ANMELDEN“Are you okay now?” he asked, his voice calm, but I could hear the worry in it. “You fainted. We had to get you somewhere safe.”“Where… Where are we?” I asked, my voice low.“On the plane. We’re going back to France. Our agenda is done here,” River answered. I nodded. I tried to sit, but River pushed my forehead so I would lie on the bed again.“If you need something, just tell me, and I’ll get it for you,” he said, reaching for my hand and squeezing it gently. “You’ve been through so much. Rest first.”I didn’t answer. Instead, a smile curved on my lips.“You act like my bodyguard and doctor at the same time,” I muttered, shaking my head in amazement.“That’s my duty as your boyfriend,” he answered nonchalantly, causing my eyes to widen. He noticed it. “Why? Aren’t I?”“Y-You are…” My cheeks reddened as I looked away. “But… It’s not something you can just say casually…”“Hmm? Why?” he asked, then he moved toward me. I could feel his body heat already. “Are you regretting that you d
Upon hearing those words, I felt something inside me finally collapse. It felt like the last string of thread tying me to them finally snapped.I straightened.“No…” I said quietly, looking them in the eye. “She won’t be proud. She’ll be disgusted. And she’ll hate you even in the afterlife.”Eleanor’s jaw clenched at my words. “You bitch—”“You imprisoned a child, poisoned her mind, and even used her for your advantage. You stole someone’s life and ruined it. Do you think anyone would be proud of that?!”“Shut the fuck up!” Eleanor’s voice echoed in the area. “You lived comfortably because of you. We fed you, raised you, and even sent you to school. You’re protected, and we taught you to be elegant!”Chuckling and shaking my head, I corrected, “No. You taught me how to be controllable.”I’m doing my best to look composed, yet I could feel my body trembling. I don’t know if I can still take this.Suddenly, I felt River’s presence at my back, grounding me even without saying anything.T
A few days later, River and I returned to America, specifically going to the place that had been my cage before: The Miller Mansion.It still looked the same—Polished on the outside, as if nothing horrible had happened in that elegant mansion, but rotten on the inside.I remained standing in front of the gate. My heart was thumping rapidly, and my mind seemed like it was telling me to back out. That this isn’t a good idea.But my heart tells me to go. It wanted closure, now I’m on my way to take it.River, on the other hand, remained silent as he stayed half a step behind me, yet his hand was on my waist, gently supporting me.He knew that this part was mine, and he’s giving me all the time that I need.“Just let me know when you’re okay, then we’ll go forward,” River told me, his voice low and gentle. “No pressure. Just take all the time you need.”I nodded and took a deep breath.“I’m fine…” I muttered, trying to sound convincing but miserably failing.But it doesn’t mean I’ll back
“If I’m a jerk, then I’m the only jerk who managed to endure your whims, Eleanor!” Ricardo shouted, his voice echoing in the room. “Did you think I’ll be your puppet forever, following your commands? No. I’m done being your servant!”The silence filled the conversation as Eleanor didn’t answer immediately. She was taken aback because of what he had said. Ricardo changed a lot, and he’s not someone Eleanor could control anymore.This time, Ricardo was releasing all the emotions he had suppressed, too.“You know more than anyone that this marriage only happened because of you. Because you wanted me in exchange for your family helping ours not to reach bankruptcy,” he added, his voice laced with bitterness. “I didn’t love you, Eleanor. I never will.”Hearing those words, it felt like a sharp knife stabbed Eleanor in the heart.But it’s not because she loved Ricardo back. At least, not that much.Her pride was crushed by someone she didn’t expect to fight back.Eleanor forced a laugh, h
River frowned. “What do you mean?”“I mean, I don’t know how the princess will end up in the States,” Lucian answered honestly. “I even thought that you might be hallucinating or forcing it, since you also wanted to find the princess, just like us.”I saw how River’s jaw tightened as Lucian said those words.I wonder why, but Lucian talked to me, halting my thoughts.“But now that you’re in front of me, I can tell at a glance. You’re the missing princess.”To my shock, Lucian kneeled in front of me, his one knee pressed on the floor.“Welcome back to France, your highness.”At first, my jaw fell because I wasn’t used to this, but it didn’t take a while.Someone inside me whispered that this isn’t just my life now.This is what my life really looked like before the Millers took me away.“Stand now, Lucian,” I commanded with a smile, my voice sweet yet authoritative. “And thank you for welcoming me.”*****A few hours after we finished the verification with Lucian’s help, I was recogniz
“We need a plan,” River told me. “We can’t just walk back unprepared since it could work to their advantage more than us.”“You should step in as Seraphina Montgomery first, the real you, then we’ll return.”Slowly, I nodded. He’s right. I can’t let the anger control me, and once I step into royalty, I’ll have bigger responsibilities, although it still sounds like an ambiguous dream for me right now.For the first time in years, I felt the tiniest flicker of hope. It was small, yes, but it was real.And it was mine.“Are you okay?” River asked, noticing that I became silent. “We could do this one step at a time. Baby steps. And no matter what happens, I’ll be by your side.”He added, caressing my cheeks, “You’re not alone anymore, Seraphina.”I smiled.I let the words sink in. Then, I clenched my trembling hands.“Alright…” I nodded. “Let’s take it all back. Together.”I’m aware that there are so many challenges along the way, but I’ve never felt more ready than now.Sooner or later,
I screamed and thrashed myself on the ground, not knowing how to stop the pain on my own.It felt like all the memories were surging into my mind, and it was overbearing since it was more than I could take. “Serenity!” River exclaimed, his expression laced with worry, as he held both of my hands,
“I understand how furious you are right now, and I’d be lying if I said that I don’t feel the same thing,” Evelyn confessed, her voice lower than usual. “But River… He didn’t intend to harm you. He only meant to protect you.”I bit my lower lip as I clenched my fists, holding back all the emotions
“I know…” Evelyn mumbled with a sigh, halting River’s thoughts. “And believe it or not, I understand. But River… This time, you have done the wrong thing.”River frowned, not understanding Evelyn’s words.“I’m protecting her,” he emphasized, his voice deeper than usual. “What’s wrong with protectin
“We need to kill him,” Eleanor suggested, her expression darkening. “You know how long we’ve planned for this, Ricardo. I can’t let anyone destroy it.”Ricardo’s eyes widened in shock.“Do you even hear what you’re saying?” he asked. “We can’t kill him. His parents will go berserk once we do, espec







