forcing her hand, Tamia. Everything she said shows how far you

are willing to go for my sake, something even she has been incapable of doing. I

am not mad at you, my love; I am surprised and grateful,” he said, and

tears began to roll down my cheek, and I

held on to him. I was relieved.

“Sylvester, I was scared you were mad at me,” I confessed, and he wrapped his

arms around me and let me cry my tears

of relief.

He led me to the bed and made me lie

down.

“Before we got home, I knew something

was troubling you. Do you mind sharing? ” he asked, sitting on the bed by my side. I realised he would

be stepping out soon.

I nodded and sat up.

“Something didn’t sit well with me about how easy it was to catch Dominic. He might be stupid, but I

doubt he is that

stupid,” I said, and he frowned at me.

“What are you implying?” He asked,

I sighed.

and

“We still need to trace the paper trail for the first order. The one that was done

without mistake, the one that you

couldn’t find out about until the deed was

done.” I said, and he stroked my hair.

“Larry must have done it and framed Dominic for it,” he said, and I shook my

head.

“It came together too quickly, almost as if

someone or some people are trying to throw us off their scent, Sylvester. Let us keep this within our

circle, but we need to trace those documents and investigate what happened with Brighton thoroughly

because I believe what happened with Leo went the way the culprit hoped. Leo is passive, so they

know he will not attack. They also know you let me communicate with him once, so he might feel

comfortable reaching out,” I said and

sighed.

“All I am trying to say is that they wanted you to find out. Whoever did this made it sloppy enough for

you to find out. They wanted you to know, and Dominic to take the fall. I do not like your brother,

Sylvester, but that isn’t his handwork,” I said, and he bowed his head. 1

I knew my words had confused him, but I

have been an investigator since I was

Luna of the east. Although nothing of this magnitude had ever happened, problems like this were

always easy to solve. As much as I was mad at Stephanie for trying to make me look like the bad guy,

she was his mother, and she, too, knew he wasn’t capable of this. (1)

I have to hope for her sake that he is truly innocent because if it turns out that he did it, then it would be

a blight on the family’s name.

Soon, Sylvester left the room to join

Marcel and Theodore to discuss the next

course of action.

After he left, Avery linked me that she

and Linda were coming to my room. I

knew they wanted to get involved with

the matter. Somehow our lives were tied

to this shit, and we all knew it.