Dear Immortal Tyrant

"That must be the first time you have acknowledged yourself as a Yang," Cedrick remarked.

Lina said nothing. As expected, the wind was much colder eighty-six floors in the air. She was surprised no one tried to jump off the glass observatory that looked at the entire city of Ritan. All, but a single skyscraper in the heart of the city. It rose high in the sky, but couldn't touch the heavens, for it was crafted from sin.

DeHaven Conglomerate.

"I know you despise our clan name," Cedrick said in a low, understanding voice.

Lina almost thought he was a therapist. This man had a way with words. A manipulative narcissist, if you will. She continued to stare at the view, realizing why no one had tried to scale the observatory. The glass wall was higher than anyone could climb. But there was no rooftop. Just a crystal clear fence that felt like a cage.

Lina blinked when she saw someone cleaning the window, dangling from a mere platform. They were to her left with nothing to protect them. Eighty-six floors in the air, where his feet touched the cloud.

How much did people get paid to clean windows? They needed a raise.

"Royal blood runs through our veins. The Yangs have been around longer than Ritan, but we're established in another city," Cedrick told her. "After the Species War, Ritan became the most flourishing city. You must know that."

Lina knew the history of her family by memory. Heck, she knew it better than the alphabet.

"We were rich before the word was even invented. However, we've dabbled in the underground for a bit. Your Uncle—"

"You mean your father."

Cedrick's throat tightened. He threw her an incredulous look. Did she have to be this blunt? He was glad the fence was bulletproof. With the empty expression she gave him, he thought she'd throw him against the glass.

"Anyway," Cedrick said it like it was no big deal that his father ran half of the underworld. "My hands are clean. Your hands are clean. Hell, both of our hands are pearly white."

Lina said nothing. She leaned against the observatory fence. The view made her dizzy. She felt her legs turn into jello, but held back her trepidation. In fact, she numbed herself to it. She couldn't show her fear of height, especially not to Cedrick. The man was a hound to fear. He smelled it before she felt it.

Lina could feel a burning gaze glued to her. Like fire, it licked at her skin. She felt heat shoot to her stomach, then, dropping between her legs. Kaden was watching her with a dark stare. She made eye contact.

Kaden narrowed his eyes. A warning to straighten the hell up. Lina winked. His lips twisted into a deep scowl. She smiled to herself and looked away.

"But one day, your hands will turn pink and mine will remain clean. You want to know why?" Cedrick softly asked.

Lina's heart stopped. Not from his words, but something else. Lina had a feeling someone was watching her from afar, but it wasn't Kaden. No, it was something else.

"If you inherit Yang Enterprise, you'll be a fool to believe money is all you'll touch. You'll get a first glimpse of how cruel the world can be. A first glimpse of what reality does to little girls like you."

"If I'm little, I can't imagine what you are," Lina muttered, shifting her eyes briefly to his pants before gazing away.

"Ouch." Cedrick placed a hand to his chest like he was hurt. He was amused, instead. He knew why everyone liked her. The pearl of the Yang Family. Every man wanted her. Every woman wanted to be her. And she didn't even know it. Damn her, really.

"I'll take personal offense to that," Cedrick informed her. "But that's not the point. I'm here to tell you—"

"That you're scared of me. I know." Lina didn't bother to look at him, but she felt it. She felt his blood thin. His face drained.

Ah. Maybe Lina was the bloodhound, instead. She smelled his fear. And it was losing his position.

"I've always been scared of you," Cedrick told her in a hard voice. "Even when I was ten and you were five."

Lina wondered why people sought the thrill of such heights. This observatory made a lot of money. This spot, in particular, was closed off to the public, except for the exclusive guests that dined at the restaurant. She heard many marriage proposals had happened a few inches from where she stood. At the center of the observatory deck.

"But my fear wasn't from your overwhelming accomplishments," Cedrick said. "You and I both know we've had our fair share of the limelight."

This dude loved to monologue.

Lina wondered when his dramatic speech would be over. Her feet began to hurt from the heels. She was hungry, too.

"It was because everyone loved you," Cedrick said. "Grandfather, grandmother, First Uncle—"

"Those that loved me most, wanted everything decided for me," Lina pointed out. "My aspirations. My freedom. My childhood. If I could've kept those and received no love, I would."

"Those are the words of the privileged. Only when you're unloved will you watch with envy," Cedrick told her in a harsher tone.

Lina knew she hit a nerve. Cedrick, whilst being the oldest heir in the family, was never loved. God, him and his mommy issues. Or, did he have daddy issues too? She wouldn't be surprised. His parents were sick in the head.

"I'll cut this conversation short because it's so freaking cold here and I'm sure your husband is loading his gun again," Cedrick snorted.

"Pity." Lina wanted to see if the glass was really bulletproof.

"Back out of the Heir Race whilst you still can," Cedrick said in a solemn and serious voice. The sincerity was no longer there. The spark from the previous conversation died down.

Lina twisted the ruby ring on her hand. Suddenly, the gem felt heavy. It was. If she went swimming, she'd sink to the depths of the ocean.

"Everyone has already caught wind of your participation. People will be coming for your life soon. My father included."

Now, that was a good reaction from Lina. Lina's nonchalant expression shifted. For a split second. Lina couldn't care less if her relatives tried to plot her death. They'd never succeed. Kaden would kill the assassins before they even located her. But her Second Uncle?

Lina's death would look deliberate. She'd bleed to death in a bathtub, note in hand, and no other injuries elsewhere. It'd look like she did it. No one else. Hell, even Kaden would believe it.

"You better watch out," Cedrick murmured. "And no, I'm not threatening you. I'm warning you in advance of what's to come."

Lina narrowed her eyes.

"And you're damn lucky this observatory is bulletproof because an assassin just dropped dead."

Lina turned her head in time to see the window cleaner's body fall. Her blood turned cold. She saw a gun in his hand. There was a bullet through the side of his head. As if he killed himself up here. But no, she saw it. She saw Kaden's quick movements as he lowered his hand.

Lina's gaze swept over the restaurant, but realized they were in a far too private area for anyone to hear, or see something. Her heart skipped at the sight of his dark eyes.

Kaden was worse than her Second Uncle. The cleaners would be too natural. It'd look like a low-paid window cleaner killed himself in this building then plummeted to his death.

"This isn't your dream, Lina," Cedrick whispered like he was forbidden to say the four, heavy words. And maybe he was.

Their grandfather would murder him for planting the thought in her head. But she knew, it wasn't planted. She always thought of this, but Cedrick's words were the shovel that unearthed it.

"Don't throw yourself into a dream planted in the head by people who've always used you. Because this isn't you. This isn't the life you envisioned," Cedrick reminded her.

Lina didn't want to hear it. She straightened up and stormed out of the observatory deck, leaving him standing there. She couldn't speak. She couldn't utter a single word.

Lina hated how accurate Cedrick was. She despised how close it hit home. But she also loved the thrill of it. The thrill of knowing she intimidated her cousin without even making a move.

The ball was in her court now.