Undressed By His Arrogance

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Elizabeth’s face surfaced and the thought that anyone might ever put their hands on her...

James let out a small breath. "So it doesn’t end."

"Not really." Winn shrugged.

"Thanks anyway." James hesitated, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Oh... um..." He rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly awkward. "I don’t... I don’t know if this makes any sense to you but uhm... could you take a look at your mum’s medication. I heard him talking about it." He gave a mild shrug, then turned and exited the office before Winn could ask anything else.

The door clicked shut softly.

Winn didn’t move.

Mum’s medication.

He stared at the door.

What has that got to do with anything?

Speaking of mum, he glanced at the clock on the wall. He had to get to the station. He was already late. Maurice could handle everything but he still had to be there, to talk a bit of sense into her. To tell her it was too late for her to fight back.

As he grabbed his jacket, anger simmered beneath the surface. Part of him—an ugly, honest part—wished his mother had actually shot the bastard.

It would have given him peace. It would have given Anna peace. Hell, it would have given James peace too, and probably a dozen other people whose lives had been quietly poisoned by Tom Kane’s hands.

Winn exhaled sharply, pushing the thought aside as he headed for the door.

But as he stepped into the hallway, one thing was clear, sharp as glass in his chest—

Tom Kane’s reign was collapsing.

*****

Tom was discharged from the hospital a few hours later with a prescription for painkillers that felt more insulting than helpful. His ankle throbbed dully, a reminder that Anna had sided with Winn. He tested his weight on it as he stepped outside, jaw tightening. It held. Good. The body, at least, was still obeying him.

He called an Uber and slid into the back seat, grimacing as the car pulled away from the curb, and stared out the window. The city rolled by.

When the gates of his estate came into view, his mouth twisted into a snarl. Reporters clustered there—fucking hyenas. Cameras lifted instantly. Someone shouted his name. Someone else shouted an accusation.

It didn’t matter if Winn was telling the truth or not. Truth had stopped being relevant the moment the headlines dropped. Tom Kane Trends as the Evil Father. A convenient villain packaged for public consumption. No one wanted to hear his side. They only wanted blood.

Beneath the anger, his mind was already working, gears clicking into place. He needed a plan. A distraction. A counter-narrative.

The Uber rolled through the gates, security ushering it in. As soon as Tom stepped out, the butler was there.

"Is my wife back home?" Tom asked, shrugging out of his jacket.

"No, sir."

A flicker of annoyance crossed his face. His wife had always been his greatest asset and his greatest liability. Beautiful, elegant, and increasingly disillusioned with him. And now, everything was collapsing.

"Get rid of all the house staff for the next few days," Tom said sharply, straightening. "I’d like to keep my family issues private for now." A pause. "Double the security at the gate to keep those fucking reporters out. If anyone trespasses, they have the right to tase them—or much better, shoot them."

"I’m sorry, Mr. Kane. Mr. Heathcliffe called on behalf of Mrs. Kane. She has instructed that you not be allowed into the house."

"What are you talking about? This is my house!" he shouted.

He looked back at the gate and saw the reporters. The humiliation coiled hot and tight in his chest.

"I’m sorry, sir," the butler continued evenly. "Mr. Heathcliffe was quite clear. You are only allowed to leave with your car. Everything else will be packed and shipped to you."

"Get the hell out of my way, James!" Tom snapped, advancing.

"I will have to call the police, sir," the butler said, regret softening his words but not his stance.

"You go ahead and do that. I will not be humiliated in my own house."

With a quiet sigh that spoke volumes, he stepped aside.

Tom stormed past him, favoring his ankle, fury fueling every step. The bedroom door slammed behind him moments later, rattling the walls.

James exhaled slowly and pulled out his phone.

Thirty minutes later, the house buzzed again—this time with official authority. Two police officers entered, followed closely by Raphael.

The butler led them upstairs to Tom’s room. Inside, Tom was pacing, running a hand through his hair, muttering under his breath. He stopped short when he saw them.

His eyes met Raphael’s.

Then Tom’s expression hardened into indifference. He turned away as if Raphael were nothing more than another hired nuisance.

"Mr. Kane," one of the officers said carefully, "we’re here to escort you off the premises."

"This is ridiculous," Tom snapped. "This is a private marital dispute."

"Apologies, Mr. Kane. This house was a wedding gift from Mr. George Orchard—Mrs. Kane’s father—and it is solely in her name. Pending the finality of the divorce, Mrs. Kane has instructed that you not be allowed into her premises." Raphael explained.

A wedding gift. Orchard money. Of course. He had married into power thinking he’d absorbed it, only to realize—too late—that he’d merely been borrowing it.

He exhaled slowly, the fight draining out of him in a long, ragged breath. "She is serious, isn’t she?" he asked quietly, the volume of his voice startling even himself. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Raphael shrugged.

Tom nodded then. Just nodded. His shoulders sagged forward, the posture of a man who had finally run out of leverage. He walked out of the house with nothing but the clothes on his back, the doors closing behind him with a final, echoing thud.

When did Anna grow a backbone? he wondered bitterly.

He remembered the girl she used to be—soft-spoken, eager to please, desperate for love. The woman who cried quietly instead of screaming, who forgave instead of fought. Somewhere between betrayal and bloodshed, she had changed. Or maybe she always had it in her. Maybe he had just never pushed her far enough before.

(This is for 400 Power stones. On to the next. 600!)