Chương 321: Chapter : 321

Ken stood in silence. The confession was complete. He had heard everything. Anny was not a victim. She was a cold, calculating monster who used a brilliant man's love to orchestrate his brutal murder, all to protect a corrupt politician's apocalyptic war scheme. It was truly, undeniably pathetic. Ken felt a deep wave of repulsion. He hated people who manipulated emotions. He hated people who traded lives for comfortable apartments and shiny dresses. He took a slow step backward.

He looked at the frozen woman one last time.

"You are a terrible person," Ken said flatly. He snapped his fingers a second time. Snap. The invisible wave of Soul Possession magic vanished instantly. The spell released its grip on her mind. Anny gasped loudly. She stumbled forward, her knees suddenly weak. She caught her balance and looked around the room in absolute panic. Her blue eyes darted back to Ken. She remembered everything she had just said. She realized her deepest, most guarded secrets had just poured out of her mouth against her will.

"What did you do to me?!" Anny screamed. Pure terror filled her voice. She grabbed her own head.

"How did you make me say those things?! You are a monster!" Ken just slouched his shoulders again. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets. The terrifying, cold look left his eyes entirely. His lazy, goofy smile slid right back onto his face.

"I am just a very good listener," Ken replied cheerfully. He let out a loud, dramatic yawn. Suddenly, a soft chiming sound echoed through the penthouse. Ken turned his head. He looked at the private elevator doors at the end of the living room. The numbers on the digital display above the doors were ticking upward rapidly. Someone was coming up to the top floor. Ken smiled. He knew exactly who was in that elevator.

"Ah, my ride is here," Ken announced lazily.

"The rest of the team finally caught up. They walk very slow. You should probably get your tissues ready, Anny. You are going to need to do a lot of fake crying in a minute." Anny stared at the elevator doors in sheer panic. She knew she was trapped. Her mind raced desperately, trying to figure out a new lie to spin.

Ken shoved his left hand deep into the pocket of his wrinkled navy blue suit pants.

"I need to get out of the way. I cannot let them see this magic." He snapped his fingers. Snap. At the exact same moment, Ken moved. He did not run. He simply melted into the dark shadows near the kitchen counter. His body dissolved seamlessly into the darkness. He erased his presence entirely. He reappeared right behind the elevator doors. He stood there quietly. He slouched his shoulders. He made it look as if he had casually walked into the apartment with his teammates.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. The heavy mahogany front doors of the elevator burst wide open. Princess Iris marched out into the penthouse. Her dark blue Royal uniform looked crisp and dignified. Her silver rapier rested securely at her hip. Her violet eyes were incredibly focused. She was completely ready to demand answers from the deceptive blonde woman. Naomi stepped out right beside her. The fierce vanguard leader held her twin silver daggers.

Her green eyes scanned the large living room for any threats. Sayma followed closely behind, clutching her neat notebook. Laxmi cracked her knuckles, ready for a fight. Zinia, Luna, and Ira walked out last. Ken stepped out from behind Zinia. He dragged his cheap shoes on the thick white rug. Scuff. Scuff. Scuff. He let out a loud, lazy yawn.

"Wow, this elevator music was terrible," Ken complained loudly. He pulled a wrapped strawberry candy from his pocket. He popped it into his mouth.

"I thought rich people had better taste in music. It sounded like a dying bird." Naomi did not yell at him. She just nudged his arm with her elbow.

"Stay focused, Ken. We have a suspect to interrogate." Princess Iris took two steps into the living room. Suddenly, she stopped walking entirely. Her entire body went totally rigid. Iris felt a sudden, massive shock to her senses. The atmosphere inside the luxury apartment was completely wrong. It did not feel like a normal room. The air felt freezing cold. It felt incredibly dense. A chilling, terrifying pressure pressed down on her shoulders. It was the lingering, residual aura of Ken's god-like dark magic.

The Sovereign's presence had stained the room. Princess Iris was totally stunned. She felt mentally paralyzed by the overwhelming sensation. She shivered violently. She wrapped her arms around herself. She stared at the empty space in the middle of the room. She could not understand what she was feeling. It felt like a massive predator had just walked through the area.

"Princess?" Sayma asked softly. She pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose.

"Are you alright? You look very pale." Laxmi rubbed her arms.

"It is freezing in here. Did she leave the balcony door open?" Iris took a deep, shaky breath. She forced her racing heart to calm down. She was a Princess of the Belmontia Empire. She refused to show weakness. She quickly recovered her regal composure. She dropped her arms to her sides. She stood up perfectly straight.

"I am fine," Iris stated firmly. She pushed the terrifying feeling out of her mind. She turned her violet eyes directly toward Anny. Anny was standing near the glass coffee table. She was breathing very fast. The mind-control spell had scrambled her brain for a few seconds. She felt dizzy. She looked around the room in absolute panic. She saw Princess Iris. She saw the elite girls holding their weapons. She remembered Ken forcing her to confess her crimes. Anny realized she was in massive trouble.

She needed to fix this immediately. Her survival depended on her acting skills. Anny dropped to the floor. She hit her knees on the plush white rug. She threw her hands over her face. She instantly put on a desperate, tearful act of total innocence.

"Princess Iris!" Anny sobbed loudly. Her melodic voice cracked with fake terror. She sounded completely broken. She sounded like an absolute victimization case.

"You came back! Oh, thank goodness you came back! I was so scared!" Princess Iris did not smile. She did not offer a comforting hand. She glared down at the crying woman. Iris fiercely demanded the truth.

"Drop the act, Anny," Iris ordered coldly.

"We went to the industrial district. We found Luis. He did not die in the explosion. He survived, and he told us everything. He told us you manipulated him." Anny gasped loudly. She peeked through her fingers. She shook her head violently. Her beautiful blonde hair fell over her shoulders. Because Ken's mind-control magic had been totally deactivated, Anny regained her full free will. She vehemently denied everything.

"No!" Anny cried out. Tears streamed down her perfect cheeks.

"Luis is lying! He is a horrible monster! He forced me to keep his secrets! He threatened to hurt my family! I had absolutely nothing to do with the murder!"