The politicians were meant to take it slow, to let the issue ferment. To wait and see if the outrage of the public was a fling or something lasting. Only then should they have been launching their investigations.

During this time, Maximilian and his cronies would stall the procedures until he managed to clean house.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!*

"Sir," the secretary's muffled voice called urgently through the door, "investigators are here!"

Just like the release of Runewoven's and Alexandra's video, the timing was comically cruel.

They hadn't even processed the president's words before the wolves were at the door.

Maximilian's chair screeched backward as he staggered to his feet, all the while his face twisted into madness.

His chest heaved, his breath came in sharp rasps, and his eyes darted wildly across the room like a trapped animal searching for an exit that wasn't there.

"Alexandra…" he hissed under his breath. "She was mine. She was supposed to kneel, to beg… not betray me. Not crawl into bed with those… those gutter rats."

He clutched at his thinning hair and let out a manic laugh that silenced even the four shareholders. "Kaiden Grey… oh, the noble hero, the upstart! He's nothing but a leech, a fraud, a piece of shit lucky enough to stumble into power! They don't see it. They never see it!"

Then his voice dropped, full of obsession. "But her. The pink-haired whore. Nyx Cosmos. She's the worst one. The demon of temptation! I see it clearly now! She whispers into my ears in my sleep, forces me to make mistakes, all the while she spreads her legs for another man like the true whore she is!"

The knock at the door thundered again.

"Sir," the secretary's muffled voice called urgently through the wood, "investigators are here!"

…

The feed of the president cut out, and the room fell into a hushed quiet.

Kaiden leaned back into the couch with arms stretched along the backrest, resting his arms on Aria's and Luna's shoulders on either side of him while his eyes fixed on the blank screen. For a moment, even he had nothing to say.

It was Alexandra who broke the silence as she whispered, extremely softly and tenderly, "It's really happening, isn't it…?"

Her voice trembled, eyes thick with tears as she stared at the television. The empire and the man who had shackled her were finally crumbling before her very eyes. Her lips quivered as though she still didn't believe it. "I'm… free, aren't I?"

Beside her, Nyx squeezed her hand with utmost gentleness.

She wasn't smirking or preening in victory despite being also the victim of Maximilian and ChronosX. Instead, her attention was locked entirely on Alexandra. Still, the fire in her eyes betrayed the exhilaration running through her.

"You are free, Blondie. And, yes, of course it's happening," Nyx replied with a tender tone. "He doesn't know who he's messing with. I bet he still thinks of us as dumb kids way out of our league. Well…" she gave a dark little laugh, "he might finally realize how wrong that is. But it's a little too late now."

Alexandra turned her head, stealing a shy glance toward Kaiden.

Their eyes met.

His expression was calm as a smile tugged at his lips, meant to reassure her that she was indeed safe and that it was indeed over.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, and she snapped her gaze away, ducking away like a startled bird. Even with the empire burning, her fear of men still clung to her bones.

"Gotta hand it to him," Luna finally spoke, propping her legs over the armrest with a grin. "The president came in clutch once again. I might have to give him the MVP of this round."

"He's a cunning man. We should ensure never to look down on him, even if we become very powerful," Aria declared. "He saw the outrage of his people, and he jumped on the opportunity to cement his power. Nothing he said was only for our benefit; it was a calculated power move."

Bastet, hugging Kaiden from behind and resting her chin on top of his scalp, tilted her head. Her golden eyes shone with understanding. "Calculated indeed. If he manages to mete out justice on Maximilian, the people will adore him. They will accept him as the leader they need in these difficult times. I bet he's already very popular as the news of the rest of the world burning while this country is slowly restoring normalcy spreads, but if he does this on top, he will ensure the citizens feel protected not only against monsters rushing out of the dungeons but those who hide among humans as well."

Kaiden nodded. "Exactly. He's not some benevolent saint, at least not exclusively. This is as much for himself as it is for anyone else. But, well…" his grin widened, "you won't catch me complaining. He legitimizes himself as president, and we legitimize ourselves as the group of awakened that the people who should support, not hate on."

Then, his eyes softened as they found Alexandra again. "And thank you, Alexandra. If you hadn't taken a leap of faith, none of this would be happening. Anything you want, I'll do my best to make it happen. Just say the word."

Her hands tightened around Nyx's, and she shook her head quickly. "You don't… You don't have to feel indebted to me! I benefited from this more than anyone else!"

"That matters very little to Kaiden…" Nyx declared with a sly smile. "You help us, you're his friend. You work against us, you're his enemy. Friends are to be treasured, while enemies are to be eliminated. As simple as that."

Her words made the blond woman blink repeatedly while stealing shy glances from not only Kaiden, but his girls as well, looking to see their thoughts on the matter.

Kaiden only nodded at her supportively. Aria, instead, beamed, happy for the girl. Luna, a bit awkward, especially after what happened not long ago, kept her gaze on the TV while playing with Kaiden's fingers.

Bastet was busy purring and playing with his cheeks, tugging at them with her fingers.

The sight of this bunch made Alexandra giggle abruptly, shocking the girl. She didn't know what came over her, but the people before her somehow made her feel inexplicably better, safer.

"Well, who wants dinner?" Kaiden slapped his thighs and stood, which saw him dragging a tanned kitten into the air with him, who quickly attached herself to his back.

Kaiden understood that no matter how rapid the president wants to be about this investigation, it won't be solved in a few hours. It's a difficult case because if he's truly thorough, he will have to burn quite a few of his own subordinates in the process.

As such, for now, Kaiden and co would have to wait and see the results.

In the meantime, Kaiden had no plans of staying put.

Now more than ever, the world was teeming with not only dangers but opportunities as well.

And, naturally, the Paragon of Sin was intending to capitalize on them.

Thus, with the Main Quest, he got about utterly destroying Maximilian, now hopefully only needing to be waited upon before it got completed, it was time to continue with their quest toward supremacy.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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