Chapter 360: Tell him the truth
Sage arrived home as a servant carried his luggage inside. Stepping into the living room, he froze when he saw his father seated on the couch, carrying a grim look.
"Dad, what happened?" Sage asked cautiously.
William’s gaze snapped to him, burning with fury. "Why didn’t you ask me before dismissing an elder from his position as financial advisor to the pack, and the company?"
Before Sage could respond, Blythe let out a faint, bitter laugh. She forced a troubled expression as she looked between father and son. "Because that elder is my uncle. Sage must have thought it fitting to fire him. Even after all these years, I still haven’t earned a place in your son’s heart, William. He continues to treat me and my family as outsiders to the Nightshade bloodline."
Sage’s jaw tightened. "The uncle of your wife," he said to his father, "was caught leaking company information to my rival. That’s why I removed him. If you insist on shielding your wife and her relatives, this pack and company will collapse under your watch. Start an inquiry if you must, you’ll see Wallace is guilty."
Blythe’s lips pressed into a hard line. His words were like accusations against her very loyalty. "Even so, you should have consulted your father first. Have you forgotten your place, Sage? You are not yet the head. Don’t repeat the same mistakes your mother made."
Rage surged in Sage’s chest, his eyes flashing crimson. "Don’t you dare speak of my mother! She was nothing like you. She never destroyed a home."
"What did you say?" Blythe hissed, her composure snapping. She turned to William, who had already risen from his seat, his expression grave. "Do you hear him? He accuses me of loving you! Tell him the truth, William. Tell him how that woman abandoned you for another man!"
Sage’s fists clenched until his knuckles whitened. His glare fixed on his father, burning with unspoken fury.
"Apologize to Blythe," William commanded.
"I’m not fucking apologizing to her," Sage said.
William raised his hand, but Sage caught it in the middle. "I’m not a kid anymore, who will bear your slaps and kicks," he told his father with a scornful gaze.
Pushing his father’s away, he showed them what the true Alpha strength was.
William fell to the couch and Blythe shouted in worry. "Are you alright, honey?" She then shot a glare at Sage. "How dare you disrespect your father?"
Sage ignored her words and gazed at William.
"If you want to change my decision, then bring real evidence that Wallace did nothing. Only then will my decision change. Also, if you try humiliating my mother, I’m not marrying Katelyn. I’m not warning, I’m threatening."
With that, he walked away, his anger still had not vanished as his eyes kept gleaming red.
While ascending the stairs, he saw his younger sisters, who quickly moved away from his path. He didn’t say a word to them and went to his room.
Once inside, Sage shut the door firmly behind him and let out an exhausted sigh. He slipped out of his leather jacket and dropped into the chair.
’I have to clear my mother’s name. If only I knew where she was... Everything would be easier. She must have been desperate and helpless that she chose to leave me behind.’
It was the same thought he clung to whenever arguments with his father and stepmother tore at old wounds.
Rising from the chair, he pulled off his shirt and moved toward the closet. As he bent to remove his socks, a sudden vibration buzzed against his leg. Fishing his phone from the pocket of his trousers, he blinked in surprise at the name glowing on the screen.
"Katelyn?" he muttered. "Am I dreaming? Why is she calling me?"
Without a second thought, he silenced the call. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with her. Placing the phone on a shelf, he strode toward the washroom.
~~~~~
On the other end, Katelyn frowned as the line went dead. "Seriously?" she scoffed under her breath, irritation flickering across her features. Rolling her eyes, she slipped the phone into her purse and leaned toward the mirror to apply a lipstick. Pursing them together, she evenly let the lipstick spread and smiled.
Snapping her purse shut, she tugged her trolley bag beside her and walked out.
"I’m ready!" Katelyn announced at last, sweeping into the room with a bright smile. The others, who had been waiting for more than thirty minutes, looked less than amused.
"I told you not to be late," Gabriel said, a frown tightening his features.
"I was getting ready, Brother," Katelyn replied breezily, unbothered by his scolding. "Besides, we’re flying in a private jet, so what’s the rush?"
Without waiting for his response, she slipped her arm through Amelie’s and tugged her forward. "Come on. We’ll have so much fun," she said warmly, her excitement radiating toward Amelie.
Gabriel and Mabel followed close behind. Once everyone had settled into the car, Gabriel lingered at the door, his attention shifting to Karmen who stood nearby.
"I’m sorry to trouble you," Gabriel said in a low tone, "but could you assign someone to keep an eye on Flora? Amelie is worried about her sister."
Karmen nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I’ll see to it."
"Thank you," Gabriel said, giving his shoulder a firm, appreciative pat before finally sliding into the car.
Katelyn, on the other hand, looked at Karmen, who already had gone inside the mansion.
’My first love ended terribly even without starting,’ she thought. ’Mom was right. If I refuse for Sage, Dad will look for another proposal. So, let’s go through it. I, at least, have to move on from Karmen.’
"Where will Amelie’s parents meet us?" Mabel asked.
"They have already arrived and are settled inside the private jet. Thanks to Kate we got late. She’s begun working in a company, yet she’s not learned discipline," Gabriel remarked from the front passanger’s seat.
"Gabriel, stop troubling Kate," Amelie told him.
"Amelie, he always treats me so badly. Sometimes, I think he doesn’t even consider me his sister," Katelyn complained.
"Really? If I hadn’t considered you my sister, I wouldn’t have spared you for your mistakes, Kate," Gabriel mattered.
"Get quiet. Both of you!" Mabel intervened. "How old are you two? Always arguing with each other," she murmured in irritation.