Beauty and the Unconquered Beast

Chapter 6 Before the Banquet

Before the Banquet

By the time Vireya returned to the Montclair estate, the sun had already disappeared behind the city. The house was unusually quiet, too quiet. She stepped out of the car and looked toward the entrance. Several servants stood there, but none of them spoke. Vireya knew that look and something had happened.

She walked inside.

Her father was waiting in the sitting room. “You're home.”

“Yes.”

Lucien stood. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

He looked at her carefully. “The accident?”

Vireya nodded. “I wasn't hurt.”

Lucien exhaled. “Thank God.”

Vireya placed her bag on the table. “Dad.”

“Yes?”

“That wasn't an accident.”

Lucien's expression changed. “I know.”

“You knew?”

“I received a call from one of our people.”

Vireya frowned.

“Then you know someone tried to hit me.”

“I suspect it.”

“Who?”

Lucien shook his head. “I don't know.”

Vireya stared at him. “You always say that.”

“Because I don't want to accuse someone without proof.”

She sighed. “That is exactly why Uncle Darius keeps winning.”

Lucien looked toward the window. “Tomorrow is the engagement banquet.”

“I know.”

“The entire family will be there.”

“I know.”

“Politicians. Business partners. The press.”

Vireya understood it well that Darius wouldn't attack her openly but not tomorrow there would be too many witnesses. Instead, he would smile, shake hands, congratulate her, and wait. That was how her uncle operated. He didn't destroy people in public, he made them destroy themselves.

On the opposite side of the city, the Valcero estate was preparing for the same banquet.

Evren stood in front of his bedroom mirror, a black suit lay across the bed.

His grandfather stood behind him. “You're not going to wear that?”

Evren glanced at the suit. “No.”

“Why?”

“It's uncomfortable.”

His grandfather sighed. “It's an engagement banquet.”

“I know.”

“You're supposed to look presentable.”

“I'll wear the suit.”

The old man smiled. “Good.”

Suddenly Evren’s phone rang up. There was a message from an unknown number.

‘You should not marry the Montclair girl.’

Evren stared at it. Another message arrived.

‘You don't know what they are hiding.’

Then another.

‘Ask your grandfather about the night you went to Blackhaven.’

Evren's expression changed. He immediately called the number.

No answer.

He called again.

Nothing picked up.

The messages disappeared.

Evren looked at the screen.

His grandfather noticed. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“You've said that too many times today.”

Evren put the phone away. “Someone knows about Blackhaven.”

His grandfather became serious. “Who?”

“I don't know.”

“What did they say?”

“They mentioned the night I was sent away.”

His grandfather's face went pale.

Evren noticed. “You know something.”

The old man looked away. “Your grandfather knows many things.”

“About my case?”

Silence.

Evren stepped closer. “Grandfather.”

The old man finally looked at him. “Some truths are dangerous.”

“So are lies.”

His grandfather sighed. “I promised myself I would tell you when the time was right.”

“And is it?”

“No.”

Evren's eyes hardened. “Then someone else may tell me first.”

In a private room beneath an old hotel, the man from the alley sat across from two other men.The scar on his face was visible beneath the dim light.

One of the men placed a folder on the table. “Confirm it.”

The scarred man opened it.

Inside were photographs of Evren. Blackhaven, prison records, old surveillance images. Then a photograph taken only hours earlier. Evren standing beside Vireya.

The scarred man smiled. “It's him.”

“How certain?”

“I watched him for years.”

The second man frowned. “From inside?”

“No.”

The scarred man tapped the photograph. “From outside.”

He leaned back. “Blackhaven has many monsters.”

He pointed at Evren. “But only one of them earned that name.”

The room became quiet. “The Beast.”

One of the men lowered his voice. “Does he know we're watching?”

The scarred man smiled. “He noticed me.”

“And?”

“He let me leave.”

That answer disturbed them.

“Why?”

The scarred man looked toward the door. “Because he wanted me to.”

Earlier that afternoon, Darius Montclair had been furious. His plan had been simple the car would hit the curb and Vireya would be injured nothing fatal just enough to put her in the hospital. The engagement would be delayed her father would panic; the board would question her ability to lead so Darius would step in. But Evren had ruined everything, the moment the car approached, he had moved too quickly and too precisely. Darius had watched the footage several times but he couldn't understand it.

“How did he do that?” Adrian stood behind him. “Maybe he was lucky.”

Darius shook his head. “No.”

He replayed the footage and Evren saw the car before everyone else. He reacted before Vireya even turned around.

“That wasn't luck.”

Adrian frowned. “Then what is he?”

Darius looked at the screen. “I don't know.”

That frightened him more than he wanted to admit that the useless Valcero son wasn't supposed to be capable of anything. Yet he had reacted like someone trained for danger.

Darius closed the laptop. “Forget the accident.”

“What?”

“We can't use the same method twice.”

“What do we do now?”

Darius smiled. “Tomorrow is the engagement banquet.”

Adrian understood. “You want to humiliate Vireya.”

“I want everyone to see that she's unfit to lead.”

“How?”

Darius leaned closer. “We don't attack her.” And he smiled. “We let her attack herself.”

The next morning, the Montclair estate would be filled with cameras. Darius had already arranged for several journalists to attend a few politicians had been invited, several board members, business associates, old family friends, and one particular guest. A businessman whose company had recently been accused of financial fraud.

Darius had arranged for evidence to be planted in Vireya's office. Documents that would make it appear she had secretly transferred millions from a Montclair subsidiary into an offshore account.

The plan was simple.

During the banquet, the documents would be “discovered.” The accusation would become public. Vireya would have to defend herself in front of everyone.

And if she failed—

Her position would collapse.

Darius smiled. “By tomorrow night, she'll either resign…”

He looked toward the city. “Or we'll make her disappear from the family business.”

But Darius wasn't the only one preparing for the banquet. Across the city, Evren sat alone in his room. His phone rang, an Unknown number.

He answered.

No one spoke. Then a distorted voice whispered: “Do you remember the first rule Cassius taught you?”

Evren's eyes narrowed, the caller knew Cassius.

That was impossible. Or at least, it should have been.

“Who are you?”

The voice laughed softly. “You really don't recognize me?”

The call ended.

Evren stared at the screen, his mind went back to Blackhaven.

Five years, hundreds of prisoners, thousands of faces but one memory stood out. A prisoner who had never spoken to him. A man who had always watched him from the other side of the yard. A man who disappeared six months before Evren's release.

Evren whispered a name. “Impossible.”

His grandfather entered the room. “Evren?”

He looked up. “Tomorrow.”

“What about tomorrow?”

“I'm going to the banquet.”

His grandfather frowned.

“Of course.” Evren stood. “And I'm going to find out who is watching me.”

That night, Vireya stood in front of her bedroom mirror. Her engagement dress had already been delivered. Elegant, simple, white. She looked at herself for a long moment.

Tomorrow, everyone would be watching her. Her family, the politicians, the business world, the Valceros, and Evren.

She still didn't understand that man. He had saved her, he had kissed her by accident, he barely reacted to anything. And somehow, despite everything she had been told about him, she didn't believe he was useless.

Her phone vibrated. A message appeared.

‘Tomorrow will change everything.’

Vireya frowned. She typed: ‘Who is this?’

No response. She deleted the message, then she looked out the window. Across the street, a black car was parked beneath a tree its headlights were off. She watched it for several seconds, then the car drove away.

She didn't know who had been inside, she didn't know about Darius's plan, she didn't know someone from the underworld was watching Evren.

And she certainly didn't know that tomorrow's engagement banquet would bring three worlds together—

The Montclair family.

The Valcero family.

And the police.

Because somewhere in the city, Officer Serena Vale was already opening the file marked:

EVREN VALCERO.

And beneath his name, she had written one question. Who is the Beast?