Chapter 34

The first week of the new semester had ended with sweeping changes across the entire Student Body Organization, all under the sharp leadership of its new president, Evadne Monteverde.

What shocked the remaining officers loyal to Hades the most was how seamlessly Evadne managed to expand the SBO's member list in their absence. It felt like a coup they didn't see coming.

Cieryl, clearly disturbed by the shift in power, had quietly encouraged her friends and fellow officers to file a formal complaint against Evadne's actions. But there was nothing they could do. Evadne had followed every rule to the letter.

She had joined three separate clubs prior to the SBO restructure, and as per the Academy's long-standing guidelines, any club where the SBO President was a member was automatically affiliated with the organization. It was airtight. And infuriating.

With both Hades and Selena still officially out on medical leave, Cieryl's options were limited. She couldn't push too hard without risking the carefully crafted image she had spent years protecting.

"Babe, what are we going to do now?" Cieryl asked during her hospital visit that afternoon, gently slicing apples into neat segments before placing the plate on Hades' bedside table. "She changed everything. Even your desk is gone. The whole office looks like some cheap art room now. The walls are covered in doodles and sketches, she made them let people draw anything they want. We tried to stop them, but our friends backed down the moment those wrestlers showed up."

Hades clenched his jaw, his hands balling into fists under the blanket. Just hearing Evadne's name sent rage through his veins. It was her fault he was still stuck in this godforsaken hospital, being monitored like some lunatic. She humiliated him. Publicly. Made him look insane.

'So this was her plan all along… She knew I'd fight her. That's why she made sure I was out of the picture first.'

A dry, humorless laugh escaped his lips. The bitterness in his eyes matched the venom in his voice.

"I underestimated her," he muttered.

Then, turning to Cieryl, he said with quiet intensity, "Babe… be careful with your aunt. Don't provoke her. I mean it. She's bipolar. We don't know what she's capable of."

"I know," Cieryl said softly, offering him a slice of apple which he absently took. "Mom warned me the moment they arrived from France not to upset her. She said to be polite, to keep things cordial. And I have, babe. I've tried so hard to be nice. To get along. But no matter what I do or say, she always takes it the wrong way. Like I'm trying to sabotage her."

"I believe you," Hades reassured her, gripping her hand. "For now, just play along. Don't try anything against her. She's got the numbers in the SBO. Let her think she's won, for now. Once I'm back at school, I'll handle her myself."

And when I do… I'll make her regret every single move she's made. I'm going to expose her secret. I'll show everyone what kind of freak she really is. Let's see how long she lasts once they know what she really is… a mermaid with mind-reading powers. Let's see how long before she's locked up in a tank as a science experiment.

Cieryl's voice pulled him back. "When are you being discharged?"

"Tomorrow," Hades answered, smiling faintly. "The doctors just need to sign off. So I'll be back on campus by Monday."

He had no choice but to play along for now. In his sessions, he blamed it all on stress, admitting that what he said about Evadne being a mind-reading mermaid was just the product of exhaustion and anxiety.

The doctor bought it.

Of course he did.

After all, no one sane would believe a mermaid story.

But Hades wasn't done.

Two can play this game, Evadne Monteverde.

And you just made your first mistake.

Their conversation was abruptly cut off when both Cieryl and Hades's phones buzzed at the same time.

NYE Academy Announcement:

What: Clubs War Week

When: August XX, XXXX

Who: All clubs and their members

How: See attached file for guidelines.

For any questions or clarifications, feel free to approach any SBO member.

Hades tapped on the file attachment and began to scroll through the contents. His jaw clenched tighter with every word he read.

The concept, on the surface, was noble. Evadne was clearly trying to rescue struggling clubs, those teetering on the edge of dissolution. But to Hades, it reeked of desperation.

It won't last.

Sure, the Academy Administration was probably indulging her right now, because she had the largest VMC in NYE history, but once they saw how unsustainable this event really was, they'd never approve it again.

She thinks she's clever.

She thinks she's doing something revolutionary.

But she was just fishing for sympathy. Rallying misfit clubs like Wrestling, Anime, and Comics, the kinds of groups that had no place in an elite institution like NYE. These clubs didn't belong in a school that raised future CEOs, lawmakers, political heirs. They weren't building careers, they were wasting space.

Hades decided then and there, he'd let her have her moment.

And he'd be there to laugh when she failed.

What he didn't expect… was that his own father would donate two hundred million under Evadne's name.

Hades had calculated for this. Anticipated it. Jupiter had been donating a million to his VMC every year since his first year in middle school, gradually increasing it. This year, Hades expected at least five million. He assumed that, maybe, Jupiter would try to "balance" things with Evadne, perhaps giving her ten million tops.

To prepare, Hades had dumped a huge portion of his savings just to boost his own VMC to a confident twenty million.

He expected Evadne to trail behind.

He never expected her to bury him.

The humiliation burned like acid in his throat.

Then the door burst open, and there she was.

"Hi, husband~" Evadne's voice rang out, teasing and smug as she stepped inside like she owned the hospital room. Both Hades and Cieryl froze.

Casadin followed behind her, furrowing his brow. "Wait… why husband?"

"Duh?" Evadne rolled her eyes as if it were obvious. "Because he's my future husband, of course. We should start getting used to calling each other husband and wife, right? That's even how we're saved in each other's contacts."

She tossed the remark like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Cieryl stiffened.

Her gaze shot to Hades, who said nothing.

"Wait… but Princess, what about me?" Casadin whined, plopping down beside her. "What's my contact name in your phone?"

"Prince Charming," she said with a wink, pulling up the message thread on her phone to prove it. It was enough to dissolve Casadin's short-lived pout into a goofy grin.

Hades, however, wasn't amused. His patience was on a razor's edge.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped. "Trying to make sure I'm still locked up? Or are you hoping to extend my stay?"

Evadne placed a hand over her chest like he'd wounded her. Her eyes glistened, her expression soft.

"Are we monsters to you, Hades?" she whispered, voice cracking.

And that question, it hit.

It was the exact same thing his mother, Angelina, had asked just days ago when she found out he tried to take his own life.

He flinched. His grip on the sheets tightened.

Then Evadne smiled.

A cruel, dangerous smile that shattered the illusion of innocence.

"You bitch!" Hades spat, his voice shaking with rage.

Evadne blinked, mockingly taken aback. "Huh?! Husband, your mask is slipping," she said with a slow grin. "What would people say if they saw that the perfect gentleman, the golden boy, Hades Falcon… isn't so perfect after all?" Her voice dropped, dripping with sarcasm. "What would that do to your flawless image, hmm?"

She clicked her tongue and shook her head with exaggerated disappointment.

"Vee, please…" Cieryl's voice was soft, almost pleading. "Hades is still recovering."

"Secret girlfriend to the rescue," Casadin muttered under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Evadne stifled a laugh, clearly amused. "Okay, okay," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "We didn't come here to stress you out even more. I'm just doing what Mom asked me to do."

Her voice shifted into something sweeter, almost angelic. Too sweet to be sincere.

"She was heartbroken when she found out what you tried to do," Evadne continued, mimicking a slicing gesture across her neck with her fingers. "She told me she feels like she failed you… and that she doesn't even know how to face you anymore."

Evadne paused for effect, watching Hades closely.

"So I told her maybe what you need is space. Some peace. No pressure. And I agreed to come here today, to give you these."

She placed two keycards and a bundle of keys on the nearby table.

"Those are the keys to your apartment. After your discharge tomorrow, don't go back to the Falcon Estate. Head straight there. And don't worry, Tyla already arranged for two maids to take care of cleaning and cooking. Everything's set."

Hades' jaw tightened. "So you finally told them to kick me out?" he said quietly, voice shaking with restrained fury.

Evadne snorted. "Cas, lock the door."

Without missing a beat, Casadin stood and did exactly as told, then returned to sit beside her again, arms casually slung along the back of the sofa.

"Since it's just the four of us here," Evadne began, eyes boring straight into Hades with zero pretense, "and I'm sure you trust Cieryl with all your small pitiful heart, just like I trust Casadin with mine, let's drop the masks."

Her voice lowered into a tone so firm it cut through the tension like glass. "I might be sabotaging your life the same way you're trying to sabotage mine, Hades. But unlike you, I would never do anything that could hurt Mom and Dad. Believe it or not, I love them like they're my own."

She leaned forward slightly, voice sharper now.

"And telling them to throw you out? That would destroy Mom. So no. I didn't tell them to get rid of you. I told them you all need space. That maybe… just maybe, some distance would help you both breathe. But don't think for a second that what you did didn't hurt them."

"I didn't hurt them," Hades growled, fists clenched on his lap.

"Oh, really?" Evadne's tone turned venomous. "You didn't see it? Of course not, you're a racehorse. Eyes only on what's ahead. Blind to everything else around you."

She didn't wait for a reply.

"So tell me, what did you think they'd feel when they found out you tried to end your life? When you walked into that water, thinking of drowning yourself, did you believe they'd be relieved? Did you think they'd feel peace knowing you were gone?" she asked, her voice rising. "Or were you hoping to make them hurt, the way they hurt when Zeus died?"

Hades stiffened, visibly recoiling at the name.

"You hate them so much that you wanted to make them relive that pain. You wanted them to suffer again, didn't you?"

Her voice cracked like thunder in the sterile room.

"Why?" she asked. "Because they keep forcing their expectations on you? Because you think they left you with no choice?"

Every word slicing through the tension like a knife.

"That's where you're wrong. You always had a choice. Do what they want, or do what you want. Either way, the choice was yours."

She stared him down, daring him to deny it.

Hades couldn't speak. His jaw was clenched, his hands balled into fists on the blanket. But Evadne wasn't done.

"You chose to follow what they wanted," she went on, her voice cold but steady. "Even when you knew it wouldn't make you happy. And now? You blame everyone, everyone but yourself, for your misery. Do you know why?" Her lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Because you're a coward. A spineless bastard who can't even admit to himself that despite being so full of yourself, you're full of shit too."

"Evadne, please stop it," Cieryl interrupted, her voice trembling as tears welled in her eyes. "You don't know the pain Hades is going through."

"Shut up, bitch." Evadne snapped. "I'm not talking to you. Wait your turn, I'll deal with you after I'm done with him."

"Don't drag Cieryl into this. She has nothing to do with it!" Hades barked, anger flaring in his voice.

Casadin moved to stand, ready to step in, but Evadne raised a hand, calm and in control. I got this, her eyes seemed to say, and he obeyed, sitting back down.

"Nothing to do with it?" Evadne raised a brow. "Really?" Her voice dropped into a dangerous calm. "Do you remember the condition I gave you when I offered you that little deal, Hades? I said I'd give you time, play along, until you finally grew a spine and made your choice. In return, you'd keep your people in line, and I'd do the same with mine. And now you're telling me you didn't know it was Cieryl and Selena who planned to put that snake in my locker?"

"That's not true!" Cieryl shot back instantly, shaking her head. "You can't accuse me of something without proof, Vee!"

Evadne's grin widened. "Oh, Cieryl… didn't Hades tell you?" she tilted her head mockingly. "That I'm a mermaid who can hear thoughts?"

"What?" Cieryl's voice cracked in disbelief, and Casadin let out a full, unrestrained laugh beside Evadne.

"You want evidence?" Evadne continued, pulling out her phone. "You may have deleted your messages, niece. But Selena didn't."

She nodded at Casadin, who grabbed his phone and, a few seconds later, sent a file straight to Hades. A notification popped up on his screen.

"Go ahead," Casadin said. "Open it."

It was a screenshot of a group chat, Cieryl, Selena, and a few other girls. The entire plan laid bare. Every message, every insult, every calculated move. Including Cieryl calling Evadne a fucking bitch.

"Babe, no," Cieryl stammered, turning pale. "This, it has to be fake. It's edited!"

"Edited?" Casadin scoffed. "You think we'd waste time faking a screenshot just for you? Please. Don't flatter yourself. You think Delvin being a Crowne doesn't come with perks? He could pull every deleted message you've ever sent if he wanted to. You're not even worth the effort."

Evadne stood slowly, her heels clicking softly against the floor as she walked toward Hades' bed. Casadin followed her without a word, staying close, just in case.

"Come on, Cieryl," Evadne purred. "It's just the four of us here. Hades loves you too much to care. Why hide your rotten little personality now? I could smell it a mile away."

She leaned in just slightly, her eyes gleaming.

"And just so we're being honest…" she whispered with a sweet smile, "I was the one who put the snake in Selena's locker."

"What?" Hades and Cieryl both gasped at the same time.

"Yup." Evadne's expression didn't falter. "Guilty as charged. I was just returning your lovely gift. You only gave me one snake, so I made sure it found its way back to the one who started the plan."

"You, so all of that was an act?" Hades asked, stunned. "Helping Selena… letting yourself get hurt? Are you crazy?"

"I'm bipolar. I have a license to be crazy." Evadne's eyes sparkled, not with innocence, but with triumph. "Didn't I tell you, Hades?" she said softly. "You have no idea what I'm capable of. And look at how it turned out."

She spread her arms like she was presenting a prize.

"I'm free to run the school. You? You're lying in a hospital bed, convincing your doctor, that you are not crazy."

Her smile deepened, but it was anything but kind.

"Weren't you the president of the Chess Club?" Evadne asked, her voice calm but edged with challenge as she stared Hades down. "Then let's play chess, Hades. Let's make NYE our board."

Her gaze sharpened. "You want revenge? You want to come at me for making your life miserable?" She smirked. "Then by all means, come at me with everything you've got. And I'll come at you with everything I have."

She leaned in, close enough that he could feel her breath, her lips barely a whisper away from his ear.

"But don't you dare blame me for the consequences of your actions if things don't go your way." Her eyes glinted with fire. "And I'll give you the same courtesy." 

"I've already made my move. Your turn now. And Hades…" Her voice dropped, almost sultry. "Make sure I enjoy this game, husband."

And before either Hades or Cieryl could react, Evadne gently brushed a kiss against Hades' cheek. A kiss laced with mockery and something far more dangerous than affection. 

She turned around and walked toward the door like a queen leaving a conquered battlefield.

"See you in school, husband."

She unlocked the door and opened it, but paused when she noticed Casadin still standing there, facing Hades and Cieryl with an unreadable expression.

"Cas, let's go," she called.

"Princess, wait," Casadin replied, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I just need to say something to the two of them."

The teasing gone from his tone, his eyes serious.

"I just want you two to know…" He paused, sighing like he'd carried this secret for too long.

"I'm Aquaman."

Then came his signature irritating laugh as he watched the stunned looks on Hades and Cieryl's faces.

"You idiot," Evadne burst out laughing as Casadin finally turned toward her, slinging an arm casually around her shoulders.

Before they left, Casadin threw one last mocking grin over his shoulder and sang playfully, "Give it all your best shot~"

And just like that, they disappeared into the hallway, laughing.

CRASH!

"Fuuuuucccckkkkkk!!!!" Hades roared, grabbing his phone and hurling it into the wall with such force it shattered on impact.

Cieryl froze in place, her face turning pale as a ghost. Her body trembled, stunned into silence.

She had never, never, seen Hades this enraged before.