God of War: Chapter 28

It should be a miracle that Eli managed to come out relatively unscathed after stabbing a man. Publicly. In an extremely affluent place.

And yet that’s exactly what happened.

No charges were filed against him and the whole thing faded away in the span of a week.

I don’t think he’s even taken a trip to the police station.

Unfortunately, however, the incident reached the press’s grabby hands, and he couldn’t exactly escape the scandalous headlines, which, in retrospect, put him in more trouble with his father—according to Leo.

Leo and I gossip now. All the time. While Sam crochets and shakes her head at us. But she loves the gossip, too. She just doesn’t like to admit it.

And she’s totally in our group chat of three that I named ‘Chamber of Gossip.’ I’m no longer worried they’d out me or sell my secrets to Eli since we’re a team against him.

I even overheard Sam tell him the other day to stop ordering me around. Not in those words, but it was something similar. You can bet that I hugged and kissed her chubby cheeks afterward, and she was horrified for hours.

Anyway, Leo said Eli’s been dealing with the fallout of that incident. The incident being stabbing a man and then finger-fucking me in the car while I prayed Leo didn’t hear us. And then as soon as we got home, he kept his promise and brought me to orgasm with his tongue and cock.

It still feels sick that I got off on the same hands that mutilated another person, and even found it hot, but I’ve come to the realization that I’m far from normal.

Both mentally and emotionally. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be so drawn to a man who drips toxicity and charm.

But that’s not for here or now.

The reason I practically invited myself over for dinner with his parents was to have a chat with my father-in-law.

Naturally, Aunt Elsa was over the moon when I called. We went shopping first and she spoiled me rotten, bought me enough things to last me a year and insisted I get every dress I tried on.

After dinner, however, Uncle Aiden immediately retreats to his study for some pending business calls. Before I can follow him, Aunt Elsa drags me to the sitting area.

The King mansion stands tall and proud, easily rivaling the majesty of Buckingham Palace. Its baroque architecture and intricately designed decor exude an imposing quality that perfectly reflects its owner, Uncle Aiden.

But amidst the opulence and grandeur, tiny details reveal a softer side to the mansion. Cat figurines dotting shelves, niche paintings adorning walls, and the absence of pretentious statues all embody Aunt Elsa’s influence in adding warmth to the house. Her efforts to make the place feel more like a home rather than just a lavish estate speaks volumes about this family. These subtle touches make the mansion feel lived-in, loved-in, and not just another lifeless symbol of wealth and power.

Growing up, I often wondered how Eli saw his parents’ place. I know he cares for them, but he also moved out as soon as he started uni and never came back to live under their roof.

Maybe, like me, he needs a breather and his own space that’s out of his parents’ orbit.

“Do you want tea? Digestives?” Aunt Elsa asks as we sit on the high sofa across from the turned-off fireplace.

“I’m good.”

“You didn’t eat much.”

“I literally have no place in my tummy anymore.”

She laughs, the sound soft in the silence. “I’m glad to hear it. I wish Eli could’ve joined us tonight.”

“He has a late meeting. You know, with everything that’s going on.” Which is why I chose this day to visit his parents. I don’t want him around.

“Yes, that.” Her brows knit together in a gentle frown before she sighs. “I’m just glad both of you are okay. I had a fright when I first heard about the incident. It brought back bad memories.”

“What type of memories?”

She lifts her head, a shifty look springing in her light-blue eyes before she forces a smile. “Nothing of importance. I just wish he’d take it easy sometimes.”

“Me, too,” I whisper.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Ava. It must’ve been scary.”

“Not really. It was…something, but not exactly scary.” I grimace. “Not sure what that says about me, though.”

Especially since I fucked the guy right after and screamed his name as I came on his cock.

“It says you’re his match.” Aunt Elsa pats my hand. “I told you this before, but you don’t remember it, so I’ll say it again. I’m so happy you’re with him, Ava. I always believed he needed someone like you by his side and I’m glad he finally sees the vision.”

“I’m not doing much.”

“You’re doing more than you think. He seems happier and more relaxed.”

“Where? He’s always stone-faced.”

“I’m his mother. I know it when I see him. He’s changed and I like to think it’s for the better.” She squeezes my hand. “Thank you for helping him live a little, go out, breathe properly now and then.”

“I kind of blackmail him into it.”

She laughs. “And I’m grateful for that.”

“God. I hope he’s more like you.”

“He is.” She stares at an invisible spot on the wall. “Everyone thinks he’s exactly like his dad, but I also brought him up and made sure to ingrate morals into him. If he ever disrespects you, I need to hear about it.”

“He doesn’t do that.” And I mean it, he’s never disrespected me. He’s just a fan of breaking my heart whenever it mends itself back together.

“Good. And, Ava?”

“Yeah?”

“He’s lucky to have you. I know he’s hotheaded sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

“Most of the time, but you’re hotheaded, too, young lady.”

“Guilty.” I raise both hands.

“Which is better than if you were meek. At least this way, you know how to handle him.”

“I do?”

“Yes. The other day he was asking his father what to do if he feels like things are going so much out of control that he finds himself on the verge of snapping.”

I inch closer. “And what did Uncle Aiden say?”

“If you can’t afford to snap and come out of the situation unscathed or with the results you hope for, the intelligent thing to do is to walk away. Even temporarily.”

My lips part. That must be why he often locks himself away from me in his study. Of course, I don’t give him space and often stroll in, a book and a bucket of candy floss in hand, and proceed to read across from him, lying on the sofa, legs up, or on my stomach on the floor.

No wonder that earns me a fuck so ferocious that I can barely walk afterward and he has to carry me.

I’m toying with his control when I thought I was just being a brat. Oops.

“Leo mentioned there’s tension between Eli and Uncle Aiden. Do you know about that?”

“Leo?”

“Leonardo…oh, Henderson?”

“Ah. His first name is never mentioned.”

“Yeah, Eli hates that I call him Leo.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

“Because he can be dramatic?”

“Because he’s a copy of his father in that regard. For Eli and Aiden, it’s not tension. It’s a rivalry of sorts, from my son’s side.”

“Why would he want to rival his own father?”

“Because he has this constant urge to always come out on top and he feels like Aiden is his most worthy rival. Or Landon at times. Due to the absence of the latter, he’s channeling all that energy toward his dad.”

“That’s not healthy.”

“Tell me about it. Neither of them will back down.”

“But Uncle Aiden must know how hard Eli worked on the project he got kicked out of.”

“Not hard enough to walk out of the most important meeting and then stab the only prospective investor. In public,” Uncle Aiden says as he sits beside his wife and wraps an arm around her shoulders, slowly stroking her arm.

I’ve noticed that he always has to touch her in some sense, as if she’s the only person who can root him in this world.

Honestly, I don’t ever want to imagine him without her. Even Creighton once said neither he nor Eli can picture their dad without their mum.

He’s a frightening man, not toward me since he accepted me with open arms, but he was frightening when Anni first got together with Creigh. Probably because of some unfortunate events in their story.

“It was because of me,” I say slowly. “He ditched the meeting because he thought I was in danger.” I lie because I don’t think he’d appreciate it if I said it was due to his son’s possessiveness. “And he stabbed Robert because he said his condition to invest was to sleep with me.”

Aunt Elsa gasps. “That piece of shit.”

The only reaction from her husband, however, is a temporary pause of his stroking motion. “In that case, why didn’t he mention it?”

“I don’t know. But I can’t in good conscience keep this information to myself. I wish you’d cut him some slack. He’s a ridiculous workaholic and we both know he has an obnoxious talent for making money, so the company is in good hands with him.”

“That doesn’t excuse his impulsive actions.”

“But I just told you he did that because of me.”

“And I appreciate that. I also understand his need to protect you above everything else, but that shouldn’t have the power to cloud his judgment. Due to his foolish criminal actions, my father and I had to pull an absurd amount of strings to keep him out of prison and are enduring being slapped with nepotism accusations. But despite that, the Meyers family is fighting back with their own connections. Robert is neither a small fish nor an insignificant fly Eli can stab and then walk away from as if nothing happened. He did not think through the consequences of his actions, and that is not a quality for a leader in this organization.”

I lift my chin. “If someone suggested something similar about Aunt Elsa, would you not have done the same thing?”

“She has a point.” She smiles up at him and strokes his cheek. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”

“I would’ve done worse,” he admits. “But not in public. He should know better than to leave trails of evidence behind.”

My shoulders droop with defeat because even in Eli’s psychotic cases, he’s never done anything in public. Even Lan thinks he’s a masterful private shit-stirrer with a pristine public image.

The fact that he deviated from his usual pattern isn’t something anyone can defend. Not even me.

Sensing my predicament, Aunt Elsa changes the subject and talks about a funny video of Creigh that Anni sent her.

I’m thinking of a way to excuse myself without disappointing her, mostly to avoid getting on Uncle Aiden’s shit list. He might’ve heard me out and even appreciated it, but he certainly doesn’t care for others stealing his wife’s time. Not even his sons. He’s worse than Papa in that regard.

Before I can say good night, none other than Landon walks through the sitting room’s double doors, dressed in a leather jacket, black jeans, and a white tee. He runs his fingers through his hair as if he’s striding through a photo shoot.

“Surprise!”

Uncle Aiden stands up and he goes straight to hug him. “Miss me, Uncle?”

“Let me think on that,” Uncle Aiden says as they break away.

“Wrong answer.”

“The right one being?”

“Yes, or absolutely, or I couldn’t sleep thinking about you and contemplated flying over just to see you.”

“No to all,” Uncle Aiden says with a small smile.

“You know you love me. You don’t have to say it.” Lan drops a kiss on Aunt Elsa’s cheek. “Is it just me or do you look more beautiful than the last time I saw you?”

“Did you also tell that to your mum?” She pinches his cheek.

“Word for word. I also added that she’s lost some weight—she hasn’t, but she loves hearing that.” He finally turns toward me and hugs me. “Barbie! How have you been without me?”

“Living just fine.”

“Questionable. No one lives just fine without my godly presence. I know because I wouldn’t want to live without me. You lot should pay me for having me in your lives.”

I bring out my phone and put it to my ear. “Hello, MI5, Lan brought his nonsensical arrogance to Britain again. Please come pick him up for national security purposes.”

“Very funny. Getting married to Eli obviously eroded your sense of humor, aside from your common sense. Speaking of Eli, heard he’s facing criminal charges?”

“No, he’s not,” I say. “And did you seriously just visit because of that?”

“It’s a perfectly good reason to take a long-haul flight. I don’t often get to laugh in his face for making a clusterfuck of a mistake.”

“There will be no laughing in his face,” Uncle Aiden says in a firm tone. “He knows his mistake, got punished for not considering the consequences, and he’s currently in the midst of finding solutions. No one needs your unnecessary gloating, Lan.”

“Thank you,” I say, inexplicably happy that Uncle Aiden is defending Eli. He might appear strict, but he and Eli share the most unique father-and-son relationship. It’s not a coincidence that my husband only goes to his dad for advice, even while he tries to score points for the sake of his stupid one-sided rivalry.

“But he’s never this clumsy, Uncle. Let me have my fun.”

“No.”

“Rest assured, I can annoy him in other ways.”

“Where’s Mia?” I ask.

“In the States. I only came for a few days.”

“Oh God. So we get you without a leash?”

“In my full glory, Barbie. Full glory.”

“Pass.” I stand up and smile at my parents-in-law. “I’m leaving. Night and good luck with the nutcase.”

Aunt Elsa walks me to the door and insists I take some food containers because she still believes I didn’t eat much.

I walk to the car she lent me for the ride home. I can’t reach their driver, so instead of going back and telling them that, I choose to drive it on my own. It’s been a long time since I drove anyway—since the day I ruined Eli’s car. Oops.

Lan slides in front of me with a devil-may-care smirk. He looks no different than a demon spawn under the driveway’s faint light.

“Now what?” I hike a hand on my hip, staring him down.

“If my ears didn’t betray me, I think I heard you defending Eli to Uncle Aiden.”

“How long were you there?”

“Long enough to doubt my own ears. You taking Eli’s side? I was honestly looking for clues of a parallel universe.”

“I was…only telling the truth.”

“Since when does the truth matter when it comes to your position about my cousin?”

“Since now.”

“Hmm.” He watches me peculiarly as he leans against the car and crosses his arms and ankles.

“What?”

“I’m contemplating whether or not to share a thought-provoking tidbit.”

“Is it about me?”

“Certainly. But seeing things in a new light, I’m not sure if it’ll do you harm or good.”

“If it’s about me, I’d like to know.”

“Are you strong enough to take it?”

“Since when do you care about that, Landon?”

“I very much do. While I want to provoke Eli, I don’t wish to end up on the top of his mile-long hit list, but since I’m here anyway, might as well make it worth my while. Let me ask you something. Are you aware your therapist changed?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you know why?”

“My previous therapist left the UK.”

“By choice?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Just a question. Next one, have you had any strange episodes lately?”

“No. I’ve been rather stable since I woke up in the hospital.” Aside from that panic attack outside the restaurant, I haven’t had any of my usual episodes. I used to be on edge anticipating the next one, but I’ve been so content lately that I’ve started to get used to this anxiety-free life.

Even if a part of me still shivers at the thought of going to sleep and constantly thinks of my next epic meltdown.

“Ever wondered why?” Lan asks.

“New meds. They’re really good and have little side effects, mostly lethargy, but not too often.”

“Cool.”

“Cool? What’s the meaning of this questionnaire, Lan?”

“Just bringing things into perspective. That’s all.”

“That’s never all with you. What are you trying to tell me?”

“I don’t know. Truly. It would’ve been different if I’d found you in your usual spot as the founder of Eli’s anti-fan club, but to my dismay, you’ve changed.”

“I…have not.”

“Barbie, please. You just talked to Uncle Aiden like Eli’s devout wife who’s trying to take the burn off her husband. You haven’t only changed, but you’re diving headfirst into your old feelings for him.”

“I would never give him my heart again. Not after he broke it.”

“Hey, there’s no need to convince me. And if it’s of any consolation, I do believe he’s doing this for your sake. Deep down, he cares. In his own screwed-up, twisted way, but his methods will sooner or later come to bite him in the arse.”

“Cares? Eli?”

“A man doesn’t go to the lengths of eliminating each one of your prospects and then proceed to marry you if he doesn’t care.”

“Ownership and care aren’t the same thing, Lan.”

“No, but they can coexist.” He pushes off the door and opens it for me. “Should you be driving?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

He merely shrugs as I slide in and place the food containers in the passenger seat.

Lan waves at me while I pull out from my parents-in-law’s house. As I listen to cello performances by a Finnish soloist, Lan’s words keep playing in the back of my head.

It’s true that I had many questions after I caught Eli and even Sam in a lie, but I chose to ignore said discrepancies for the sake of my peace of mind.

Lan implied whether or not the truth is worth sacrificing my current stability.

A few months ago, I would’ve always gone for the truth, but right now as I stare at my wedding band and think of everything that comes with it, I’m not sure if that’s the right solution.

Why is my truth more important than the suffering of those around me? My parents, Ari, Cecy, Aunt Elsa, and even Sam and Leo, who have been nothing but kind to me.

Eli as well. I don’t think it’s fair to put him through my embarrassing episodes. He has no obligation to take care of me since we’re not in a real marriage.

My music comes to a halt as none other than my husband’s name flashes on the screen.

I pick up with, “Speak of the devil. Miss me, darling?”

“Are you driving?” His clipped tone fills the car with a coat of tension.

“Yeah.”

“Why the fuck—” He cuts himself off and speaks slowly as if he’s addressing a child. “Pull over this instant and call a black cab. If they take too long, I’ll come to pick you up.”

“Um, no? I can drive on my own just fine.”

“Pull the fuck over, Ava!”

I startle, my fingers clenching around the steering wheel.

Eli never yells at me. Ever. Not even when I thought he would at the height of my provocations.

I indicate to the left and pull over, then put the car in park, mostly because I’m shaking too hard to be driving.

My ears ring and I hear my name being called as if it’s coming from underground.

An image passes through my head in a flash. I’m slumped against the side of the car.

Crimson stains mar every inch of my skin, coating my hands and thighs with a slick, sticky film. I can feel sticky blood beneath my nails and over the pads of my fingers. The bright red pools on the ground, forming an abstract canvas in the dim light of the street. My breaths come in ragged gasps as I try to steady myself, my heart pounding loudly in my chest. It’s as if the blood has seeped into every corner of my being, smearing me inside and out.

“Ava!” Eli’s booming voice echoes in my ear, but I can’t look up from the blood on my hands.

Oh no.

What have I done?

What have I⁠—

“Ava?”

I lift my head and look at the distorted, blurry version of Eli’s handsome face.

“Give me your hand,” he orders in a firm voice.

I shake my head frantically. “Blood…blood…”

“Look at me. Hey, look at me. Focus on me. That’s it. Good girl. Breathe. Mimic me and breathe properly. In…out…in…out… You’re doing great, beautiful. Now I want you to take my hand, okay?”

My shaky fingers lift up, and the scraping of my heels on the asphalt echo like a bomb in the eerie silence.

Eli pulls me into his embrace and everything turns black.