POV: Lyra
When the interrogation room door opened for Sasha, Sebastian didn't wait for the security officer to leave before exploding. "WHAT THE VOID WERE YOU THINKING?!"
Sasha glared at her brother as she sat. Unlike him, she let the door seal before smirking. "Nice seeing you too, Seb."
Sebastian growled. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE DEPTH OF TROUBLE YOU'RE IN?!"
"Considering I'm the one with charges, I have a pretty good idea."
"How could you do that?!"
"How could I?" She leaned forward, shouting, "How can you still defend her after everything?! Dad's here because of her! I'm here because of her!"
"Lyra never did anything wrong! It was all you!"
"Still calling her like you're matched. Pathetic. You'll toss your sister for a Kaelari you knew three weeks. What about dad?"
"The charges aren't proven yet—"
"What if they are? What then?"
Sebastian's black eyes fixed on his smirking sister. "You know something about dad?"
Sasha scoffed. "So you're not even sure you'll support our father. The one who raised us, paid for everything including your company."
"He helped me start. Unlike you, I know how to make my own credits. Never found work, did you? Always sure you'd be Empress."
Sasha's cuffed hands slammed the table. "SHE'LL NEVER BE EMPRESS! NEVER! I AM EMPRESS!"
"Wake up. It's not happening."
Sasha breathed heavily in fury. Without bio-restraint cuffs, she would've transformed already. She turned his attack back. "Given up winning her back? About time. Embarrassing being related to someone shamelessly chasing mining scum."
Sebastian growled but didn't scare her. She smirked victoriously as he spoke slowly. "Lyra's better than any Cummings could hope to be. If we're labeling, the shameless scum is you, for today and all your failed Emperor seduction attempts. She scared you, didn't she?"
Sasha's furious eyes met his. "Last year, you saw the Emperor checking out Lyra. I wasn't alone. You felt threatened."
She tried crossing arms but remembered the cuffs, resting hands in frustration. "And you think I didn't know what you were doing? Pulling her away from the Emperor whenever he looked. Like it or not, we were accomplices keeping them apart."
"She was MY match. I had the right."
"You should thank me. I'm why you're alive. If the Emperor fell for her last year, he would've challenged you, and we know how that ends."
"At least Lyra would know I'd fight to death for her! She doesn't know I care now! AFTER WHAT YOU DID!"
"After what I did? Apart from the bar lie, I never told you to lie about anything else. I didn't stop her meeting ministers she annoyingly wanted to meet for her little station. I didn't say her combat skills would never rival a Lyrokan's."
She leaned forward. "You did those things, Seb. Made her feel unwelcome with dad's colleagues. Got angry when she beat you in combat. She left because of you. You baked your rejection cake, I only added frosting."
Tears flowed down Sebastian's cheeks. He couldn't deny it. He'd kept me from ministers and the Emperor, made me feel never good enough to meet them.
Sasha showed no mercy. "Why can't you see she was nothing but trouble? For you, me, dad!"
"She was NEVER trouble. She was my match."
"The bond was a mistake! She's why dad's behind bars! Why his career's at stake!"
"The Emperor ordered the arrest!"
"The Emperor didn't arrest dad for eighteen years! The Kaelari shows up and he's charged! She wants to take everything!"
"Why would she? Revenge isn't Lyra's way."
"Ha! You sound stupid. All females have revenge streaks. Just takes the right experience."
"That's you. Not her."
"Pathetic. Hopelessly pathetic."
Sebastian declared cockily, "I'd rather be pathetically in love than be you. At least I'm not behind bars. At least I'm free."
Sasha glanced at the young officer in the corner before meeting her brother's eyes. "If you say so. And if we're only discussing your ugly little ex-match, I prefer my cell."
Standing, she was stopped by Sebastian's voice. "If you know about dad, speak up. Hiding truth won't help."
She glared murderously. "You'd know about hiding truth. But since you survived despite it, my chances are good. When you wake from your illusion about your ex-match's perfection, hope it's not too late."
She left with the officer. Sebastian drove home, dwelling in sadness and remorse alone.