Finn’s POV
They took everything.
Every. Single. Thing.
The mansion. The cars. The businesses. The bank accounts. Even my mother’s jewelry collection that had been passed down for five generations.
Gone.
All because of that bastard Kael Blood Crown.
I watched the enforcers drag my parents out in handcuffs. My father was screaming threats. My mother was wailing like a dying animal. Neither of them looked at once.
Not once.
Like this was sohow MY fault.
"This is because of YOU!" My mother had shrieked at the night before. "You and that Shadow Moon whore! You brought this curse on our family!"
The slums were worse than I imagined.
Our new "ho" was a single room in a crumbling building that should have been condemned years ago. The ceiling leaked. The walls had holes. I could see rats running in the corners.
. Finn Nightfang. Living with RATS.
Celestia walked in behind . Her hand was on her massive belly. Eight months pregnant with my son.
She looked around.
And laughed.
"This is a joke, right?" Her voice was shrill. "Please tell this is a joke."
"Does it look like I’m joking?"
"This place is DISGUSTING!" She kicked at a piece of broken furniture on the floor. "I can’t live here! I CAN’T! My baby can’t be born in this... this DUMP!"
"We don’t have a choice!"
"THEN MAKE A CHOICE!" She was screaming now. Full volu. Her beautiful face twisted into sothing ugly. "Figure it out! Borrow money! Steal money! I don’t care how you do it, just FIX THIS!"
"With WHAT?" I threw my arms up. "Everything is frozen! Everything is gone! We’re lucky we’re not in prison with my parents!"
"Lucky?" She laughed again. Bitter. Cruel. "You call THIS lucky? Living like animals?"
"This is YOUR fault!" Celestia jabbed her finger at my chest. "I gave up EVERYTHING for you! My career! My family! My LIFE! And what do I get? THIS!"
"I didn’t know this would happen—"
"You should have known!" Fresh tears were streaming down her face. Angry tears. Furious tears. "You should have protected ! That’s what a husband does! But no, you were too STUPID to see it coming!"
"Don’t call stupid! You fucking--"
"THEN STOP BEING STUPID!"
We stood there. Screaming at each other. In a room that slled like mold and desperation.
A social worker dropped Lilith off like unwanted baggage. My daughter stood in the doorway, clutching a single small bag. Her expensive dress was wrinkled. Her hair was a ss.
"Daddy?" Her voice was tiny. "Why is the house so small? Why does it sll bad?"
"This is where we live now, sweetheart."
"I don’t WANT to live here!" She stamped her foot. That familiar tantrum starting to build. "I want our real house! I want my room! I want my TOYS!"
"They’re gone."
"Get them BACK!"
"I CAN’T!"
The words ca out harsher than I intended. Lilith flinched. Her bottom lip started to tremble.
Behind , Celestia made a sound of pure disgust.
"Great. Now we have to deal with HER too."
Lilith’s eyes went wide. "Celestia? Mommy?"
"What?" Celestia didn’t even look at her. Just kept examining her nails like they were the most important thing in the world.
"Aren’t you happy to see ?" Lilith took a step toward her. Arms open for a hug. "I missed you! You said you loved ! You said—"
"I said a lot of things." Celestia finally looked at her. Cold. Dismissive. "That was before your father ruined everything."
Lilith froze.
"But... but you’re my new mommy..."
"I’m NOT your mother." Celestia’s voice was ice. "I was never your mother. I was your father’s girlfriend who happened to tolerate you because we had money. We don’t have money anymore. So I don’t have to pretend."
The words hung in the air.
Lilith’s face crumbled.
"Celestia—" I started.
"Don’t." She held up her hand. "I’m tired. I’m pregnant. I’m living in a HOLE. I don’t have the energy to play happy family with your bratty daughter."
"She’s just a kid—"
"She’s a NIGHTMARE." Celestia whirled on . "Do you know how many tis she broke my things? How many tis she scread and cried until she got what she wanted? She’s spoiled rotten, Finn. And I’m DONE pretending to like her."
Lilith burst into tears.
Full-blown, shrieking, hysterical tears.
"YOU’RE AN!" She scread at Celestia. "YOU’RE SO AN! I HATE YOU!"
"The feeling is mutual, you little monster."
"I’M NOT A MONSTER!"
"You’re a spoiled, selfish brat who thinks the world owes her everything!" Celestia was screaming back now. A pregnant woman screaming at a five-year-old. "Welco to reality, princess! Daddy’s broke! The mansion is gone! And nobody is going to bow down to you anymore!"
Lilith was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.
The slap ca so fast I didn’t even see it.
Celestia’s hand cracked across Lilith’s face.
My daughter flew backward. Hit the wall. Collapsed on the dirty floor.
For a mont, everything was silent.
Then Lilith started screaming.
Not crying. Screaming. The high-pitched, terrified scream of a child who just learned that the world could hurt her.
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" I grabbed Celestia’s arm. "SHE’S FIVE YEARS OLD! SHE’S A CHILD!"
"I DON’T CARE!" Celestia ripped her arm away. "I’m DONE! I’m done with this hellhole! I’m done with your pathetic family! And I’m DONE with you!"
She grabbed her bag. Started throwing things into it.
"Where are you going?"
"Back to my family." She didn’t even look at . "They’ve agreed to take in. and the baby. We’re leaving."
"You can’t just—"
"Watch ." She finally turned. Her face was twisted with contempt. "Did you really think I loved you, Finn? I loved your MONEY. Your MANSION. Your POWER. Without those things, you’re nothing. You’re LESS than nothing."
"I left my wife for you," I heard myself say.
"Your mistake." Celestia smiled. Cold. Triumphant. "Aria was actually stupid enough to love you for real. I was just smart enough to fake it."
She walked past . Past Lilith, who was still curled up on the floor crying.
At the door, she paused.
"Good luck, Finn. You’re going to need it."
The door slamd.
And she was gone.
The room was quiet except for Lilith’s sobs.
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