Chapter Title: Played
|| XAVIER'S POV ||
" The media is crowding your house. What should we do now?"
The last few hours have been a mess in my life. First, I lost half of my votes, then my father's reputation and the disaster of my family. My mother fainted the moment she saw my father's hidden crime for years. I had been keeping a guard against this secret but the truth was bound to be disclosed. It was even more confirmed when Arthur entered the city.
I lit up another cigarette to burn down my frustrations. My father and others were sent to an unknown location. I wanted them out of the media spotlight. Daniel came to tell me about the news of the outer world. I had also been staying in my secret mansion, waiting for Iris to show up. I replied with a deep growl, pinching the space between my brows,
" Bring Iris over to me. Also, send Petra to her parents. Let the situation calm down."
Daniel furrowed hard, hesitating before speaking,
" Iris? Don't you know where she is?"
I snapped a look of shock at Daniel, muttered after dropping the cigarette,
" What do you mean? Iris went to the campaign as well. Didn't she return to the house?"
Daniel shook his head, saying 'No'. My stomach churned into a bad feeling. Was she in danger? Did Arthur target her too? Grabbing my phone, I dialed her number a few times but it was sent straight to voicemail. For a split moment, my heart shattered into pieces. Why did she leave me at this crucial moment?
Daniel tried to comfort me, his voice full of suspension as well,
" Calm down, Xavier. She must be hiding somewhere as well. We will wait for her. If she doesn't return, we will start looking for her. Iris isn't so dumb to make an appearance in front of the media."
I stood in my spot silently. So many possibilities ran through my mind. How did the folder change? How did an outsider break all the security systems without being noticed?
I turned to speak to Daniel,
" Have you found out anything? Any clue?"
Daniel was on the phone call. He was the one who was handling all the drama. He replied after ending the call, a long sigh passing through his lips,
" I have called the guards already. They will send me all the video footage within a few moments. Perhaps we will figure out something hopefully."
I swallowed the uncomfortable feeling in my heart. I didn't want to judge Iris but my fear was excessively rising. I prayed that I was wrong.
Two hours later, Iris was still missing without any clues. The guards sent Daniel the footage. He was flipping through the videos until his shrill voice echoed from the computer,
" Xavier..you ...you need to see this..."
I went to him in a marathon race, my eyes locking on a specific thing. Daniel replayed the footage. It was right before I was leaving for the campaign. Iris came into my study, then switched the folder to a new one. She looked like a thief who was nervous about being caught red-handed.
I couldn't feel my heart anymore. It was all blank in my memory, her words, our passionate moments. It was her all the time. She was the spy among us. Why did she choose to betray me most cruelly?
Daniel swallowed hard without saying anything. He seemed like he couldn't believe his eyes as well. He replayed the video for himself and was even more silent. I held my breath tight, the laughter of self-mockery threatening to come out. Xavier Gray became the biggest fool in the country again.
Daniel opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off, raising my hand,
" Track her location at any cost. I want to see her right away."
___________
|| IRIS's POV ||
" You...you did this to him, didn't you??"
I aimed the gun at Arthur, tears of anger flooding my eyes. He stayed relaxed, his eyes on my face always. He gestured at his guards to leave who left with hesitations and questions in their mind.
Arthur spoke softly, his movements not getting affected by my gun,
" Relax, baby girl. It was you who was supposed to do this. I just.. gave you a hand.."
I blurted out more desperately, my fingers trembling around the trigger,
" Why didn't you fucking tell me that you and Xavier Gray are brothers??"
His jaw clenched hard this time. Stomping on his feet, he replied angrily,
" He deserved this, his family. They don't fucking deserve the respect. You did well."
I let my tears fall more, muttering through my gritted teeth,
" I did nothing...You know that...I never..ever wanted to harm him.."
Arthur let out a bitter laugh, his lips stretching into a sinister smile,
" So..you love him?"
I stayed quiet at this question. Even if I wasn't sure earlier, I became sure today after using the gun to kill Arthur. During the campaign, I guessed everything as soon as that footage was played in front of thousands of people. I did try to change the folder once but my love for Xavier changed my mind. I did change again to choose the right decision for myself.
I blurted back, still pointing the gun at Arthur,
" That's not my question. Why did you frame me? Why did you destroy him if you hate his father? He was the one who wronged you."
Arthur blurted midway, cutting me off,
" Because he fucking supported it as well. Do you believe that he didn't know what his father had done? I am the eldest son of the Gray family legally. What did I get in life, Iris? I got nothing except the title of being Bastard even though he married my mother secretly."
I felt a wave of emotions in my heart. Arthur had never been vocal about his emotions. It was the first time that I saw him so weak and vulnerable. I resisted the urge to drop the gun. In our dire silence, Arthur made his way to me and forced the gun to his head,
" You hate me, huh?? Just kill me... fucking kill me, Iris. You and I both will be free."
I touched the trigger gingerly but couldn't manage to pull the trigger. Whenever I looked into his eyes, I remembered the guy who gave me a new life. Even living among thousands of bad people, he always protected me like a shield. Although he never said a word, I knew that he was the reason for my troubled three life. Maybe I didn't love him like a fiancee but he held a special position in my heart.
My hands dropped the gun with a bang. In front of him, I burst into tears. I heard his first-ever soft-saying voice,
" This isn't your world, Iris. You belong here.. with me... With Xavier, you would never find your happiness.."
I allowed myself to cry harder. I hated being his fiancee, for choosing life but what could be done now?
As we stayed there in silence, the sound of several people running came from my back. Before I could come back to reality, a deep familiar voice rasped from our back,
" So...it was real.....You..you are with Arthur?"
I froze in my place. Snapping my head behind, I spotted Xavier with Daniel, standing in the doorway. Xavier looked so broken in this state. His eyes reflected on me and then on Arthur who was wrapping an arm around me already. Before I could say anything, Arthur spoke with a sneer,
" Yes! How did it feel to get played by my fiancee, Mr.President?"