CH.55

There was no warmth in Knox’s tone, no hint of the respect and almost filial affection he had once held for this man who had been a mentor and father figure to him through the years. Only an undercurrent of steely menace and a promise of violence should his demands for answers go unmet tonight.

The other set of glowing amber eyes seemed to narrow almost imperceptibly, as if their owner could sense the dangerous undercurrents swirling just beneath Knox's stoic exterior, churning like a riptide beneath a deceptively calm surface. Then, after a moment's tense silence that stretched between them like a taut bowstring, a low chuckle drifted through the darkness - rich and indulgent, laced with a hint of sardonic amusement.

"So it seems, my boy," a deep, cultured voice responded at last, the words seeming to caress the shadows cloaking the room.

As if on cue, the bedroom was abruptly flooded with light, causing Knox to narrow his eyes against the harsh glare.

There, seated in a high-backed leather armchair beside the floor-to-ceiling windows, was Enzo Cavalieri in all his imposing glory.

The man cut an impressive figure despite his advanced years - broad-shouldered and powerfully built, with a regal bearing and chiseled features that could have been carved from ancient marble. His close-cropped silver hair, his luxurious satin robe in shades of scarlet that enhanced his expresso skin tone only served to enhance his aristocratic aura.

Enzo's gaze studied his grandson with an intensity that would have set a lesser man's nerves jangling. Those piercing amber eyes missed nothing, their depths glittering with an edge of danger and cunning belying the superficial amusement in his expression.

This was the true face of the Cavalieri family's most powerful don - a man whose very presence commanded respect and instilled fear in the hearts of his enemies. A man who had clawed his way to the top of the proverbial food chain through sheer grit

Knox's expression remained indifference as he stared at the man lounging lazily in the high-backed armchair, swirling a glass of deep red liquid idly between his fingers.

Though Enzo had lived for centuries, the ravages of time seemed to hold no sway over his striking features. He appeared no older than a man in his early forties. Even seated, there was an undeniable power and dominance to Enzo's presence that seemed to thrum through the very air around him like static electricity.

Enzo motioned for Knox to take a seat in one of the leather armchairs angled before him with a negligent wave of his free hand.

Knox sank into the chair lazily.

"I've been anticipating this moment, my boy," Enzo stated.

A faint smile curved his sensual mouth as he pinned Knox with that piercing stare, the barest hint of sardonic amusement glittering in those amber depths. "I trust you enjoyed my little present?"

Knox didn't have time for pleasantries or word games tonight. He was in no mood to dance around the issue that had clearly been orchestrated from the very beginning by the man sitting before him now - the only closest family he had and the only person in this world Knox still held an ounce of respect for.

"Start talking, old man!" he bit out coldly.

Enzo didn't even look abashed at the blatant disrespect. "Of course I was behind it all," he spoke without an ounce of contrition, taking another sip of his red liquid as if they were discussing nothing more consequential than the weather. "Just as I was the one who arranged for the two of you to be formally united in wedlock shortly after." He sighed. “I guess it’s time I tell you the full story.”

Knox's nostrils flared with barely restrained fury, his hands clenching against the armrests. The urge to lash out, to vent his rage in an explosive burst of violence thrummed through his veins, yet he wrestled it back with monumental effort.

"How is she my mate? How is it possible for me to have a mate at all?" He all but growled, leaning forward to pin Enzo with a look that would have incinerated a lesser man from the inside out.

They had told him years ago that he would never again be granted the possibility of a second chance. That his opportunity for that fabled, all-consuming love between mates had been stripped from him for his failures.

So how had this slip of a girl, this frustratingly spoiled young woman, managed to upend everything Knox thought he knew about his foretold path?

His grandfather sighed, setting aside his glass. "I, too, was skeptical when I first discovered the truth about young Serena's significance to you," Enzo said, steepling his fingers beneath his chin as his expression took on a distant, contemplative mien. "Allow me to recount how I came to learn of this rather unorthodox situation."

Knox remained utterly motionless, his body a study in coiled tension as he watched the other man through narrowed eyes - waiting with bated breath for Enzo to finally shed some light on the mysteries that had been unraveling around him for far too long.

"You were but a child when that wicked soul once again brought the infamous witch Isolde, seeking to unravel the mysteries of your future and potential," Enzo began again in a low, measured tone tinged with barely perceptible distaste. "It was on that fateful day that Isolde proclaimed you were destined for greatness, but only once you encountered your fated mate - a woman from a family our own had long been estranged from due to ancient feuds and bloodied history."

A sneer curled Enzo’s lip in disgust at the memory. "Your foolish father and the rest of your backwards family were horrified when Isolde proclaimed you were destined for greatness. They feared you'd grow too powerful for them to control. So the cowards had Isolde cast a spell on your soul, one that will alert them once the child was born. Meredith couldn’t counter that spell because Isolde had grown too powerful over the course of time. It took them years to locate the girl and had her assassinated before she could come of age - all to rob you of your foretold destiny out of their own pathetic jealousy and fear. They sent a hitman to slaughter her like an animal while she was in school."

There was an unmistakable menace in Enzo's tone now.

"It was an act of unforgivable cowardice that nearly destroyed the little hope that was left in our family legacy…" Enzo trailed off, visibly wrestling his volatile emotions back under his icy control.

He drew a steadying breath before continuing, "What those fools didn't know was that your mother Myra gave up her only chance of survival to secure your future. With her dying breaths, she performed an ancient ritual to bind your soul with the daughter of the very family that betrayed us before sending out your essence to find its new host. It was her final wish that you be reborn free from our cursed bloodline, with a chance to forge your destiny alongside your fated mate - the only one who can temper the darkness within you."

Knox didn’t know what to feel. "You knew I had a mate all along?" he finally rasped out.

Enzo didn't flinch at Knox's accusatory glare. "Meredith had visions. Only recently did Serena's full role become clear. That is why I have been guiding events to keep you both on the path set for you."

A muscle ticked in Enzo's jaw as he struggled to maintain control. "I will not let your mother's sacrifice be in vain, nor will I deny you the redemption and power your union with Serena will bring. This is your destiny - your birthright. To deny it would be spitting on Myra's grave."

Leaning forward, Enzo pinned Knox with a look that could incinerate. "I have existed for over six centuries, boy. I have seen empires rise and fall, civilizations born and extinguished. And through it all, one truth remains - our family is destined for ultimate power. We were born to rule over the masses, to elevate the strongest to their rightful place as masters."

Enzo's hand clenched as if grasping the reigns of destiny itself. "Your union with that girl is the final step to greatness never before achieved. To turn your back on that..." He shook his head, resolute. "Even if I must beat that truth into your thick skull myself, I will ensure you embrace your true purpose. Am I clear? However, do not let her become your weakness. Her purpose is to ensure the continuation of our bloodline. Only your fated mate can bear your offerings!"

Without another word, Knox slowly rose from his chair. Blue flames began swirling around him as he prepared to depart. He glanced back at his grandfather with a blank expression before vanishing into thin air.

A female figure emerged from the shadows once Knox was gone. "You held back the part where this Serena girl will ultimately cause his death." She spoke coldly.

"I should have had her killed instead of her sister and faced the Goddess's wrath. It's not too late to rectify that mistake now." Her eyes glinted with malice.

Enzo shook his head. "You wouldn't just face the Goddess's wrath, but his as well. He may not show emotions openly, but I can see how possessive he is over that girl. It's not merely Myra's spell that binds them - she is the mate the Goddess herself chose for him. That bond transcends all else, Meredith."

"I know what fated mates are," Meredith said coolly. "I may not be Knox's biological grandmother, but my relationship with Queen Minerva went deeper than just lady-in-waiting. We were sworn sisters. I'm certain she would want no other than me to guide her grandson."

Meredith looked into Enzo's eyes, which instantly became hollow and haunted at the mention of his lost love Minerva.

A pang of sadness lanced through her. 'It seems I will never be able to replace her in his heart,' she sighed inwardly.

"We cannot let Knox's destiny be derailed by this girl, no matter her role. If she proves to be an obstacle, we must remove her by any means necessary."

Enzo was silent for a long moment, seemingly lost in memories of the past. "A made a vow to protect our bloodline's legacy at all costs, no matter the sacrifice required. If the girl threatens that..." He trailed off, not needing to give further voice to what they both knew must be done.