6: How Did Daddy Find Out?

"Eve"

What am I even doing? What's with the emptiness in my chest... and the hollow in my eyes...

He's in my head. He's in my mind... He's in my dreams... wet dreams.

How did I get here.

"Eve"

It's been only a week since that night and I haven't seen him... nobody has, not his wife and not his men. His whereabouts are completely unknown father couldn't care less to waste his resources on looking for him.

"Eve"

Where is he? Is he okay. I need to know.

But why?

"Eve!!!"

I jerked hard at dad's thundering voice. All the while he was calling me from where he was seated, his voice was background sound at the back of my mind.

At the table were members of the Waldorf family... eating together like this wasn't casual since everyone had their own family and household... this is my first time dining with most of the family and it was all thanks to Madame Antoinette, dad's aunt. the matriarch of the family who's second to the name Hitler.

 She didn't like me. heck she didn't like anyone including. This woman was as cold as steel and doesn't hesitate to kill anyone who threatens her rules, though I heard she's been through a lot, wars, deaths, evolution, she's been married several times, all her husbands died by her hands one way or another.

The truth I heard was that she was barren, she never had miscarriages or stillbirth, non of that, rumors had it that she didn't put in the effort into having children at all, rumors also had it that that was the sole reason she murdered her husbands! Incredible right?

Every time she yaps about the story of her life and how she fought for her position in this family it makes me emotional. Bottom line; she's my role model...

 For her to call a meeting like this, something must have happened maybe.

So when dad's call snapped me out of my daze I caught her staring at me.

"Young lady are you planning to die before me? Why do you look like a corpse?" Not sure if that's a question with the side eye she was giving.

"No.." I replied, batting my eyes then rolling them to spot my familiar relatives... they too were staring at me like I was an alien.

Madame Antoinette said it... I looked like a corpse, the formal dinning setting like this had a dress code, unlike everyone who were rocking their proper attires I was clothed in joggers and T-shirt...but my dressing wasn't the only reason that attracted their attention... every part of me was a hot mess, hair to toe.

Sigrid was dad's distant cousin from another grand uncle... yes I've seen the family tree.

Although they were distant and separated by surnames, they grew up together in the same environment. Sigrid was a princess of the royal British household, her husband Gregory is the Duke of Yorkshire, and their children were Edward, Percy, Henry, Abigail... out of the four... the only ones I see here is Prince Percy, he's around my age, and Princess Abigail.

The following active members of the Waldorf house that I recognised at the table were Layla, Flavian's third wife... I've known her long before the night of my crowning. Such a pleasant sweet lady... I find myself constantly wondering how those two became a thing actually... then again Layla isn't from a nobody-knows family.

Their child is Hannah, Hannah the third. She was named after some ancestors from her maternal side. How do I know this? When Layla was a hardcore talkative... she talks about everything until you ask her 'how did you meet your husband.'

I've been pressing on that question for a while now but she always diverts from the topic...Always.

Next to Layla was her daughter, Hannah, 8years old... the mini version of her lousy mother, talking to me about how to appear decent but I had no drive to pay attention. Her voice was reduced to a background noise in my mind.

"When last did you check the mirror?" I heard my mother say.

Out of all the background noises hers stood out enough to snap me out of my daze.

I hate a lot of things, but the one that tops most is being woken up early from a dream.

This time I didn't have to worry about Flavian because he's in my face, telling me how much he loves me.

I deliberately left my room without prepping myself up for the day. You know what? I'm not just a consistent person when it comes to routines. Period!

"Good morning everyone."

That voice...

My eyes shifted faster than the person could finish.

Flavian appeared at the doorway, snatching the attention I was bathing in.

This wasn't the Flavian I saw that night who was agile and healthy... this one was in a wheelchair. His left hand, right leg, and head were neatly wrapped in gauze and his right arm was in an arm sling. His right eye had a black-purple hue but the left was okay except for the stitches on his brow... and when he smiled, one canine tooth was missing.

I didn't even know when I rose to my feet, staring dumbfounded as I muttered, "Who did this to you?"

"Yeah Flavian... you gonna tell us who did that to you?" dad spoke in a not-so-surprised tone that hinted something fishy... even the way his eyes narrowed to me almost knowingly, sent shivers down my spine.

"Storytime dearies... I fucked a man's daughter, so the man gave me the memorable beating, letting me experience D best torture of my life... I swear he almost sent me to Satan. But I guess God had other plans... so after fighting for my life in a hospital... I can say all glory be to God..."

His voice trailed off when his eyes came in contact with mine.

 I was panicking... never in all my years of living have I felt the heavy burden of shame resting on my shoulders... More importantly I was speechless.

Daddy knows... Keaton knows...

How could he put Flavian in such a critical state...does he not care for his brother? 

The colder their eye contact got the more restless I became...it was as if they were have a nonverbal communication, passing messages through eyes.

"Excuse me Madame Antoinette, Father, everyone... I'm afraid I've lost not only my appetite but the interest to follow through with this meeting."

That was enough for me to say. Me and dad shared a meaningful side eyes before I pinned my gaze on Flavian... my gaze eventually trailed off him as I walked past him like a phantom.

What an unfortunate man.

The bastard didn't even acknowledge my gaze, he avoided it naturally.

Outside the dining hall I spotted Benjamin, my recent bodyguard... Benjamin was handsome. Too handsome, and that same intense urge stirred in my stomach. It'd be a shame indeed to desire and not acquire. Am I right?

One of the many things I hate most is having someone live rent-free in my head... things will never work out for me in the meantime which is annoying. 

I remember my high school crush that lasted almost the entire year. That crush took me from school's bright scholar to the school's dullard... chasing somebody wasn't worth the effort.

I need someone else... someone who isn't Flavian in every description of him... someone I can easily control,

someone easily accessible.

"Benjamin, come here," I beckoned him, wearing my charming smile, already approaching in steady steps.

"Yes, ma'am."

I dragged his collar, bringing him closer until I could stand on my tiptoes, whispering some little request which he nodded almost immediately...

"Just tea?" He nodded with a high brow to confirm my request.

"Just tea," I nodded, grinning longer with imminent mischief.