Chapter 99: Aching Relief

Xavier leaned back in the hovertaxi seat, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded as the skyline of Astraeus blurred past. The city pulsed with neon and filth, but for once, he felt… light. Not happy—fuck no—but light.

He muttered under his breath, “It’s ’cause I hated Leonardo the least… that I killed him first.”

He tilted his head to the side, staring out the glass as towers zipped past like frozen lightning bolts. “Guy didn’t even have a hobby. No spine. No real ambition. Just a parasite, clinging to whoever was climbing fastest. And when that person stopped climbing…? Jump to the next. Snake. Leech. Fuckin’ disgusting.”

A chuckle escaped him. He closed his eyes for a second, replaying the expression on Maximilian’s face—the shock, the betrayal, the horror—and then Dominic’s too, standing there like his world was crumbling apart. Xavier’s grin widened.

“Not gonna kill Maximilian yet,” he whispered to himself. “He’s my golden pig. Still got some juice left in him.”

A while later, the taxi touched down at the drop station near Nexus Tower. The sky was already dim, city noise pulsing below like a mechanical heartbeat.

Xavier made his way to the second floor of the old apartment. It was dinner time, and he expected the place to be empty like always, with Lilia and Lyra probably busy at the restaurant on the 10th floor. But when he opened the door, he found them inside.

And not just them—Eamon was there too.

Xavier blinked in surprise. Eamon—the old man who rarely came home and barely had time to breathe between metro shifts—was sitting there, sharing food with them. It wasn’t a fancy dinner or anything, more like a cheap one-minute snack Eamon had probably picked up on the way. Still, it was something.

Eamon looked like shit. Tired, worn down. But he came home today. And even brought food.

Xavier couldn’t help but respect that.

“Yo,” he greeted, slipping his hands in his pockets. “Got some left for me too?”

Eamon moved aside quickly, making room. “Of course, come sit. There’s plenty.”

Xavier joined them and ate in silence. Quick, quiet meal. No tension. Just calm.

Once they were done, Xavier stood up and looked at them all—Lilia, Lyra, then Eamon.

“Come with me.”

Eamon furrowed his brows. “Where?”

“You’ll see,” Xavier replied, already walking out the door. He had told Lilia earlier not to say a word to Eamon.

They followed him out, taking the elevator down to the ground floor. Eamon was already growing anxious.

“Where are we going?” he asked again.

“Surprise,” Xavier said, not even looking back.

They crossed over to the reception area that led to the upper section. The guards glanced at them but didn’t say anything.

“We shouldn’t be here,” Eamon muttered, glancing around. “Let’s leave before someone stops us.”

“Nobody’s gonna stop us,” Xavier said, calm and cocky as ever.

They got into the private elevator that led to the upper floors.

The number on the panel rose steadily. Then stopped—floor 55.

Eamon looked like someone just slapped him. He couldn’t understand what they were doing here. This floor—this area—was meant for the elite. The rent here started at 5 million. It was another world.

Xavier led them through the silent corridor and stopped in front of apartment PP 69. He raised his hand, scanned his biodata.

The door unlocked with a click.

That was the moment Eamon finally understood.

As the door slid open and the lights flicked on inside the penthouse, Xavier stepped in casually, his shoes tapping against the polished black floor. The interior was vast, sleek, glowing with quiet power. A glass wall looked out over the entire goddamn city like they owned it.

He looked over his shoulder at the others—Eamon was frozen stiff, still trying to process the door unlocking.

Xavier flashed a grin. “Welcome home.”

Eamon blinked. “What do you mean… ’home’?”

Xavier turned and spread his arms. “This is ours now. Our new home.”

“What… how?” Eamon stepped inside slowly like it was a dream. “How did you afford this? Xavier… where did the money come from?”

Xavier stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. “The Goddess is helping me.”

Eamon stared at him, trying to understand if he was joking. Xavier gave him a look that said he wasn’t.

In his head, Xavier thought, Lying would be pointless. One lie turns into a thousand. Then you’re just swimming in your own bullshit trying to stay afloat. Better to say it straight. And besides, there was no shame in being chosen.

Eamon didn’t say anything for a moment. Then, quietly, he said, “Congratulations.”

He looked around the massive living room again. “It’s beautiful. I mean it. I… I should go. I need to get back to work.”

Xavier frowned. “Why? You don’t like the place?”

Eamon didn’t look at him. “It’s not that,” he said, voice tight. “It’s that I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve the Goddess’s blessing.”

He clenched his fists. “I was the one who destroyed everything our ancestors built over generations. I let everything fall.” His voice cracked. “All of it—gone. Because of me.”

Tears welled up in Eamon’s eyes and started slipping down.

Xavier stepped forward slowly, calm. “No. What our ancestors built wasn’t an empire. It was a lineage.”

He looked his uncle in the eye. “Money was never the foundation. It was just a side product. What mattered was the name, the legacy, the bloodline—and we still have that. And I’ll get it all back, Eamon. Every last piece. So don’t beat yourself up over what’s already gone.”

Eamon’s legs buckled and he dropped to his knees right there, shaking, sobbing silently into his hands.

Xavier crouched beside him and put a hand on his back.

“You’ve done enough,” he said quietly. “You can rest now. You don’t need to work anymore. Because from today onwards… I’m the leader of the Astraeus family.”

Eamon wept harder, but this time it wasn’t guilt. It was a relief. Pure, aching relief.

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