RISEN FROM THE ASHES: GOD OF CHAOS

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I go by Kace now,” Kace said as he shoved one hand into his pocket. 

Ava took another good look at him. He could see the disbelief in her eyes. Yes. He was the last person that she expected to see at the party. But here he was. And they didn’t even realize now that he was the one of the shareholders in their company. He would love to see the look on Austen’s face when he dropped that bomb on him. 

“Kace?” She asked, shocked. “What happened to you? How long has it been? Three years?”

“Five years, actually,” he replied calmly before taking another sip of his drink. 

“What are you doing here? How the hell did you even get in?” She asked. 

Kace scoffed. 

“You won’t believe me if I told you,” he said before turning around and walking towards the crowd. But she followed him and grabbed him by the hand. 

“I’m sorry about that, Flyn—I mean Kace,” she stuttered. “I didn’t mean that.”

Kace shrugged. “It’s cool. You still see me as the man you left five years ago.”

She shook her head. “No. That’s not what I mean. I meant to ask How did you get here? Like what happened in those five years?”

“I found my real family,” he replied. 

Ava’s eyes widened in shock. The champagne in her hand was trembling slightly. He could tell from the way she was handling it. 

“Is everything okay here?” A man asked from behind Kace. 

Kace had felt him coming, but didn’t say a thing. He turned around and faced a familiar man with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. Kace could remember him from somewhere, but he couldn’t quite just picture where. 

“Yes, darling,” Ava said. “You remember Flynn, don’t you?”

The man went over to Ava and gave him another look. He looked amused. 

“No way. Loser boy, Flynn?” He asked mockingly. 

That was when it hit Kace. He remembered him now. He was the man at the party whose parents had mocked him. His name sprang to his head immediately. Axel. 

“Stop it, honey,” Ava whispered to him sternly. “Be nice.”

“I’m sorry about that, man,” he said. “Looks like you finally leveled up.”

Kace gave him a quiet nod and took a sip from his champagne. 

“Axel is my husband now,” Ava said with a smile, and she clutched onto him. “We got married two years ago.”

Kace felt his heart ache, but he nodded before emptying his champagne flute. Of course, she had moved on. What did he expect? She didn’t love him anymore. He could see it from that morning he had stared into her eyes. And that was all that mattered. And that was why he was going to do what he had to do.  

“Congratulations,” he said, flashing them a weak smile. 

Ava nodded and placed her head on Axel’s shoulder. Kace could barely watch them without grimacing. 

“Where is your father?” He asked, looking around. “I would love to meet him.”

“Come. I’ll take you to him,” she said, letting go of Axel. Axel’s brows furrowed as he gazed at him. 

“See you later, loser,” he called with a sinister smile. 

Kace scoffed and walked away with Ava. She navigated through the crowd, whose cologne stuck to the air, making it a gut-rotting fragrance. But finally, he found Austen Hendrix. 

He seemed to be talking to a group of people, and they approached him. It was just like the last time they met. He had called him over only to be humiliated in front of his guests. Kace could never forget that night. It was marked in his memory forever. And he was going to make sure he made all of them pay. It was a promise he had made. And it was one that he was going to keep. 

“Daddy,” Ava called as they stood behind him. “I’d like you to meet someone.”

Austen Hendrix, who had been talking to the guests, turned around and stared at them. His eyes narrowed, and a smile cracked his lips as he recognized him. 

“Flynn Grayson,” he said, coming closer. “What an unpleasant surprise.”

“He goes by Kace now,” she said. 

Austen paused and gave him a good look. 

“Kace?” He asked. 

Kace smiled and nodded. 

“Kace Cameron,” he completed. 

“No. That can’t be, the Kace Cameron I know is the owner of the prominent Maximilian Enterprises,” he said. “And one who just became a shareholder in our company.”

“Maximilian, who was my father,” Kace said with a smile. “And I was the one who bought the shares recently.”

Austen’s eyes widened in shock with the expression of horror etched on his face. This was what Kace craved. That look on his face. He was in disbelief. They all were. Even Ava, whose mouth hung wide now. 

“Well, welcome aboard, Mr. Cameron,” one of the men replied, coming towards him. 

Kace gave him a smile and shook his hand firmly. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

“Shall we have a toast?” Another woman suggested lifting another champagne flute from a moving tray. 

“That’s a brilliant idea,” another man said. 

Austen Hendrix was still trying to understand what was unraveling before him. But it was too late. Kace picked up another glass. 

“To many more prosperous years,” he said, lifting the glass.

They cheered, and he took a sip from the champagne. And oddly, this one was much more satisfying. 

Kace turned back to Austen to Ava, who were watching them, their faces still etched in disbelief. Kace was going to savor this feeling until he got home. And to him, this was just the beginning. 

But then, the earpiece crackled, and Harvey’s voice sounded. 

“Master Kace, I’ve found Jarrell.”