Page 24 of Cadence
Not because it saysDad, but because of the picture behind it.
A man, mid-laugh, his arm thrown around a younger Paige at what looks like some backstage venue. Both of them caught in a sweet moment, eyes bright, almost identical.
And it takes less than a second to recognize the man.
Kit Deveraux.
CEO of Deveraux Records. The label.Thefucking label. Everyone knows them, everyone’s chasing a deal with them, praying for a callback, hoping someone in that tower of glass glances their way.
I’m upright before my next breath, sitting no longer an option. The call ends, screen turning black, but the impact doesn’t fade. It’s there in neon lights, blinking, blinding, burning with an intensity that sits right on my chest, pinning everything down.
Paige isn’t just talented. She’s dangerous. Because she’s tied to Deveraux Records, and if I keep pushing her like I have—cornering her, testing her, baiting her—one well-placed whisper, one call to the wrong person, could wreck everything I’ve built.
Not because shewantsto ruin me.
But because shecan.
“Mad?” Eli asks, concern lining his words. “What’s happened?”
The second Paige’s eyes meet mine, everything inside me tightens, and all it would take is one more twist for it to snap.
Beau comes to my side, peering over my shoulder as the phone starts to ring again in my hand. “Huh. He looks like…”
I could wait. Ishouldwait. Calm down and ask her quietly, reasonably, like a normal fucking human being, what’s going on. But I don’t. The words come out acid-soaked, every syllable tasting like blood.
“Kit fucking Deveraux.”
Paige’s face pales instantly, her throat working on a swallow I can both hear and feel as her lips part.
“Guess I figured out the real reason why you kept your little faceless account a secret,” I say, voice deceptively calm, ignoring the sudden chill that enters the room.
“What are you talking about?” she asks warily.
I laugh, a single, bitter sound. Holding up the phone, I display the now lit screen. Her lips purse as she reads the name, her face giving away nothing. “Kit Deveraux is your dad.”
Eli edges forward to get a better look, glancing at Paige when the weight of what I just said catches up, something resembling hurt crossing his face.
“Paige?” he says, brow furrowed. “Is this true?”
Something flickers behind her eyes, defensive, deflated, defeated. She inhales, her nostrils flaring as she tells me, not the cop-out I expected, but something much worse.
The truth.
“Yes,” she says, unflinching.
It feels like the ground tilts under me. The air shifts, and Eli chokes while I remain silent, my lungs squeezing tight.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” He continues. “We’ve been getting to know each other, and you didn’t tell me.”
“Because she only cares about herself, Eli,” I sneer, coming between them protectively.
“Maddox,” Beau warns, his voice low. “Why don’t you let Paige–”
“Do what?” I snap. “Have another chance to deceive us, like she’s done from the second we met her?”
“Fuck you,” she snarls and takes a step toward me.
“Wait…” Beau eyes go wide as realization dawns, his gaze darting to me as the color drains from his face. “As in, P—”
