190 The Scandal (5)

After a moment, Kyro turned to face Iris. His expression had once more become cold, a mask hiding whatever was inside.

"I did whatever I thought would work. We could have never won while playing by the rules."

"And your plan was?" Somehow, Iris was certain that she wasn't going to like what he was going to say next. There was no doubt regarding that.

"They wanted Gale, so I returned him to them. There's no longer anything tying us together."

His chill voice would have sent a shiver down Iris' spine had she not felt that the situation was ridiculous. In what universe was giving the opponent what they wanted a successful venture? Wasn't it just an early surrender?

"They won't like him back, don't worry about it. Gale will soon understand why I cut him off, but he'll hate me nonetheless, and his parents will see what they really created."

A hundred questions formed in Iris' mind, and she didn't know which to ask first. Kyro didn't tell Gale his plan? Just sprung the betrayal act on him out of nowhere? And what was that about his parents not liking him when he revealed himself? It didn't make any sense.

After a moment, Iris decided to go with the last question. "What do you mean don't know him?"

Kyro looked away then, his hands clasped before himself. "Although they're controlling, Gale is a master of avoiding and hiding. All they've ever seen were his good moments, his successes. It their minds, he has never done wrong."

"So you just decided to push him down enough that they'll see?" Iris asked in disbelief, rising up from the sofa. Lucy was lying on the backrest, so she pulled him into her arms. "You did that to your friend?"

"He told me repeatedly that he wanted his sister saved at any cost, and this was the only way. They would leave her alone only if they were too distracted by him."

Iris stood up, the cat still in her hands. "You're crazy. This plan is beyond nonsensical." She shook her head. "You kicked him out of the company he helped create and severed all ties with him just because you thought it might, and I mean MIGHT, distract his parents for a time? Just how desperate were you?"

She walked to the window to clear her head. How did this story make any sense? Gale's parents did seem obsessed with him, but what did that change? They might see how their son acted once he was down, but it wouldn't change anything in any major way.

As she thought of that, Lily's blotchy face came into her mind. The girl had said that Gale was always the one in their mind, never her. If that was true, they might really forget about Lily.

But how was that a solution to anything? Gale would be miserable, and Lily even more so. Although she spoke like she hated her parents and Gale, she longed for their recognition. The reason she had not called them even though she could was in hopes to see them missing her.

If Kyro was to be believed, parents wouldn't end up happy, either. With all four people ending up worse off, how was this any kind of good plan? It was horrible!

"You think I'm mad, don't you?" Kyro asked.

Iris turned back, noting a strange tone to his voice. It was hard to place, but it was strangely familiar. "I think you were rash. Doing this without informing Gale wasn't the smartest choice. Even if you saw a good moment to make it believable."

"You don't think I was motivated by greed?"

At this, Iris laughed. "I've yet to see you show any interest in money. I don't know many things, but I'm clear on the fact that you didn't reach your current position for the sake of a few more dollars in your account."

Kyro stood up then and came to stand by her side next to the window. They were quite for a moment, then he said, "Do you think they'll believe I really did abandon him?"

"Right away, and try to make sure Gale knows that, too. I have a sense he won't be as certain of your allegiance as you think he will be, though."

While saying that, Iris watched Kyro from the corner of her eye. He stood bathed in the setting sun, but his visage was dark. His forehead was wrinkled, and his lips were set in a straight line.

After a moment, he took a deep breath. "It's his choice. If he decides to hate me, I'll stand against him as he wishes. He asked me to save his sister at any cost, and this was the only way."

The atmosphere kept on growing heavier, both their thoughts turning darker and darker. It didn't feel like the future held anything good.

'Ptui, what am I thinking.' Iris raised Lucy in her hands and put him on Kyro's shoulder. Both cat and its owner looked over at her in alarm. Kyro grabbed onto the black furball, while Lucy dug its nails into his shoulder to not fall.

"Enough with the depressing thoughts. Hold Lucy and let him take them away; he needs to serve a purpose at home, too." With that, she patted the cat on the head, smiled at Kyro, and left to clean up the table.

The plan might have been crazy, but she could kind of understand where Kyro was coming from. Gale must have had him swear to save his sister no matter what, but there was simply no way to do that without actually kidnapping and smuggling her into some foreign country.

Gale would have never agreed to that, nor what Kyro had chosen, and instead gone to do something even crazier. If that was possible.

Iris wasn't certain about that, but she wasn't that well-versed in what went in the minds of rich genius kids who grew up in abusive families. All she knew was that it sounded like a horrible combination, a disaster just waiting to happen.

Yet Gale was no longer a kid. The idea of him returning to his family was also quite ridiculous. He would return, but probably only to make them pay for what they've done. For the first time, he'd be unfettered, not held in check by having to control himself to not bring down Kyro and the company with him.

That sounded exceptionally bad, and for a moment she wondered if Kyro had really done everything for the reasons he said. There was a good chance he just wanted to set Gale free.

But who would do that… If Gale truly did anything, there would be no coming back. He'd be lost forever.