Dear Immortal Tyrant

The more people can't do something, the more they'll crave it. People want the things they can't have. Lina was no exception. When restricted from the office, she headed there immediately. Despite the frantic voice of Sebastian and his attempts to block her, she still continued her stroll to the office.

Eventually, Lina was fed up with his nagging. She shot him a rough glower that made the almighty man freeze. For a split second, all he could do was stare at her with astonishment. 

"Who are you to stop me?" Lina asked softly . She didn't have to raise her voice to instill fear. She learned this trick from the best.

Even Sebastian, who worked for one of the most terrifying men in the city, paused. He opened his mouth, but clamped it shut. Unable to provide her with a proper reason, except as a secretary, he let her pass. If she wanted to get hurt, then so be it. He did his best to stop her from heartbreak.

"The Boss is always great with women," Sebastian suddenly said.

Lina slowly turned her head in his direction.

"From my predecessors that served him, I know that the Boss has always been surrounded by women, but he loved none, and solemnly touched any of them," Sebastian told her, like it'd change anything.

Lina knew. On her first encounter with Kaden at the museum, in the car ride, Sebastian had joked that Kaden was great at making women scream. But at that time, she didn't understand the extent of his words.

"They'd always scream in his presence," Sebastian murmured. "I once told you it was in bed, but that was a lie. It was always a scream of aggravation when they realized they could not tempt him, even in skimpy clothes on a bed. Nothing moved the Boss."

Lina did not know this.

"When one is as powerful and rich as Kaden, women are indispensable. Heirs go through women like water, but the Boss has always remained loyal to you," Sebastian stated.

"Why are you suddenly telling me this?" Lina said. "It's a guilt-tripping story before the truth is revealed."

"Because whatever you're about to witness, you must remember one thing. The Boss has waited a millennium for you and only you. A feat like that in human years is impossible," Sebastian coldly remarked.

Lina was moved by Kaden's actions, not Sebastian's words. She couldn't fathom waiting so long for a lover. There was no certainty she'd be born in this generation or the next. There was no promise she'd even be reborn in this country. He held onto blind faith and waited for her. 

A love like that only came once in a thousand years.

- - - - -

Lina could tell the worst was to come. When she walked near the office area, she saw how vacant it was. There were no assistants or front-desk secretaries in sight. The seats were deserted. Everything was left in place, as if people were told to evacuate the scene. The laptops were still open, coffees still steaming, and printers continuing their task.

When Lina approached the door, the handle felt cold to the touch. She pulled it open by a crack and heard a woman's scream.

"YOU BASTARD!"

Lina slowly pulled the office door open. The scene before her sent her heart freezing. Priscilla was mid-smack when Kaden grabbed her wrist. She tried to slap him with her free hand, but he grabbed that too. 

Whilst Priscilla was red-faced and fuming, Kaden's skin was pale as honey and cold like death. 

"What did I do wrong?" Priscilla snarled at him, her eyes wide with disbelief. She could feel her heart beating furiously in her chest, threatening to jump out. 

"I dedicated my youth to this company!" Priscilla shouted in his face. "I even dropped out of college just because you saw potential in me years ago. You gave me this high position in the pyramid only to drop me from it. You bring me to the heavens only to watch me fall to the ground!"

Lina knew she was intruding, but she looked anyway. For the Princess of Teran whose fate was betrayed. For the Princess of Teran who had always felt betrayed by Prince Kade.

"What did I do to you? I poured my sweat and blood into doing nothing but work hard for you. And now, you kick me to the curb? I don't even have a college degree, damn it!" Priscilla hurled, her voice like a screaming banshee. But she was unstoppable as emotions streamed from her heart out of her mouth.

"When you offered me the chance to completely flip DeHaven Mall's image around, I did so with great speed and precision. I never let resources go to waste, I—"

"It's a promotion. Not a demotion," Kaden calmly said. 

Priscilla might as well have been slapped by his words. She was haggard and breathing hard. She could feel her heartthrob in her chest, from both fury and pain. She had blindly followed this heartless man, in the hopes he'd develop the same feelings. 

"I dedicated everything to you," Priscilla whispered like it was forbidden words in a church hall. "I have helped you maintain DeHaven Mall even when designers used to shun it because of our old ethics. Now that DeHaven Mall is flourishing, you decide to throw me away?"

"It's a promotion from Director to Senior Vice President," Kaden muttered. He kept his voice incredibly aloof. So much so, Priscilla flinched even though he didn't touch her.

"What is Senior VP if I'm not at DeHaven Conglomerate?" Priscilla insisted. "I refuse to leave this country that I helped to rebuild from the ground-up."

"You're less than twenty-five years old. DeHaven Conglomerate has been around for half a millennium. What ground-up are you babbling about?" Kaden mused.

Priscilla's eyes flashed. His words cut deeper than a knife. She wanted to see this man in pain. He always wore a nonchalant expression. The sky could fall and he wouldn't seem bothered. No. He would seem prepared for it, like it was his doing. 

Priscilla wanted him to feel the same agony and betrayal. She wanted to see him suffer. She adored this man, but adoration could turn into hatred. 

Priscilla suddenly snapped her head to the doorway, where a woman was standing. She forced out a laugh, but it broke and cracked. Her eyes watered with disbelief. Holding the door handle, a ruby redder than blood was seen. Even from this distance, Priscilla saw the truth.

"This isn't about my position. This is about your wife's insecurities."

Two birds. One stone.

Kaden's gaze darkened into night. Lina's eyes grew wide like a deer caught in headlights.

"Hah… so she does not know," Priscilla stated. 

Suddenly, Kaden tightened his grip on her wrist. A warning. Not enough to shatter the fragile bone, but a reminder he could. Instead of obliging, Priscilla yanked her hands back.

"I was here longer," Priscilla shot back at him. "I was here for 7 years! And you replace me with what? A woman you have known for less than 7 months?"

Lina slowly blinked. She felt like she was in the wrong, but knew people would tell her otherwise. Priscilla didn't have memories of the sins she had committed, but the wheel of life continued to spin. On and on, it spun, crushing everyone underneath it. 

"You don't even know, do you?" Priscilla shouted to Lina. "You do not know this man will never love you!"

Lina was stunned. What?

"He will claim you're his everything. He will claim you're the most important pawn on his chessboard. But trust me, sweetheart, he'll bring you to the highest mountain in the world only to kick you to hell," Priscilla snarled.. "You're being played and you've already lost the game."