Kaden had the perfect opportunity to kill Atlantis. For gods sake, Atlantis was on his deathbed from the bullet wound! Kaden was certain the injury was enough to cause a coma. He'd know.

  Kaden was the one that shot Atlantis in the chest—gladly, too.

  The only thing that disappointed Kaden was that he hadn't finished the job. It was the only one he hadn't.

  Killing Atlantis would be too easy. Kaden wanted him to suffer. He glanced at Lina's relaxed expression. Guilt gnawed at his chest for what he had done to her. Letting out an irritated sigh, he grabbed the tablet.

  [Have our snipers watch him carefully.]

  "Yes, Boss."

  Sebastian bowed his head at the command and retracted his tablet. He was certain the royal family didn't see it. There was a privacy protector over the high-tech monitor. Wordlessly, he departed from the room.

  "And then, there were three," Elias mused. "Well, four if you count the unconscious little thing in the bed."

  Kaden shot him a murderous glance. Elias simply shrugged his shoulders, despite the fact that it was his fault.

  "I've given you the antidote," Elias told him. "You'll tell me the truth now, or none of your men get to leave my castle. I have snipers at the ready."

  'Let them die,' Kaden wanted to say.

  Kaden could handle himself and Lina. But his men were valuable, and Lina would've complained. They have families, dogs to feed, children to care for, Lina would argue. She was always the reason. He was always the chaos.

  "Are you deaf?" Kaden returned.

  "Are you stupid?" Elias retorted.

  Kaden didn't bother to glance at the King.

  "I've told you how I acquired immortality," Kaden nonchalantly said.

  Kaden tucked strands of Lina's hair behind her ears. He knew she hated it when something tickled her in her sleep.

  Kaden continued to worry over her whilst the King grew impatient. When Kaden saw nothing was amiss, he dipped the towel into the porcelain filled with cold water. He wrung out the water and wiped Lina's face and palms.

  "It's impossible for there to be a Golden Rose in your era, King of Ritan," Elias seethed. "The first documented one was—"

  "Why do you think Golden Roses weren't documented until two decades ago, when another was rumored to be birthed?" Kaden calmly asked.

  Elias' eyes flashed. His heart stopped at the truth. He had always wondered why there were barely any records of the Golden Rose. Only his late grandmother, a seer, had mentioned the Golden Rose.

  "The Golden Rose?" Adeline repeated in disbelief, her attention flying to her husband. Her best friend, Lydia Claymore, used to be the Golden Rose.

  Well, Lydia still was. Except, over the years, her powers have begun to fade.

  "Like, THE Golden Rose?" Adeline stated." As in, the fairytale? Whoever embraced the Golden Rose will gain a sudden burst of strength, those that consume her blood will become the strongest in the world, and whoever deflowered her will be granted immortality. Some even said her grounded bones could fertilize the most barren of land."

  "Yes, the very one, my sweet," Elias stated to his wife.

  "Traces of the Golden Rose barely existed beyond what the seers taught others to repeat," Kaden stated. "I had the first storytellers killed."

  Elias' gaze darkened. "So it was your fault?" he snarled.

  "Pages of the books were ripped out by me. I silenced everyone except selected seers," Kaden mused like it was the most hilarious thing he'd heard all day.

  "You irritating piece of—"

  "Why do you think there are barely any mentions of it?" Kaden spoke to them like they were idiots.

  Elias clearly didn't like it. He straightened up, debating if he should murder Kaden. That was impossible, but Kaden was alive, was he not? Elias fathomed the idea of torturing him for centuries.

  "Every time a Golden Rose is born, they mysteriously die," Kaden murmured.

  Kaden stroked through Lina's hair that surrounded her as lovely as a halo. "Golden Roses are destined to a horrible fate."

  "You killed them," Adeline realized. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

  "I saved them."

  "Lies," Adeline retorted. "You're crazy!"

  "I don't kill for fun," Kaden stated. "There is no purpose in killing them."

  "Then—"

  "They die off mysteriously," Kaden said.

  Adeline deeply frowned. She didn't know if she should trust him.

  "I don't believe you," Adeline responded.

  "I don't care," Kaden deadpanned.

  "Keep on disrespecting her and I'll have your tongue," Elias snapped.

  "Keep on interrupting me and I'll sew both your mouths shut," Kaden returned.

  The two glared at each other.

  Adeline could only let out a sigh and roll her eyes. Idiots. Both of them.

  "You had the chance to gain immortality," Kaden told the two of them. "But you gave it away. It's your fault."

  "You know," Elias stated. He should've expected as much when they were in the hallways, but he just didn't think it was the truth. Once again, he realized he had underestimated Kaden.

  Elias wasn't used to people being as smart as him. The thought never crossed his mind. Well, it certainly did with Adeline, but no one else.

  "Just how much did you research into me?" Elias snapped. "I could have you charged with stalking."

  "Go ahead," Kaden deadpanned. That was just one more offense to his neverending list of criminal charges.

  Elias opened his mouth, but Kaden continued.

  "You're the reason why you and your wife will never gain immortality," Kaden said directly to the King of Wraith.

  The King could not refute him. He, too, knew he was to blame. Ten years ago, he had the chance to deflower the Golden Rose. Instead, he walked out on her and sought Adeline. Or so, he thought. The Golden Rose had long given her immortality to someone else, and they could never figure out who.

  "You know nothing," Elias calmly said. He reminded himself to remain neutral. In a conversation between two cold-hearted businessmen, emotions were their weaknesses. The first to get their feelings hurt, the first to lose.

  "I know everything."

  Kaden returned his attention back to Lina. He had neglected her for far too long. Once she woke up, he was going to take her out of here. No. He changed his mind. He was going to take her home. Tonight. He'd personally nurse her back to health. He'd done it before, he could do it again.

  "You and your little bluffs—"

  "I never bluff," Kaden retorted.

  "Says no one," Elias scoffed.

  "I'm beginning to doubt this is a room of world leaders," Adeline mumbled under her breath.

  Adeline was growing irked by their neverending small-bickering. She was certain they'd get nowhere without her interruptions. She wondered if she was watching a comedy show or a melodrama.

  "One thing is for certain," Elias deadpanned. "You're useless," he said to Kaden.

  "Just like you," Kaden retorted.

  As the conversation began to derail, Adeline reached a cold-hearted conclusion. Immortality was never meant for her. It'd be impossible for her to ever sleep with the Golden Rose. Right now, that was the only option. But did Adeline even want immortality? She had told Elias her response over and over, but he never seemed to listen. He always gave her what she wanted, until, her future was involved.

  "You still won't listen," Adeline said in a frigid tone. She shot her husband a frightening glare. As intimidating as she possibly could.

  The Great King of Wraith stiffened. His hands grew moist from her sudden behavior. He offered her a wry smile.

  Adeline shoved him away.

  Elias attempted to coax her back into his arms, for he always liked to hold her. Despite being married to her for years, Elias was always worried. Elias was terrified of the day he'd wake up and Adeline was gone. Elias couldn't let her go. He never could. Adeline possessed his heart and Elias loved her more than life.

  "My sweet," Elias softly said.

  Kaden resisted the urge to gag at the disgusting nickname. At least be more creative. He returned his attention back to Lina. Dove was such a good nickname—it suited her nature perfectly. She always wanted peace. Kaden loved and hated that about her.

  "I don't want immortality," Adeline stated to her husband in a cold, hard voice. "I don't want to live forever, Eli."

  "Let's talk about this later—"

  "Why do you want to torment me?" Adeline demanded.

  Elias' face grew dim. Grey clouds rolled over him. He was unhappy by her words. But he expected as much. Adeline was never the greedy one in their relationship—he always was.

  Because Adeline could never be selfish, Elias did so in her stead. Because he could never feel sorry for someone, Adeline did so in his place. They were the perfect pairing.

  "Immortality won't—"

  "It will," Adeline seethed. "Why would I want to watch the people around me die? Why would I want to outlive my own children?! If you force immortality onto me, then I might as well live through hell."

  Elias grimaced at her words. "My sweet wife—"

  "I won't be an immortal," Adeline warned him, leaving no buts or ifs in the argument.

  Elias took one hard look at her and then sighed. He slowly nodded his head.

  "And so you won't," Elias promised his wife in a slow, defeated tone. "And so, you won't, my sweet."

  "I mean it," Adeline said.

  Elias promptly nodded his head. He grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

  The case was closed.