Chapter Twenty Eight

Aiden's POV

I paced back and forth, my footsteps echoing in the empty hall. The party, my party, was supposed to be a triumph, but thanks to Claire, it had turned into a complete disaster. I could still see the chaos she had caused, hear the angry voices, and feel the tension in the air. Why did she always have to ruin everything?

"Aiden, calm down, calm down," I muttered to myself, trying to keep my cool. I needed to stay composed, especially with Lucas on his way back. He'd dropped Chloe off at home and promised he'd be quick. I needed him to take me somewhere—anywhere away from here. I couldn't stand being in this place any longer.

As I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves, I heard a voice from behind me.

"You are Aiden, right?"

I turned abruptly to see who it was. A figure stood in the shadows, hood up, face obscured. My pulse quickened. This was the last thing I needed right now—some mysterious stranger adding to the turmoil.

"Yeah, I am," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "How can I help you?"

The stranger stepped forward slightly but remained hidden in the dim light. "I have something you might be interested in. Follow me."

"Follow you?" I scoffed, crossing my arms. "I don't just follow strangers."

The stranger paused, then spoke again, his voice low and insistent. "Would you want to know your brother's plan to take the throne or not?"

My heart skipped a beat. How did he know about my brother? I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing the figure before me. "How did you know my brother?" I asked, my voice tight.

"Hmm," the stranger hummed. "Let's just say he and I have worked together before."

"Worked together?" I repeated, suspicion lacing my words. "Why should I trust you?"

The stranger shifted slightly, revealing a glimpse of his face—a scar running down his cheek. "Because, Aiden, Hudson plan involves more than just taking the throne. It affects you directly. But if you don't want to know..."

He started to turn away, and panic flared in my chest. I couldn't let him walk away, not when he might have crucial information. "Wait," I called out. "Tell me more."

The stranger stopped, glancing over his shoulder. "Not here. Too many ears. Follow me, and I'll explain everything."

I hesitated for a moment, glancing around the deserted hall. Lucas would be back soon, but I couldn't risk missing this chance. Against my better judgment, I nodded. "Lead the way."

He turned and walked briskly towards the exit, and I followed, my mind racing with questions. Who was this man? What did he know about my brother's plans? And why was he telling me now?

We stepped out into the cool night air, the noise of the party fading behind us. The stranger led me to a dark alley, stopping by a parked car. He opened the passenger door and motioned for me to get in. I hesitated again but climbed inside, the urgency of the situation pushing me forward.

Once we were both inside, he pulled back his hood, revealing more of his scarred face. His eyes were sharp, calculating.

"Alright, we're alone now," he said. "Your brother, Hudson, has been plotting to take over the throne and win the elders over. He plans to use you to gain leverage."

"Use me?" I repeated, my stomach churning. "How?"

"By discrediting you, making you look like the traitor," he explained. "He's already planted evidence that links you to doing something terrible, and I believe it would have your new Luna involved."

I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead. "That's insane. Why would he do that?"

"Because you are the only one standing in his way. If he can get rid of you, the throne is his for the taking."

I clenched my fists, anger boiling inside me. "Why are you telling me this? What's in it for you?"

The stranger leaned back, a grim smile on his lips. "Let's just say I have my own score to settle with Hudson. Helping you is my way of getting back at him."

I studied him, trying to gauge his sincerity. "And what do you get out of this?"

"Revenge," he said simply. "And the satisfaction of seeing Hudson fall."

I sat back, my mind reeling. This was a lot to take in. If what he said was true, I needed to act fast. But could I trust him?

"What's your name?" I asked.

He hesitated, then answered, "Call me Sam."

"Alright, Sam," I said. "What's the plan?"

"We need to find the evidence Marcus has planted and know more about it," Sam said. "If we can destroy it, we can stop him. But we have to move quickly."

I nodded. "Where do we start?"

"Hudson has a safe house in the city," Sam explained. "That's where he keeps his most sensitive documents. We need to get in there and find the evidence."

"How do we do that?" I asked. "I'm sure it's heavily guarded."

Sam smirked. "Leave that to me. I have my ways. But you'll need to be ready for anything. This won't be easy."

"I can handle it," I said, my voice firm. "Let's go."

Sam nodded and started the car. As we drove through the city streets, I couldn't shake the feeling that everything was about to change. My brother really want to beat me to the crown.. I can clearly see that, but I couldn't dwell on that now. I had to focus on stopping him.

We arrived at an old warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Sam parked the car and turned to me. "This is it. Stay close and follow my lead."

I nodded, my heart pounding. We got out of the car and approached the building. Sam led me to a side entrance, where he expertly picked the lock. We slipped inside, the darkness enveloping us.

"Stay quiet," Sam whispered. "There are guards inside."

We moved silently through the dimly lit corridors, my nerves on edge. Sam seemed to know the layout well, even as we sneaked through the corridors. Finally, we reached a door marked "Private."

"This is it," Sam said softly. "The safe should be inside."

He opened the door, and we stepped into a small office. Against one wall was a large, imposing safe. Sam went to work, cracking the combination with practiced ease. Within minutes, the safe door swung open, revealing a stack of documents.

Sam rifled through them, pulling out a folder marked "Aiden." He handed it to me, and I opened it, my hands trembling.

Inside were forged letters, fake bank statements, and other incriminating evidence—all designed to frame me.

"This is it," I said, my voice shaking with anger. "This is how he planned to do it."

"We need to destroy this," Sam said. "But first, we should take some photos as proof, just in case."

I nodded, pulling out my phone and snapping pictures of the documents. Once we had enough evidence, Sam pulled out a lighter and set the papers ablaze. We watched as the flames consumed the lies, turning them to ash.

"That's it," Sam said. "Hudson's plan is ruined."

I felt a weight lift off my shoulders, but I knew this wasn't over. Marcus would realize what we'd done soon enough. "What's next?" I asked.

"You need to confront Hudson," Sam said. "Mess with his mind threatening to expose him for what he is. But we have to be smart about it, as you know how crafty your brother can be. If you can do this successfully, your brother will have no choice than to tell you where the other documents will be"

"I know," I agreed. "And I think I know just the way to do it."

We left the warehouse, my mind racing with plans.

Hudson has really underestimated me, and now it was time for him to pay.

“I’m going to bring him down and ensure he never ever think of taking the throne from me again”

As we drove back to the city, I couldn't help but think about Chloe. I hoped Claire haven’t gotten into her head.  They way I saw them both in the restroom at the party, it didn’t really look good at all. I will settle that later, right now I had to deal with Hudson.

We pulled up at a corner not too far from the palace, and I turned to Sam. "Thank you," I said sincerely. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"Don't thank me yet," Sam replied. "We still have a lot of work to do."

I nodded, determined. "Let's finish this."

I got out of the car and headed inside.

“Where is that son of a bitch!!”