บท 10: Tangled Threads

"I can't believe that Calyx was your cousin, Kaiser," Six muttered, his voice laced with disbelief. He wanted to add more profanities, but held back, knowing the tension of the moment was thick enough without adding fuel to the fire. It was already Saturday, and tonight the Gala would take place—a night that would change everything.

Kaiser had fetched us yesterday, driving us straight to his home without so much as a word of explanation. I'd barely had time to process the events when we arrived, only to be met by a group of faces I hadn't expected. Lucien, Ben, Dos, Uno, and Seven were all waiting for us. The familiar but unexpected faces froze me in my tracks. Only Ifor and Zero were absent, and their absence felt heavy, like a missing piece in a puzzle.

They were waiting for us—waiting to talk, to question, to maybe even confront me about what had happened. But the way they all looked at me, the frustration simmering in their eyes, made it hard to breathe. It was like being under a magnifying glass, every move watched, every thought anticipated. I wanted to explain, to let them know how I was feeling, but I couldn't find the words. Their presence was suffocating, overwhelming, and for a moment, I felt small, insignificant amidst their collective weight.

"He's not really like that. He maybe has his reasons," Kaiser said, his voice soft yet defensive, as he tried to stand up for his cousin, even in the face of mounting anger.

"Tss. His reasons wouldn't save them both," Dos shot back sharply, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

I couldn't argue with that. Yes, I understood that Calyx likely had his reasons, reasons that had probably weighed on him for much longer than I had been aware of. But deep down, I knew those reasons would be the ones to destroy me. They were a ticking time bomb, and I was caught right in the blast radius. And Dos... Dos was right. There would be no miraculous twist, no last-minute salvation. Those reasons wouldn't save us both. In the end, we'd be left shattered in the wake of it all.

I could feel the weight of it press down on my chest. The bitter truth gnawing at me—either I'd end up hurt, or worse, I'd hurt alone. The thought of facing it alone, without anyone who truly understood, made everything feel even more unbearable. And that, that sucked more than I could put into words.

"So what's the plan?" Fifth asked, his voice calm but filled with urgency.

"Yes, what's the plan? We can't just stay here and do nothing," Lucien chimed in, his tone more sharp now. "Nine is the real and legal wife. We can't just let that Jillian steal it."

I could feel the weight of their words pressing against me, but it didn't change the sinking feeling inside. This wasn't just about the legality of a marriage—it was about something deeper, more tangled than any of them realized. But I kept my mouth shut, listening as the conversation unfolded.

"I don't like the idea of Nine going there," Tres spoke up, her voice laced with concern. She looked at me, her gaze intense. "Even if Jillian manages to steal it, she can never deny the legality of their marriage."

Her words hit harder than I expected. She wasn't just defending me; she was trying to protect me from a world that was already too complicated, too dangerous. She continued, her tone softening slightly but carrying a heavy warning: "You're too young for this shit, Nine. And this is not the kind of fight you'd like to deal with."

Her eyes locked with mine, and I saw the weight of her experience in them. She was right, in a way. This was a fight I wasn't ready for—not emotionally, not mentally. But what choice did I have? Walking away wasn't an option. If I didn't fight now, I would lose everything. Even if it destroyed me in the process.

And maybe, just maybe, that was a sacrifice I was willing to make.

"But she's already dealing with it. She just needs to finish what has been started," Seven said, his gaze fixed on me, his voice steady but firm. "You need to be there tonight. You need to find out the things you need to know. If you let them destroy you, then you'll just prove them right—you'll show them that you're not worth the fight."

His words struck a chord deep within me. You need to be there tonight. It wasn't just about the Gala—it was about reclaiming control, about not letting everything fall apart without a fight. But even as I nodded, the weight of what lay ahead pressed down on me. I didn't know if I was strong enough for this.

"I'll try to ask Calyx about this thing," Kaiser said, his voice tinged with uncertainty as he pulled out his phone, clearly preparing to make the call. But before he could even press the number, Lucien and Six stopped him immediately.

"You're not the one who should do that," Six exclaimed, his tone sharper than usual. "Nine will do that, not you, Kaiser. Even if you're his cousin, there are things he can't share with you. You already tried that yesterday—did he answer? No. So you can't just call him and ask his reasons."

Kaiser paused, frustration flickering across his face. He sighed, clearly torn. "I just don't know what to do. He's my cousin. Even if I'm disappointed with all that's happening, I can't deny that I'm torn in this situation."

I shook my head, my thoughts swirling in a mix of guilt and confusion. "It's my fault, so you don't need to take all this stress by yourself, Kaiser," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I haven't been open about my life here, and I thought I could handle this on my own, but I messed up."

The silence that followed felt heavy, each of them looking at me, waiting for something more. It was as if I was holding onto the last threads of control, and the weight of everything crashing down was suffocating.

"This kind of marriage is totally messed up. Even from the start," Seven muttered, his voice tight with frustration. "You haven't told us, and now, this is what we find out."

I sighed, the sound escaping me without any real relief. There was no way to go back. There was no undoing what had already been done. What was left was to move forward, however painful, however messy it was going to get.

And that was terrifying. But I didn't have a choice anymore.

I was completely lost. They were here to help me, to guide me through the mess that my life had become, but I felt paralyzed. My mind was a fog, and I couldn't think straight. This marriage wasn't as simple as I had imagined. I thought it would be easy—knowing that we were already married, I assumed that fighting for it would be enough. I thought it would guarantee that I would win, that I could overcome whatever came my way, and that the truth would eventually set me free.

But now, I wasn't so sure. Especially when I found out that there were secrets—secrets that Calyx wasn't willing to share with me. He married me to save me, but from what? As far as I knew, Calyx had no idea what kind of life I was living, and that truth gnawed at me.

Was it because of Uncle Brian? But that didn't make sense. Uncle Brian only cared about the inheritance, and if he had just asked, I would have given it to him. I knew he wouldn't dare go too far, not when he knew there were boundaries he couldn't cross. But Uncle Brian was the one who insisted on this marriage—he said that if it didn't happen, everything my parents invested in would be lost. And since I had no idea how the family business even worked, I did what he said. But why? What was the real reason behind all of this?

So many questions, and every answer only led to more confusion.

"So, you're going to the party?" Uno asked, his usual calm demeanor replaced with an unusual grimness that caught my attention.

I sighed and nodded, a wave of dread settling over me. "Yeah. I guess I need to go."

"No," Tres said firmly, standing up and walking over to me. She tapped my back and smiled. "We're going together."

"Yeah," Dos added, his tone light but resolute. "We can't let you fight this alone. We'll be right at your back."

Their support was a small comfort amidst all the chaos in my mind. I smiled back, grateful for their unwavering loyalty, even though I felt like I was standing at the edge of a cliff, unsure of what awaited me below.

I just hoped that nothing bad would happen tonight. But deep down, I knew this was just the beginning.