Vendetta {The Serpents of Veilwood #1}

TWENTY TWO - DAMIAN

I hated lies.

They had a way of twisting and complicating things. They made the things I felt look like illusions, rather than reality. They made me question everything I knew, and I hated that.

My mother taught me not to lie to the people I loved without reason. Trust was something so profound and yet so fickle. The smallest lie, the smallest betrayal could shatter the very foundation of a relationship.

That was why, as the SUV stopped in front of the school and Xavier and Xander got out, I felt like throwing up.

I felt like punching something.

We strolled into the building and headed straight for Lucian's office. His secretary - a tall woman in a matching red suit and pants, smiled at us. "Good morning boys," she said.

"Is he inside?"

"He's meeting with a parent right now," she said. "Why don't you-"

I ignored her, grabbing the knob and barging in. Lucian was sitting at his desk, a woman in a green dress was sitting in front of him. He looked up, raising a brow. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Williams. I'll have to cut our meeting short."

The woman turned. Her gaze roamed over me and then Xavier and Xander. She looked offended, like we had ruined her morning. "Alright," she said softly, standing. "We'll pick this up some other time."

Lucian didn't say a word. His gaze stayed on me as the woman left the office. Once the door closed, he crossed his arms. "What did I teach you about barging into rooms you're not invited to?"

"Where the hell is Haddon?"

He blinked at me.

"David Haddon," I added.

"How would I know?" Lucian asked. "We're all still looking for the agent. My contact in the FBI says he hasn't been to work in days. His partner, an agent Lacey Miller sent in a transfer request to leave Veilwood. She said she had a family emergency."

"I'm not asking about all that," I said. "I'm asking if you personally know where Haddon is."

"I don't," he said, standing. He walked around the desk, moving toward the window. "What is this about?"

"This," Xander said, dropping the files we had found in David's house on the desk. "It seems David Haddon was still investigating you after the button incident. He found out about the fact that you've been sending money to an asylum called Sunflower Home in New Jersey."

Another thing about lies, they can be hidden but they had a way of exposing themselves through the liar's body language.

Lucian's body tensed and I noticed how he clenched his jaw. His expression was the same though, like the information hadn't affected him in the slightest. "I see," he said.

"We also found registration documents," Xander continued. "For a girl named Valerie Sonder."

My blood boiled. I hadn't heard that last name in years, hadn't even heard the story in its entirety. "Tell me that person isn't..." I asked, my fists clenching.

"Yes, she's Roddy Sonder's daughter," Lucian said.

The world faded for a moment and my breathing turned ragged. My chest tightened. I closed my eyes and pressed a hand against the wall. My throat was dry.

"Damian!" I heard Xavier shout.

I snapped my eyes open and saw him staring at me. My hands trembled and I had to take a few breaths to calm down. All eyes were on me, on my reaction.

"Are you okay?" Xavier asked.

I nodded, turning away. Lucian was still by the window, his hands tucked into his pockets, his expression neutral. "Roddy Sonder had a kid," I said.