The Hidden King: Rise of Hercules

The Trap

Alex cast his gaze back toward Mia, the girl he had handed his whole heart to when he felt completely lost, back when joy seemed entirely out of reach.

He stared at Ryan for a second, taking in the smug, punchable grin spread across the guy's face. Ryan held all the cards, whereas the sole thing Alex had ever held onto was Mia. But not anymore. Mia was walking out of his life too.

“Mia, is this real? Or is this some kind of sick joke?” he asked quietly.

Mia let out an indifferent breath. “Yeah Alex, we're through. Meet Ryan, my new man,” she announced, and Chloe shrieked like she had won the lottery.

Alex couldn't even figure out what made Chloe so happy. If he ever caught a break, the very first person he was going to teach a lesson to was her.

The most painful part wasn't just that she was leaving; it was the brutal truth that she had never cared about him at all. And he had honestly believed they shared something genuine.

Alex bit down hard on his lip, holding back the burning sting behind his eyelids. He wasn't about to cry.

“Poor loser. You didn’t even get to touch this girl, did you? You're pathetic.”

“If you get down and lick my shoes, I might give you a job as a watchman at my firm. How does... a thousand bucks a month sound?” Ryan mocked.

Chloe cackled. “Oh! That's super generous of Mr. Ryan. If I were you, I wouldn't waste a single breath on this homeless bum. Hey loser, why don’t you hit your knees and lick those shoes? This is your actual job interview!”

As the nasty insults bounced off him, Mia didn't say a word, just stood there grinning up at Ryan. She must have felt like she hit the jackpot by trading Alex for a rich guy.

While the cruel whispers buzzed around his head, Alex didn't lick the shoe. Instead, he snapped.

He lunged forward and landed a fierce, heavy punch right on Ryan's jaw.

Ryan stumbled backward, and Alex paused for a second. He honestly hadn't expected the punch to land that hard or leave a bloody mess on the guy's nose. But Alex was so furious he didn't even care.

He booked it for the door before Ryan's goons could catch him.

He ran as fast as his legs could go, sprinting down the dark street until he found a roadside garden. He vaulted over the low wall and dove behind some thick bushes, holding his breath as heavy footsteps stomped right past his hiding spot.

After a few tense minutes, the searchers gave up and walked away.

Alex crawled out of the bushes, feeling all the exhaustion and heartbreak from the day crash down on him at once. He had busted his back trying to fit into a world that treated folks like him like garbage.

Aside from all that, why couldn't he just love someone normally? Why did he always have to get burned? After everything he gave up for her, even handing over half his paycheck, why did it all blow up in his face?

A hot tear slipped down his cheek, but he wiped it away fast. No crying. Tonight, he was just going to drown his sorrows.

Life was a joke anyway.

Alex stumbled over to the Layon bar, one of the most famous spots in Brighton. It was popular because it had luxury hotel suites, a massive restaurant, and a gym all in one place.

He bought four bottles of cheap beer and walked right back out. He didn't want to sit inside the lounge; seeing all those rich folks flashing cash would just remind him of Ryan.

He found a quiet, dark bench a few blocks away.

He cracked open the first bottle, then the second, gulping the booze down. By the time he hit the third, his head was spinning. Yet, annoyingly, his brain kept flashing back to Mia, the exact opposite of what he wanted.

He dropped the third empty can, grabbed the last beer, and kept drinking. Halfway through the final bottle, his vision went sideways. Without warning, the glass slipped from his fingers, shattering on the ground as he slumped face-first into the dirt.

His eyes shut tight, and he passed out cold.

A man stepped out from the hotel shadow nearby, running a hand through his dark hair in a rage.

“I told you to grab anybody! I need this sorted tonight!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, spinning around. His eyes landed on Alex crumpled near the bench, and a wicked grin spread across his face.

“Never mind you idiots!” he yelled again, snapping his fingers at one of his guards.

“Yes Boss,” the guy replied.

Tyler stared down at Alex. “Drag that guy up to room 409.”

The guard raised a brow in confusion. “Isn’t that where Madam Sophia is staying?”

Tyler whipped around, glaring daggers. “Did I stutter? Just do what I said and stop asking dumb questions!” he yelled again. The guy practically lived for screaming.

The guard bowed slightly and motioned for two other guys to step over.

“Hold up,” Tyler added, and the guard turned back. “Strip his pants off first. That ought to do the trick,” he said with a smug smirk.

The men did as they were told, dragging the half-conscious delivery guy up to the VIP suite. They unlocked Sophia’s door, dumped Alex right beside her sleeping form, and snuck back out.

Miraculously, Sophia didn't twitch once the whole time, completely unaware of the mess left in her bed.

It felt like forever before Alex finally pried his heavy eyes open. A strange warmth buzzed through him, mixing with the leftover alcohol. He rolled over on the plush mattress until his hand brushed against bare human skin.

Instantly, his hand jerked back.

Smack!

A sharp, stinging slap landed square across his cheek, followed by a terrified screech.

“What the hell did you do to me?!” a furious girl's voice screamed out.

Blinking hard against his pounding headache, Alex tried to focus despite the stinging pain on his face. He sat up fast, darting his panicked eyes around the fancy room.

Clueless about where he was, he stared back at Sophia. “Who are you and why am I in here?”