Rising From Ashes: The Lost MC Princess

KALIA TERRY'S POV:

"Callia, your biggest mistake was thinking that paying off my debts for me would tie me down.Don't kid yourself. Throwing yourself at me makes you look cheap."

While I was trapped in the corner behind the bar, wearing the stained and stained server's uniform, working hard to pay off my boyfriend Devin's massive debts for him, he showed up with his mistress Blair and in front of all the members of the Sterling Knights MC, tried to use money to erase our past.

He threw a stack of cash onto the bar in front of everyone, as if he were tossing a coin to a stray dog."It's a thousand dollars.Take it. Please do not appear in front of me and Blair again."

Blair stood beside him, a triumphant smile playing on his lips, as if he were watching a captivating performance.A few other Sterling Knights members were looking over, their faces alight with the kind of amusement that comes from watching someone else's world burn.

A cold, bitter laugh threatened to bubble up from my chest.

A thousand dollars? So this is what three years of giving him everything I had was worth.

I should have given up on him long ago. I just couldn't accept it-couldn't accept that three years of giving everything I had would just end like this. So I kept holding on, waiting for an answer.Looks like today is the day.

However, my goal was never his change of heart.

"Not enough," I finally said. My voice was quiet, but it cut through the noise of the bar like a razor.

Devin froze, clearly not expecting this. "Kalia, don't make a scene."

Blair's smile tightened. She took a step closer, her posture radiating menace. "What do you mean?"

I looked straight at Devin, my voice steady. "Three years ago, you were just a probationary member of Sterling Knights MC, not even eligible for a patch. The down payment on your first Harley-that was my savings. Six thousand, four hundred dollars."

The color started to drain from Devin's face, his impatience replaced by shock.

"When you needed money to get patched in, to grease the right palms, I was the one who went to a loan shark. Five thousand dollars. I'm still paying off the interest."

Blair's expression soured. She clearly hadn't known any of this. She shot a suspicious glance at Devin.

"Every time you got into trouble and needed a lawyer, I paid for it. Over the last two years, that's twelve thousand dollars in legal fees."

The expressions on the faces of the onlookers changed. The smirks vanished, replaced by surprise and a hint of contempt for Devin.

With every debt I listed, Devin's face grew paler. He opened his mouth to argue but couldn't form a single word. Because every word I spoke was the truth.

"And what about the college education I gave up for you? The child I got rid of for you? How do you plan to calculate the price for that?" My voice remained calm, but each word was a knife, twisting in the wound.

A tremor ran through Devin's body. He couldn't meet my eyes anymore.

Blair was completely incensed, not just by my defiance, but by the revelation of Devin's sordid past.

She grabbed Devin's arm. "Devin! Is what she's saying true?"

His silence was the only answer she needed.

Her fury pivoted back to me, her face a mask of jealousy and humiliation.

"You bitch!" she shrieked. "Who do you think you are? Do you know who my father is?"

I looked at her, my own expression cold as ice. "I don't care who your father is. All I know is that debts must be paid."

Of course I know who she is.

She's the daughter of the leader of the Sterling Knights MC. She and Devin have been having an affair behind my back for a long time. They've recently decided to get married, and to bring their relationship out into the open, they've been spreading rumors everywhere-that I'm Devin's clingy, obsessive pursuer, and that she's his real girlfriend.

Blair trembled with rage, pointing a finger at my face. "You just wait! I'll make you understand what happens when you cross the Sterling Knights!"

Blair dragged the shell-shocked Devin away, but she didn't go far.

After shoving Devin toward another club member, she stalked back toward me, this time with a woman who looked even more formidable.

It's clear that she was prepared for this evening.

But I never go into battle unprepared.I've been preparing for this day for a long time.

And today, I'm going to make sure everyone knows who the real joke is.

KALIA TERRY'S POV:

The woman was Martha White, Blair's bodyguard and minder. Everyone in the club knew she was ruthless.

Blair's rage had cooled into a chilling superiority. "I'm giving you one more chance. Take the money and get out."

Martha stood behind Blair like a brick wall, her arms crossed, her eyes fixed on me like a hawk's. The pressure was immense.

But I ignored them, pulling my phone from my apron pocket and unlocking it with deliberate slowness.

"What are you doing?" Blair demanded impatiently.

I didn't answer. I found a number and sent a quick text: It's time. Bring him in.

After sending the message, I put my phone away and met Blair's furious gaze. "I'm waiting for a friend.But before things get out of hand, I advise you to get out of my sight right now. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what will happen next. "

My composure only fueled her anger. She felt her authority being challenged.

Just then, the bar door swung open. A man in a tailored suit walked in. His name was Vince Kowalski.

Vince's presence put the entire bar on alert. His polished demeanor was a stark contrast to the rough-hewn bikers.

He walked directly toward me, ignoring Martha's warning glare.

"Miss Kalia," he said with a slight nod, his tone professionally respectful.

Blair and Martha froze. "Miss Kalia?" The title confused and unsettled them. A tiny crack in their armor.

Vince stepped aside, revealing the person behind him: a young, thin man who looked terrified.

His name was Caleb Tucker, a local musician with a minor following.

Devin, watching from a distance, looked completely bewildered. He didn't recognize Caleb.

But the moment Blair saw Caleb, the blood drained from her face.

She swayed, her hand instinctively grabbing the edge of the bar to steady herself.

Martha reacted instantly, stepping between Blair and Caleb, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

A cold smile touched my lips.

Devin noticed Blair's extreme reaction and rushed over, grabbing her arm. "Blair, what's wrong? Do you know him?"

Blair was rigid, speechless, her eyes locked on Caleb in a mixture of terror and venom.

Of course, she had every reason to be afraid.

As the president's daughter, everything Blair did was watched, weighed, and talked about. They had just made their relationship public.

The club princess lived for that attention. She wore it like a crown.

But a crown can turn into a collar.

Martha snarled at Caleb, "You're not welcome here. Get out now!"

Caleb flinched and took a step back under her glare, but then his eyes met mine. He seemed to draw a sliver of courage from my gaze.

I gave him a subtle, encouraging nod. He was the most critical piece of my plan. I couldn't let him back down now.

Devin's gaze darted between me, Blair, and Caleb. He wasn't stupid. He was starting to understand that something was terribly wrong.

He tightened his grip on Blair's shoulders. "Blair! Tell me what the hell is going on!"

The shaking finally broke her trance. "It's none of your business!" she shrieked. "Make him leave! Get him out of here!"

Her hysteria only confirmed Devin's suspicions.

I leaned against the bar, watching the drama unfold like a spectator at a play.

Vince stood beside me, a loyal knight ensuring no one could get near.

Caleb took a deep breath, finally mustering his courage. He stepped past Martha's blockade and looked directly at Devin.

His voice trembled, but it was loud enough for everyone in the bar to hear. "I... I'm Blair's... lover."

KALIA TERRY'S POV:

The moment Caleb's words fell, the bar plunged into a dead silence. Even the background rock music seemed to have been cut off.

Every eye in the room was fixed on Devin, watching the emotions play across his face: shock, disbelief, and finally, a profound, soul-crushing humiliation.

His lips moved, but no sound came out. The marriage he was so proud of, his ladder to the top, had just become a public joke.

I could see his chest heaving violently beneath his Sterling Knights cut, as if he were about to explode.

He whipped his head around to face Blair, his eyes stripped of any affection, leaving only the cold fire of betrayal and fury.

Blair's face was a blank canvas, her mind seemingly shut down.

Martha was the first to recover, trying to do damage control. "That's a lie! Who are you to slander the president's daughter?"

But Caleb wasn't looking at her. He lifted the delicate "B" pendant from his pocket, then tapped his phone. A video began to play.

On the screen, Blair was curled over Caleb on rumpled sheets, her loose silk robe slipping off one shoulder.

She was laughing low in her throat as she fastened the identical necklace around his neck, her lips brushing his ear."You have no idea how exhausting it is-smiling at all those people, it gets really boring when they constantly bow and try to please me every day. The only one who knows what I really want. You're my secret. My reward. So stay close. Stay quiet."

She kissed him then, slow and deliberate, her fingers still curled around the pendant.Someone near the bar recognized the necklace instantly-Blair had posted the custom design on her social media, calling it one of a kind.

The room went dead silent. Devin stared at the screen, his face ashen, his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white.

Blair finally broke. A sharp, piercing cry escaped her lips, not of explanation, but of pure, unadulterated despair.

She didn't lunge for Caleb. Instead, she flew at me like a madwoman. "It was you! You did this! You bitch, I'm going to kill you!"

Vince moved with fluid grace, stepping in front of me and easily blocking her frantic attack.

Devin remained frozen, a statue of stone. He didn't help Blair, didn't question Caleb. He was simply drowning in his own public shame.

A patched member of the Sterling Knights, publicly cuckolded. In the MC world, it was the ultimate disgrace.

I stepped out from behind Vince, ignoring Blair's venomous glare.

I walked to an empty table, sat down, and calmly pulled a small notebook and a pen from my pocket.

My action drew everyone's attention.

I opened the notebook and looked up at Devin. His eyes were hollow, his soul seemingly ripped from his body.

"Devin," I said, my voice just loud enough for him to hear. "Since the personal matters are settled, let's talk business."

"First item: the Harley down payment, $6,400. With an 8% annual interest rate over three years, the total comes to approximately $8,060," I spoke as I wrote, the pen scratching against the paper.

My words were like a bucket of ice water, jolting Devin out of his numb humiliation. He snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot.

"You..." he rasped.

Blair stopped struggling, staring at me in disbelief. She couldn't comprehend why I was calculating money at a time like this.

A flicker of fear crossed Martha's eyes. She was finally realizing I wasn't a woman who could be easily dismissed.

"Second item: the loan shark, $5,000. The interest on that was high. After two years, it's now at eleven thousand dollars," I continued, my pen moving steadily.

"Third item: lawyer fees, twelve thousand dollars. We'll call that one even, no interest."

With every figure I announced, Devin's face grew more strained. This was a fortune to him.

"I won't charge you for the emotional damages and... the other things." I closed the notebook and looked at him. "The total is thirty-one thousand and sixty dollars."

"I'll give you three days. I expect to see the money then."

I stood up, ready to leave.

Blair erupted again. "You'll get nothing!" she screamed, pointing at me. "Not a single cent! I'll have you killed!"

I paused and looked back at her, my eyes cold. "Will you? Let's see what happens first: you having me killed, or me letting the entire town of Charming know that the Sterling Knights' future son-in-law is a kept man and a fraud."

My words hit their mark. For an MC, reputation was sometimes more valuable than life itself.