Seven months later. I swore to protect Katalina and Marcus from any harm. It was a promise I'd honor until my last breath, so I kept everyone who tried under tight surveillance. Helena was still rotting in jail. I didn't need to keep an eye on Cadmus because the media had it covered for me. His divorce from Minty completely diverted the public's eyes away from Marcus. Everyone was in check. Except I didn't feel completely at ease yet. Helena's insistence that someone else wanted my wife dead, that whoever it was hated Tali more than she did, stayed in my mind for months. But I didn't want to let it linger, so I had Andrew look into it.It could've been empty threats, but I knew how Helena worked. She kept pawns. She'd poison people's minds and use them against her enemies. Everyone told me that Helena probably meant Natalie and that the last stunt Natalie pulled was the end of it. But it wouldn't hurt to be safe, especially when I think I knew who Helena meant. "I can see the gears
Percival held my hand, his stance protective and impatient to get us out. If the bodyguards wouldn't scare Natalie away, Percival's hardened expression would. The way the veins popped out told me he was frustrated he couldn't deal with Natalie himself."Don't let her get away," Percival said. A few guards left to help search for Natalie, while enough stayed to keep us surrounded. "We'll catch her this time," I said, hoping to ease some of the tension radiating from him. But even as he nodded, I knew it didn't help much. "Of course, we will. Your cousin isn't very bright," he said, his jaw clenching. The crowd was contained at some part of the venue, so the hallways weren't littered with the media. We reached the parking lot. They checked the car before Percival opened the backseat for me. "Get in," he said, his voice authoritative. I quickly hopped in, scooting over to give space for him. Our actions were fast and efficient, and we were on the road in a heartbeat. Percival didn'
Percival's hand pressed against the small of my back, his head tilted towards me, studying me as I read the article."It's from an anonymous account. Chester is working on taking it down," he said. "What do you want to do? Aside from destroying whoever posted this because I'm already on it.""It's time," I said, giving his phone back to him. "There's no need to fuss. I'll schedule an interview tomorrow."Percival pocketed the phone. He turned me towards him, thumbs caressing my forearms."So soon?" he asked, voice laced with concern. He craned his neck, discerning my expression."I've been doing this my whole life, Percy," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "I just... there were just things in my life that I didn't want people to touch. But I kept the most human parts of me hidden, and I shouldn't have to. I'm no longer afraid of how they'll perceive me after. This has to end now."****Percival and I made arrangements for tomorrow when we returned to our hotel room. I read the ar
Dad almost died. He was in a cardiac arrest while we were away. The doctors said he was stable for now, but they didn't know how long. I stood motionless in Percival's arm, his hand stroking my back, the other cradling my head. We had done everything, and I was running out of ideas. Maybe the only option left was to grieve, even if it didn't sit right with me. Percival offered his quiet support, knowing nothing could be said to make this better, but allowing me to know he was there for me. But our little bubble of silence broke when Andrew appeared with a look of urgency."Your brother's awake."My lips parted, and Percival's grip around me loosened. Without wasting any more time, we strode to my brother's room. I held my breath until I finally saw Koen. . . awake and smiling at me.There he was. The only person who would carry this grief with me. I gave him a faint smile as I walked to his bed, settling on the seat beside it."How are you?" I asked gently."Alive," he huffed out. "
"Is that so?" I asked. "You have no idea how deep you are in the mud right now, do you? Your parents begged us to spare your company--not you, just your company. Your people were so easily bought because their loyalty came with a price."I wasn't sure if she was bluffing or trying to salvage what little pride she had left. But anything she says wouldn't change her fate. There was no life for her outside the bars anymore--not that I'd ever let her out. The amusement on Helena's face slowly died. Her lips formed a thin line as she glared at me. I raised my eyebrows at the change in her demeanor. I guess what I said was new information to her."I never needed them anyway," she mumbled. I didn't think she intended for me to hear that. "But you... how will you survive now that your parents are gone?""My parents are always with me, even when I lose my way or when we're apart. They actually raised me with love and warmth, and I'd say it's a pity you don't have those. But you had plenty of
The officer sat uncomfortably behind his desk, seeming uneasy and intimidated. It was probably due to the office being quite small for five people. There were only two available seats in the room, and my husband and I occupied them. Our lawyer and Andrew were standing behind Percy. They told us that they found Helena while she was trying to board a ship bound for an island far from the capital. Natalie wasn't with her. But we already had a list of places where she could be hiding. Someone knocked on the door, and the officer immediately got up. I smiled as a familiar face came into the room. It was my father's friend and the chief."Katalina, it's nice to see you again. Although, I much prefer to meet you for a different reason," he said with a look of pity. It had been a while since I last saw him, but he had been my father's friend even before my brother and I were born. He and his wife didn't have children, so they often visited us when we were younger. "Vincent, thank you for yo