Perfect Flaws

42. Divulging In Candor

Rhea

Lies.

Lies.

Lies.

My childhood was composed of lies. My parents aren't who I thought they were. But how could I?

How could I think my parents were these innocent beings who had done nothing wrong?

They were king and queen for fucking sakes. They had a duty to their citizens, to me, to their home.

How could I pretend that the possibility of them being murderers was nonexistent? How could I believe that when killing was so easy for me?

The pleasure I felt.

God. That pleasure, that bliss of seeing each body drop in front of me, to my feet? It's ecstatic, like electricity flowing through my veins in the best way possible.

If it's so easy for me, so desirable to me, then why wouldn't it be for them? To know they were protecting theirs, that's all that mattered to them.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

"Like I said, it's odd that these documents were hidden. If my parents knew the truth, why wouldn't they expose yours?" The blonde boy sits in front of me, his features of a prince, but his clothes representing the teenager he is.

I sigh, looking at the forged signatures once again, "I don't know. This entire situation is off."

I grab another envelope, rectangle photos inside.

I flip through the photos, looking for anything I'm missing, something to connect the dots.

Liam and I have been going through boxes of files, anything to connect our parents together.

"Wait, stop," Liam snatches a photo from my hand.

"What?"

"I know them," he breathes. He turns the photograph to me, holding it between his fingers. The picture is of Allen's grandparents. Anne and Beckett Henderson, or should I say Darius and Valera Dixon.

"How?"

His eyes lock on mine, confusion laced all throughout. "I met them when I was, I don't know six maybe seven? My mom, she introduced them to me, saying that they were her parents, my grandparents."

Time stands still for me. Everything I've ever thought get thrown out the window. Identities of people I know, gone.

Allen's grandparents, are Liam's grandparents.

And if you know how a family tree works, then that means they're related. And if Allen is who I think he is. Then this changes everything.

This means that Allen wasn't just my best friend, he wasn't just my royal guard, he wasn't someone who's grandparents worked for my enemies. No. Instead, he could be my enemies son.

Emery Campbell's son.

Liam's brother.

"Are you sure?" I ask, hesitant, scared of the answer.

He nods, completely uncomfortable.

"Could he be- is Allen my brother?"

I look at the boy before me, just seventeen years old. "I don't know," I breathe.

__

I lift my hand, knocking just three times before the door opens. Elijah stands there, practically naked.

A towel wrapped around his hips, droplets of water trailing down his abs, his v-line completely visible. My eyes are making their way down his body, exploring him and I'm not even ashamed. The sight before me is unholy.