Chapter Thirty Three & Thirty Four

"Hello to you too, Evelyn Centrion", Mr Salvatore smiled and picked up her purse for her. "You looked shocked. You should be asking me a question but remain speechless as I came back to life"

"H-how?", Eve muttered.

"That's one short question but I can answer. You can say 'thanks' to Lady Elizabeth when you find her. I believe she will pay you a visit sooner or later, Evelyn Centrion. Now, if you would excuse me, I have a party to attend", He walked out of the place and Eve's eyes never departed from him still he was out of sight.

She held her chest that was beating faster than usual and took a deep sigh. She then entered the bathroom to wash her face and touched up her makeup again. She cleaned the stain that was made on her dress by the wine before returning to her seat.

Eve returned to her seat, still trying to process the encounter with Mr. Salvatore. She took a deep breath and focused on the ceremony, which was about to reach its climax. The host announced the final performance, and Raphael walked onto the stage, strumming a guitar.

"Today we stand, on the edge of time

With memories, that will forever shine

We've laughed, we've cried, we've grown apart

But in our hearts, a bond will forever start"

The audience was captivated by Raphael's soulful voice as he sang an original song, written specifically for the graduates.

"We've chased our dreams, through the dark of night

And now we shine, with all our might

Though paths may differ, and roads may part

In our hearts, a piece of each other will forever start"

As Raphael finished his song, the audience bursted into a rough fit of applause. Eve joined in, still trying to shake off the feeling of unease after seeing Mr. Salvatore.

Just then, she saw Lady Elizabeth walking towards her, a wicked smile started to spread across her face. Eve's heart skipped a beat as Lady Elizabeth leaned in close.

"You're looking lovely today, Eve," Lady Elizabeth whispered. "But don't think for a moment that you're safe. I'll come for you soon enough"

Eve's eyes widened in shock, and she felt a chill run down her spine. She tried to speak, but Lady Elizabeth had already turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowd.

As Eve returned to her seat again, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease after seeing Mr. Salvatore and Lady Elizabeth. She tried to focus on the ceremony, but her mind kept wandering back to the ominous encounter. The memory of Mr. Salvatore's sinister smile and Lady Elizabeth's threatening words sent shivers down her spine.

Just then, Caro, looking stunning in her graduation gown, made her way towards Eve, a bright smile on her face. But Eve's expression turned cold as Caro approached. She couldn't believe Caro had the audacity to come near her after everything that had happened.

"Eve! Oh my god, it's been ages!" Caro exclaimed, embracing Eve.

Eve's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Caro? Come to gloat about your graduation? Enjoying the fruits of your family's corruption?"

Caro's smile faded away immediately. "No, Eve, I just wanted to catch up. How have you been?"

Eve's gaze turned icy. "You have the nerve to ask me that? After what happened to Mandy? You and your family are responsible for her death. Your birthday necklace was the main reason for the entire tragedy."

Caro took a step back, looking taken aback. "Eve, I—"

"It's your fault she's dead," Eve spat, her voice low and far from gentle. "If it wasn't for that stupid necklace, she'd still be alive. You and your family's greed and corruption...it's all connected. Your family's embezzlement, your father's deceit...it all led to Mandy's death"

Lex appeared, his voice calm and authoritative. "Eve, go easy on my sister."

But Eve's anger boiled over. "And what business do you have here, Lex? Can't you see I'm trying to have a conversation? You and your family have destroyed my life, and now you want peace? You think you can just chirp in here and pretend like everything is fine?"

Caro's eyes welled up with tears. "Eve, please understand—"

"Understand?" Eve's voice rose. "You want me to understand? You and your family have ruined my life, and now you want me to understand? You're delusional"

Lex stepped forward, his expression neutral. "Eve, stop. This isn't the time or place."

But Eve wouldn't be silenced. "And what about Josephine? My closest friend, the mother of Tim. Your family's greed and corruption killed her too. She discovered your father's embezzlement and threatened to expose him, so he had her killed. And now, her son is all I have left of her. She's supposed to be here!!"

"Josephine would have many dreams to fulfill should she be here. Josephine would have taken care of her son better than I'm doing. That I know. But your father took her life and left her son behind. Stripped him off his rights of a mother and left his an orphan. Oh - the Prince and Princess of Bhalds"

Time stopped for a second to Eve, Caro, and Lex. The tension was very thick as Eve's words hung in the air. Lex had a gentle smirk on his face when he heard her revelation.

'She's not the mother', He thought.

Caro's face crumpled, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Lex's expression turned grim, his eyes flashing with anger.

"You're lying," he growled. "My father would never—"

"Never?" Eve laughed coldly and taunted him. "Your father is capable of anything. He's ruthless, cunning, and devoid of empathy. Just like you"

Lex's face twisted in anger, but Eve continued, her voice relentless. "You and your family have destroyed countless lives, and now you're trying to pretend like everything is fine? You're disgusting"

**********

Caro and Lex sat in the dimly lit study, the tension between them was thick. Caro's eyes were red from crying, her face pale with shock. The confrontation with Eve had left her paralyzed, and she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach.

"Lex, tell me it's not true," Caro begged, her voice shaking. "Father wouldn't hurt anyone, would he?"

Lex sighed, rubbing his temples. He had been dreading this conversation for years, knowing that it would come eventually. But he had hoped to delay it for as long as possible, to spare Caro the pain of knowing the truth.

"Caro, listen to me," Lex said, his voice low and gentle. "I know you think Father is innocent, but—"

"Innocent?" Caro interrupted, her voice rising. "He's our father, Lex! He would never do something so cruel!"

Lex took a deep breath before speaking. He knew that he had to tread carefully, to break the news to Caro in a way that wouldn't shatter her completely.

"Caro, I know you don't want to believe it, but Father didn't kill Josephine," Lex said, his words dripping with caution.

Caro's eyes widened in confusion. "What do you mean? Eve said—"

"I know what Eve said," Lex interrupted. "But the truth is, Father was framed. He didn't embezzle funds or order Josephine's murder."

Caro's face twisted in confusion. "Who did, then?"

Lex hesitated before speaking. He knew that he was taking a risk by revealing the truth to Caro, but he couldn't keep it hidden forever.

"It was Mr. Salvatore," Lex said, his voice barely above a whisper. "He's been manipulating Father for years, using him to cover his own tracks. Josephine discovered his scheme and threatened to expose him, so he had her killed."

Caro's eyes went wide with shock. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Caro demanded, her voice shaking with anger.

Lex shook his head. "I was trying to protect you, Caro. I didn't want you to know the truth about our family's dealings."

Caro's face crumpled, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Lex wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as she cried.

"I'm so sorry, Caro," Lex whispered. "I should have told you the truth years ago."

As Caro cried, Lex's expression turned grim, his mind racing with thoughts of revenge against Mr. Salvatore. He vowed to protect his family at all costs, no matter what secrets he had to keep.

But as he held Caro close, he knew that he couldn't keep the truth hidden forever. Eventually, Caro would learn the full extent of their family's dealings, and she would have to decide where her loyalties lay.

The question was, would she choose to stand with their father, or would she forge her own path? Only time would tell.

As the minutes ticked by, Caro's sobs slowly subsided, replaced by a numbness that spread through her body. She felt like she was in a daze, unable to process the truth that Lex had revealed.

"Lex," Caro whispered, her voice barely audible. "What do we do now?"

Lex's expression turned determined. "We take down Mr. Salvatore," he said, his voice firm. "We expose him for the manipulative, ruthless person he is"

Caro's eyes widened in shock. "But how?"

Lex smiled grimly. "Leave that to me," he said. "I've been planning this for years. The bastard became a greater Lazarus"

And with that, Lex pulled Caro into a tight hug, his mind racing with plans for revenge against Mr. Salvatore. The battle for truth and justice had begun, and Lex was ready to fight.

As Caro pulled back from the hug, she saw the determination in Lex's eyes. She knew that he was serious about taking down Mr. Salvatore, and she felt a surge of admiration for her brother's courage.

"Lex, I'm with you," Caro said, her voice firm. "Let's do this."

Lex smiled, a fierce glint in his eye. "I knew I could count on you, Caro. Together, we'll bring Mr. Salvatore down."

As they sat there, planning their next move, Caro felt a sense of purpose that she had never felt before. She was tired of living in the shadow of her family's secrets, tired of being manipulated by Mr. Salvatore. She was ready to take control, to fight for the truth.

But as they dived deeper into their plan, Caro couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled in her stomach. She knew that taking down Mr. Salvatore wouldn't be easy, that there would be risks involved.

"Lex, what if something goes wrong?", Caro asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Lex's expression turned dark, "We'll face that risk together, Caro. We'll do whatever it takes to bring Mr. Salvatore to justice."

Caro nodded knowing that she was in this with Lex, that together they would fight for the truth.

As they sat there, planning their next move, Caro felt a sense of hope that she had never felt before. She knew that they would face challenges, that there would be obstacles to overcome. But she also knew that they would face them together, as a team.

And with that, Caro felt a sense of determination wash over her. She was ready to take on Mr. Salvatore, to fight for the truth. She was ready to stand up for herself, for her family, and for what was right.

The battle for truth and justice had begun, and Caro was ready to fight.

Queen Mary of the Kingdom of Azariah sat at the head of the table, her eyes fixed on her children, Eve, Jamal, and Raphael. "I'm glad you're all here together again," she said, her voice firm. "We have a lot to discuss."

Eve, her only daughter, spoke up first. "Mother, I've been going over the financials, and I think we need to make some changes to stay ahead of our competitors."

Jamal nodded in agreement. "I've been thinking the same thing. We need to expand our reach, open new branches."

Raphael, who doesn't usually speak about anything spoke up, his voice confident. "I've been working on a new marketing strategy. I think we can increase our profits by at least 20%."

Queen Mary smiled, her eyes shining with pride. "I'm glad to see you all working together. That's the key to our success."

Just then, the door burst open, and Yoona and Alexis walked in, laughing and chattering. "Sorry we're late," Yona said, hugging Queen Mary. "We got held up on the way here."

"Doing what? The road is free today?", Eve said purposefully as she raised her voice.

"Uhn-", Yoona turned red but Alexis spoke up.

"What do you mean, Evelyn? Get a boyfriend if you're lonely", Alexis said and Jamal and Raphael exchanged glance.

"You two-"

Alexis held Yoona's hand and said, "Yes, we're dating"

"Wow", Raphael said and Eve looked at the two in surprise.

"How could you keep this from your bestie, Yoona?", Eve was hurt.

"I didn't know, Evelyn. It just happened", Yoona said.

"It's okay, children", Queen Mary said.

Alexis grinned, hugging Eve, Jamal, and Raphael in turn. "It's great to see you all again. I've missed you."

The rest of the day was spent discussing business, making plans, and laughing together. Queen Mary watched her family with pride, knowing that they were strong and capable.

As the sun began to set, Queen Mary stood up, her eyes fixed on her family. "I'm proud of all of you," she said. "You're the future of the Kingdom of Azariah, and I know you'll make it great."

The others nodded, smiling, feeling a sense of pride and purpose. They knew they had a lot of work ahead of them, but they were ready for the challenge.

And so the night ended, with laughter and chatter, the sound of a family reunited and ready to face whatever came next.

As the night wore on, the conversation turned to more serious matters. Queen Rose brought up the topic of the recent threats to the kingdom's security.

"Where's father?", Jamal asked.

"Where do you think he might have gone?", Raphael laughed.

"He's on a business trip", Queen Mary answered and they nodded.

"We need to do something about it, Mother," Evelyn said. "We can't just sit back and wait for something to happen"

Queen Mary nodded, her expression serious. "I agree. We need to take action. Jamal, what do you think we should do?"

Jamal thought for a moment before speaking. "I think we should increase the guard presence around the palace and the city. We should also reach out to our allies and see if they've noticed anything suspicious."

Raphael nodded in agreement. "I think that's a good idea. We should also consider increasing our military presence along the borders."

Yona and Alexis listened intently, their faces serious. They knew that the security of the kingdom was a top priority.

As the discussion continued, Queen Mary's mind was racing. She knew that the threats to the kingdom were real, and she needed to take action to protect her people.

Finally, after hours of discussion, the meeting came to a close. Queen Mary stood up, her eyes fixed on her family. "I'm proud of all of you," she said. "Let's work together to keep our kingdom safe."

The others nodded, smiling, feeling a sense of determination and purpose. They knew that they had a lot of work ahead of them, but they were ready for the challenge.

And so the night ended, with a sense of resolve and determination. The Kingdom of Azariah would be protected, no matter what.

The next day was spent putting the plans into action. Eve, Jamal, and Raphael worked together to increase the guard presence and reach out to their allies. Yona and Alexis helped Queen Mary with the diplomatic efforts, reaching out to neighboring kingdoms and forming alliances.

Within a week, the economy was booming, the people were happy, and the threats to the kingdom's security had decreased significantly.

Queen Mary looked out over the kingdom, a sense of pride and accomplishment in her heart. She knew that she couldn't have done it without her family, and she was grateful for their help and support.

Eve, Jamal, and Raphael had proven themselves to be capable and intelligent leaders, and Yoona and Alexis had been invaluable in their diplomatic efforts.

Together, they had made the kingdom of Azariah a place of peace and prosperity, and Queen Mary knew that she could trust them to continue to lead the kingdom in the right direction.

As the sun set over the kingdom, Queen Mary called her family together once again. "I have something important to discuss with you all," she said, her voice serious.

The others looked at her curiously, wondering what she had in mind.

"I have decided to step down as queen," Queen Mary said, her voice firm. "I think it's time for a new generation to take over, and I have no doubt that Eve, Jamal, and Raphael are ready to lead the kingdom."

The others were shocked, but they quickly nodded in agreement.

"I'm not ready", Eve said quickly.

"I can help you from behind. You can be the Queen by name. No one has to know your mother is the one doing all the work", Queen Mary smiled but Eve didn't smile with her.

"Congratulations Evelyn", Alexis laughed but she glared at him.

"No one's stepping down. I'm not gonna be any queen now. Give me twenty years mom and I might be happy to take on your offer", Eve said.

"Might?", Queen Mary raised her brow.

"Well, you're young so I may give you five more years to enjoy your youth. I became a queen before eighteen", Queen Mary said and they gasped.

"Well, since y'all are all here, you might as well greet your new king", Jamal said and they looked at him in shock.

"Is he that drunk?", Yoona whispered to Eve who nodded.

"Father passed on the title to me two days ago and I said 'yes'", Jamal announced and they gasped again.

"So, say 'hey' to king Jamal", Jamal waved his hand.

"Hey?", Eve scoffed.