Chapter 219

Iris

After a long, revitalizing, and at times rather emotional vacation, we’re finally home in our apartment in Ordan. Despite the death of the she-wolf, I feel refreshed and excited to tackle the new year after our trip. In fact, even though we spent the day travelling, I’m just about to head to Marsiel to check on Alice and the children’s art program when Arthur’s phone rings.

“What can I do for you, Ezra?” Arthur answers.

“Sir,” Ezra’s voice crackles through the speaker, and the tone he’s using gives me pause. He sounds nervous, which isn’t like him. “Have you seen the news?”

Arthur and I exchange glances. We both made a point of not using phones or computers during our vacation. “No, I just got home,” he replies. “Why?”

“Silas Creed has officially announced his candidacy for the next presidential election,” Ezra says. “And he’s made some… interesting statements about your administration that you should be aware of.”

Arthur’s jaw tightens perceptibly. “What kind of statements?”

“He’s claiming that the weeks you spent neglecting your duties make you unfit for the role. He’s specifically cited your recent ‘absences’ and ‘erratic, easily manipulatable behavior’ as cause for concern.”

My stomach drops. He’s talking about when Arthur was under Veronica’s influence. Of course that would come back to haunt us. I guess I just hoped we would have a little more time to settle into the swing of things before it did, but that was naive of me.

“I see,” Arthur says slowly. “And how is this being received by the public?”

Ezra hesitates. “Mixed reactions, sir. Some are dismissing it as obvious political maneuvering, but… he has gained some support. There are people who agree with him. The incidents with you attacking the woman who ripped Iris’s earring out at her gala and the reporter you threatened are being referenced a lot.”

Arthur sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Send me everything you have on this. I’ll review it and we can discuss our next steps.”

After hanging up, Arthur turns to me with an exasperated sigh.

“It’ll be okay,” I offer. “We knew there would be challenges after… everything. But we can handle it, just like we handled everything else.”

“I know,” Arthur huffs. “I just hoped we’d have more time to get things back on track before someone made a move.”

“Who is Silas Creed?” I ask. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t place it.

Arthur’s brow furrows. “He’s the Alpha of one of the older families in Ordan. Wealthy family, old money. I’ve met him a few times at official functions, but we’ve never spoken at length. He seems nice enough, so it’s surprising that he’s taking the negative campaigning route.”

With that, Arthur heads straight for his study, no doubt to review the files Ezra sent. I notice the stiffness in his shoulders as I watch him go, and even though he doesn’t say it out loud, I can sense that he’s wishing we were still at the ranch.

The next morning, we receive an unexpected call from my parents, inviting us to lunch at their estate. We accept, grateful for the distraction and the chance to share our holiday stories with them.

My mother fusses over Miles the moment we arrive, showering him with belated Solstice presents: a new toy dinosaur, an adorable blue bunny hat that Miles insists he’s too old for, and multiple other things. My father claps Arthur on the shoulder and shakes his hand, which is a relief considering the fact that he once wanted to wring his neck. I give my mother a new dress and my father a new pair of driving gloves as gifts.

It’s not until we’re seated around the dining table, plates of chicken salad sandwiches and hors d’oeuvres sitting between us, that my father brings up the elephant in the room.

“So, I heard Silas Creed is running against you,” he says to Arthur. “Quite the surprise.”

Arthur nods. “Yes, and he’s using the smear route in his campaign.”

My mother sighs. “Such a shame. He was such a sweet little boy. Wouldn’t hurt a fly…”

This catches both Arthur and me by surprise. “You knew him?” I ask.

My father nods. “Oh, yes. We were close friends with his family for years. But we had a falling out about twenty years ago. It was unfortunate.”

“What happened?” Arthur leans forward.

My father shrugs, but my mother immediately chimes in. “Well, it’s a long story. Lucinda—Silas’s mother—and I were particularly close. I even attended her baby shower when she was pregnant with Silas.” She shakes her head. “But then the baby came out, and… he didn’t look like Alfred, Lucinda’s husband, at all.”

I blink, and my father adds, “Alfred and Lucinda are both redheads. The kid came out with pitch black hair.”

At that, Arthur and I exchange curious glances. “So Lucinda cheated?” I ask.

My mother lowers her gaze. “Yes. She finally told me she’d had an affair; Silas was five at that point! Of course, I had to tell Alfred—it was the right thing to do, after all. They performed a paternity test, and Alfred was indeed not the father. Lucinda never spoke to me again after that, and Alfred divorced her, gave up custody of Silas, and moved to Bo’Arrocan and never looked back.”

“Did you ever find out who the father was?” Arthur asks.

“Beats us,” my father says wistfully. “If Lucinda or Alfred know who the real father is, they never revealed it, not even to us.”

Arthur sets down his fork, his food barely touched. “Well, that is unfortunate. But I’m sure it has nothing to do with the campaign.”

My parents both look at me, though, and I can sense that even Arthur knows that might not be true. Maybe Silas resents my family for, in his and his mother’s eyes, breaking up his family. And maybe he sees me, the Willford heir, publicly endorsing Arthur’s presidency.

“Well, maybe we should invite him over,” my father suddenly suggests. “As your mother said, Silas was a sweet child. Maybe a good, old-fashioned talk will smooth things over. There’s no need for you two to be enemies, despite what happened between our families.”

My mother’s eyes widen. “Francis, do you really think he would accept? There’s a good chance he’s bitter about what happened, just like his mother. After all, she blamed me for ruining her marriage. And by the time the truth came out and Alfred left, Silas was old enough to remember his father.”

“Only one way to find out,” my father says with a shrug. “And it would give Arthur a chance to meet Silas in a more personal setting, away from the political arena.”

Arthur considers this. When he looks at me for advice, I shrug one shoulder. “It’s not a bad idea,” I offer. “Maybe you two can find some common ground. Like my dad said, it’s not your fault that his mom had an affair.”

Arthur is silent for a moment. Although he’s still on the fence about running for a second term, he’s still got a year left in his presidency, and we’ve dealt with enough public bullshit for one lifetime. If a party and a chat would at least stop Silas’s smear campaign, then it’s worth it.

Finally, Arthur nods. “Alright. I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

“So it’s settled, then,” my father declares. “We’ll host a New Year’s Eve party and invite the Creeds.”

My mother beams and nudges me with her elbow. “Willford New Year’s Eve parties are the best around, darling. Not even our old friends-turned-enemies can say no to an invitation!”