Chapter 626: Sacrifice

Alexandra made a major sacrifice for them.

It wasn’t that Alexandra was a total no-name before; as a star on ChronosX’s payroll, she was known by people. But that popularity was nothing in comparison to being the teary woman in the video whose cries brought aboutby the end of the giant organization and kickstarted the true fame of Valhalla’s Sinners.

Thus, yes, her sacrifice was great. Kaiden and co benefited immensely from it.

So did Alexandra, as she was freed from her terribly cruel situation.

But that did not erase the video where she openly spoke about what hads been done to her, seen by far too many millions.

Aelexandra then tried to laugh her concerns off, but it came out thin and cracked. By the time the vehicle slowed for final clearance, she was on the verge of panic. When the doors finally opened, she hadn’t moved. She’d just stared at the exit like it was a cliff edge.

"I can’t do this! I shouldn’t be here! I’ll just make it worse!"

She looked toward Kaiden and said, "You promised I could run! You promised you’d not be mad... I’m sorry..." Her tears came rapidly while her entire body shook. At this moment, the depth of Alexandra’s trauma, her lack of self-worth, and hatred were showing stronger than ever before.

That was when Kaiden had spoken up. "Alexandra. You can run. I will not be angry if you do, just as I promised. I will take you back home myself. However, would you hear out a proposal of mine before we do that?"

"P-proposal?" she sobbed. "Kaiden..."

"What if you don’t have to meet them? Let me go first."

"What?" She’d hesitated, eyes flicking up to him.

"I’ll talk to them," he continued evenly, explaining his plan. "You listen. Hear what they say when they don’t think you’re in the room. Hear how they really feel about you. After that, you decide what you want to do. No pressure. No expectations."

It had taken a long moment, but eventually she’d nodded with relief and fear tangling together in her expression.

And so she waited.

What Kaiden hadn’t known at the moment was that Alexandra hadn’t remained standing. Hearing her mother’s cries and her father’s self-loathing, she had sat down and settled with her back against the wall just outside the room, knees drawn up, arms wrapped tightly around herself.

Every word inside carried through to her with painful clarity.

And now, as Marcus spoke of judgment and failure, as Elena sobbed into borrowed cloth, Alexandra sat there silently with tears streaming down her face, shoulders shaking as she bit down hard to keep from making a sound.

...

Kaiden crossed one leg over the other and kept his voice even. "Parents wanting what’s best for their children is natural. That instinct isn’t something to be ashamed of. You were taken advantage of by a criminal who had years of experience in lobbying, negotiations, and plain coercion. He was a man who dined with governors and ministers and wore legitimacy like armor. This country failed you by letting him operate for as long as he did."

Marcus clenched his jaw and listened.

"He’s on death row now," Kaiden continued. "Justice hasn’t been served, it never will, but his reign of terror is over. He won’t hurt anyone else."

Elena nodded faintly, though it did little to ease her expression.

"That doesn’t change what happened, however," Kaiden said. "It doesn’t undo what Alexandra and others went through. Young girls and boys were hurt by that man and his accomplices. Their minds were damaged. Their bodies were abused. They were cornered and blackmailed into doing things no one should ever be forced to do."

Marcus’s hands trembled.

"And now," Kaiden went on, still calm, "Alexandra has to live knowing that the most intimate parts of her body were taken from her and spread across the world without her consent. That’s a burden no one should have to carry."

Elena let out a broken sound and covered her face.

"I want to understand your opinion on this so that we can plan a proper recovery for that wonderful girl. Please, if you are willing, help me understand your thought process."

Marcus blinked and lifted his head, clearly caught off guard. "Our... thought process?" he repeated slowly, as if testing the words. Elena looked at him, then back to Kaiden, confusion and worry mixing on her face. "I’m not sure I understand... What do you mean by that?"

Kaiden inclined his head, acknowledging the surprise without pressing it. He was acting as non-confrontational as he possibly could.

"I mean this in a practical sense, not a philosophical one. My belief is that Alexandra’s recovery won’t happen in isolation. Trauma like this doesn’t heal just because time passes. It heals when the environment around her stops reinforcing the damage. The people close to her matter more than anything else, and right now you are two of the most important pieces in her life."

Marcus swallowed and leaned forward. "So... what are you asking us?"

"I’m asking how you see her future," Kaiden replied. "Not the ideal version, not the one you wish the world had allowed her to have, but the one you think she’s facing now. I need to understand that if I’m going to help her rebuild something stable instead of just protecting her from immediate harm."

There was a long pause. The kind that wasn’t empty but heavy with thoughts neither parent seemed eager to give voice to. Elena was the first to speak, with her fingers twisting the edge of the handkerchief.

"I’m scared of what the world will do to her. People don’t forget. They stare. They judge. They think they know her because they’ve seen something they never should have seen." Her voice wavered, but she didn’t stop. "I don’t know how she’s supposed to walk outside without feeling exposed all over again."

Marcus nodded stiffly. "I keep thinking about work. Will she be able to hold her place in an office? What about friends? Will she ever be able to enjoy a simple conversation with a friend she just met without worrying about where the discussion leads? What about how every introduction might carry that shadow behind it?"

Kaiden listened without interrupting, his expression unchanged, but something in his eyes had shifted.

He understood now.

Not just the facts, not just the damage that had been done to Alexandra, but the shape of the fear her parents were carrying and how deeply it tangled with love.

They weren’t rejecting her. They weren’t ashamed of her. They were terrified of a world that had already proven it could be cruel and invasive beyond reason, and they didn’t know how to shield their daughter from it.

Perhaps this was the reason why they didn’t push Alexandra to come meet them, even after knowing she was safe with Vespera’s son.

Outside the door, Alexandra’s breathing faltered.

She had tried to stay quiet, had pressed a hand over her mouth when the tears first came, but hearing her parents speak so plainly about a future filled with stares and whispers cracked something fragile inside her.

Each word landed like confirmation of a fear she had carried in her heart. Her shoulders shook as the sobs grew harder to contain, muffled but relentless, her body curling in on itself as if she could make herself smaller and disappear into the wall at her back.

Inside, Kaiden slowly exhaled, troubled.