by Rose, Louise
“Have you heard from Lucas?” Milly asks.
“See?” I pull away from the guys. “This is why you’re perfect to be the Knight heir. You care about everyone, including my not-husband. Most people wouldn’t give him a second thought, but you can’t help worrying about him.”
“He’s all on his own,” Milly says. “He’s got no family now. Who’s going to take care of him?”
“He’s got more than enough money to take care of himself,” I remind her. “I wouldn’t worry about him too much. Lucas will land on his feet. He’s just that kind of person.”
“Still, if you hear from him, will you tell him I’m thinking about him?” Milly asks.
“I don’t think I will, but if he does get in touch, I’ll make sure to let him know,” I say.
There is another crash so loud it shakes the ground, making me jump.
“I think that was your father’s study,” says Declan, putting his arm around me to steady me. “I don’t even want to think about how many nefarious schemes he came up with in that room.”
“That’s why I wanted to plant a garden over that bit of land,” I tell him. “I want it to be a symbol of peace and new beginnings. There’s going to be nothing but smiles and peace there from now on.”
“I hear that.”
Archer stands behind me, resting his hands on my waist, while Romy comes up on the other side, holding my hand so that I am surrounded by my lovers. Milly is right next to us as we watch the steady demolition of the old Archaic mansion.
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as a wave of happiness washes over me. This is not the life I’d ever envisaged for myself, yet it couldn’t be more perfect. I have three gorgeous guys who are head over heels in love with me, and I adore them all with every part of my being.
I remember the story my mother told me as a child. She predicted I’d love three men, but they would be nothing in comparison to my one true love. She was almost right. I did indeed love three men, but the one man I’d been married to was not the one for me. I hope he finds love for himself, but he will never have my heart.
Mum was right about one thing. A Queen doesn’t need a king. I need my knight, my joker, and my prince. They are the ones who fulfil me, and the four of us will conquer worlds, but in the right way-–with love and compassion.
This is the start of a new life for us, a new life for the whole town. The future is bright and we will enjoy it together in our new home, our new house and a better town.
The End.
Carry on reading with Milly and Lucas’ story next- Find the link here.
Description
Five years ago he walked into my town and created chaos.
But I didn't know he would take my heart with him when he left.
Lucas Donatello is back in King Town but he is in for a surprise.
I'm not a pushover anymore, I'm an heir to the House of Knight, and I've had to learn to be tough to survive this little town.
In King Town, happily ever afters don't exist, and there is always a villain waiting in the darkness.
My name is Milly Knight and this is my story of the boy who stole my heart.
18+ Enemies to Lovers standalone romance based in the Boys of King Academy world.
Prologue
“Careful now. A pretty little thing like you might get lost in here.”
A creep whispers in my ear as I dance to the thick, heavy beat of the club music. I spin around, glaring at the stranger, who smirks like he just said something charming.
“Fuck off,” I suggest, nerves rising as his face fills with anger.
Before he can say another word, two of my bodyguards are at his side and dragging him off through the crowd. They’ll take him someplace quiet where they can teach him a lesson in respect.
There are some perks to being the heir to the Knight house at least.
Pushing all thoughts of the jerk aside, I carry on dancing, losing myself in my favourite song until it ends. The next song isn’t as great, so I make my way back to my table. Reserved for me, it’s as empty as it was when I left it. I sit down alone, just the way I like it.
“Would you like a drink, madam?” The bartender standing on the other side of the VIP rope waves an alcopop at me.
“I’m twenty-one, not fifty, so less of the madam,” I snap, rubbing the spot between my eyes. “And no thank you.”
The bartender looks like he might pass out as he looks behind me. Whatever he sees, it freaks him out, making him stumble. He turns and rushes off into the crowd to escape, leaving me alone to deal with it. I turn around and find bright blue eyes in the darkness, a look that draws me in and begs me not to look away.
Lucas Donatello.
As he steps into the light, walking right up to me, I take in the small changes a few years have made. He was always sexy, with his built shoulders, small waist and a face that looks like it came down from Olympus. Those dimples, the ones I adored in high school where I last saw him, appear when he looks straight at me and smiles.
A god looking down at a mortal girl.
I never could figure out what Lucas was thinking and he’s as inscrutable as ever as he takes the time to examine me from head to toe.
“Milly Knight. Long time, no see.” His gravelly voice is one I couldn’t ignore, even if I tried. It’s haunted my dreams for years, taunting me with thoughts of what might have been if only things had been different. A lot of things.
The problem is, Lucas comes with a lot of bad memories. He was there when I was kidnapped and let it happen. He married my best friend, knowing full well she didn’t want to marry him. He confided in me once that he’d hoped the marriage would work out once she’d had a chance to get to know him.
He chose Ivy Archaic, for what good it did him.
I wasn’t stupid. He’d never have chosen me, even if Ivy wasn’t on the scene. I’m a no one in our world, even though I’m an heir.
I say nothing as Lucas sits next to me, his thigh pressing into my bare one. The tight white dress I’m wearing does little to cover my response to him, my body betraying my feelings the way it always does when he’s around.
Lucas lifts his hand to take a strand of my blonde hair.
“You dyed it,” he comments as he turns it about in his hand, getting a good look.
“I wanted a change,” I reply, wishing I’d said yes to that drink after all. “Do you like it?”
He drops my hair and meets my eyes once more. I swear the entire club disappears as he looks at me.
“Yes.”
“Oh,” I whisper. “I Have tattoos now too.”
Oh god. Why did I blurt that out?
“So do I. We’d have to go somewhere private if you wanted to see them though.” He raises an eyebrow, an invitation as he runs his fingers down my arm.
I should say no. I should run a million miles from Lucas. He only means trouble for me.
But I lean in and kiss him anyway, taking what should have always been mine.
Chapter Sixty-Eight
Five years later
The bell rang to announce the end of the lesson.
“Okay everyone.” I raise my voice to be heard over the clatter of pupils shoving books into bags and scraping back chairs, desperate to escape. “Read the next chapter. Tomorrow I’m going to want to hear your thoughts on the dynamics between Kathy and Heathcliff. Think about their relationship – is it healthy? Is it love? Is it obsession? Be prepared for a challenging discussion.”
I couldn’t be sure how many of them actually heard me as they hurried out of the room, more interested in what was on their phones than in analysing Wuthering Heights.
I slumped down into my chair, sighing. The Bronte sisters were about as close as I got to romance these days and given what happened to Kathy and Heathcliff, that wasn’t saying much. Ivy kept telling me I needed to get out more, start dating, but I was nowhere near ready for that.
I let out another heavy sigh as I picked up my bag, ready t
o leave. I’d find out tomorrow if anyone had bothered to do the reading.
“Hey, Milly. Have you heard the news?”
I looked up to see Nigel Burge standing in the doorway. He’d started teaching at King Academy around the same time I had and he’d asked me a few times to go out with him, but I’d always said no. Ivy had urged me to have a drink with him, just one drink, but I didn’t want to give him any ideas. Besides, I could never date someone called Nigel. Shallow? Yes, but I didn’t care. I had my standards and unless they were chiselled like a Greek god and went by the name Lucas, no one was going to measure up. I didn’t care that Ivy thought I was wasting my life. It wasn’t like I was going to date Lucas even if he showed up on my doorstep with a dozen red roses. I was firmly dedicated to my single life and happy to stay that way. Besides, I had my reasons for keeping men at arm’s length.
“What’s happened?”
“They’ve finally appointed the new head.”
“About time.” I went over to join Nigel. I looked over the room to check that I hadn’t left anything behind before switching off the lights and closing the door behind me. “The parents weren’t going to be happy keeping Jenny as interim head for much longer. She was running the Academy into the ground.”
None of the staff had liked it when Jenny Nour was given the position of interim head, but she was the only staff member vaguely qualified to take over when Mr Pilkington died suddenly of a heart attack. Self-important and frosty, two teachers had already left because of the way she’d treated them. I’d been seriously considering following them, but my options were limited, since my standing as Knight heir meant I had to stay local to help with House business.
“So, do you know who our new head is?” I asked as we started to walk down the corridor.
“No idea.” Nigel shook his head. “They say there’s going to be a meeting on Friday to give us all the details, so I suppose we’ll have to wait until then.”
“Whoever it is, they can’t be any worse than Jenny.”
“I guess not.” Nigel laughed. “Hey – do you fancy going out for a drink to celebrate our freedom from her?”
“I’d love to, but I can’t. I have to get home.” It was only half a lie. I did have to get out of here, but even if I didn’t, I wouldn’t have wanted to go out with Nigel. Although I had to admit that I was impressed by his perseverance. If he kept this up, maybe I might say yes one day – in a few years’ time.
“Some other time then.”
“Sure.”
Nigel turned to go in the direction of the staff room, while I went off to the building which housed the kindergarten children.
“Mummy!” My four-year-old daughter’s eyes lit up when she saw me walk into the room to collect her. She squealed and ran over to throw herself into my arms.
“Hey, baby.” I kissed the top of her head as she squeezed me tightly. “Have you been a good girl?”
“Amber’s been a pleasure, as always.” Liz, one of the kindergarten teachers, came over to see us. “Do you want to show Mummy your painting?”
“Oh, yes!” Amber raced off. A minute later she was back waving a piece of paper covered with brightly coloured splotches and stripes. “This is you and me going to the zoo.”
“That’s amazing!” I gasped. “I love the colours you chose. And is that a lion there?”
“Silly Mummy.” Amber pouted reprovingly. “That’s you!”
“Of course it is. I am silly!”
Amber slipped her hand into mind and waved goodbye to Becky. “Bye bye, Auntie Becky!” she yelled.
“Bye, Amber. See you tomorrow.”
I waved at the teacher and led Amber out to the staff car park where my driver was waiting. I could have driven myself to school, but I loved sitting in the back with Amber, hearing about her day. That little girl was my whole world and I hated being away from her during the day, but I’d made a decision when she was about a year old that I wanted to go back to work. We had more than enough money for me to be a full-time mum, but it was important to me to set a good example to Amber. She needed to know that she could have a career of her own and I loved teaching, even if not everyone in my classes shared my enthusiasm for the classics.
Besides, Amber gave me a good excuse to say no to Nigel. After my own kidnapping, I was very cautious about who I left my daughter with and I didn’t like to ask my parents to take care of her too often. Much as they were always delighted to see her, I was trying to teach Amber a different way of living and my parents were still very much immersed in House politics. Ivy’s example had shown it was possible to throw caution to the wind and ignore tradition. While I didn’t see myself ever finding myself one man to love me, let alone three, I was rebelling in my own quiet little way. I’d resisted telling anyone who Amber’s father was, despite the pressure from my parents, and I’d ignored their not-so-subtle hints that they could arrange a suitable marriage for me to bring respectability back to the Knights. They kept telling me how hard it was to raise a child, which was why I finally caved and hired a part time nanny to help me out. With Claire’s help, I was fine. We were fine. Amber didn’t need anyone else in her life and most definitely not a man who was only going to let me down sooner or later.
Amber chattered away about all the things she’d done at kindergarten that day. I was only half-listening, as I wondered who the new head was going to be. I’d seen some of the candidates coming in for interview and they all seemed to be from out of town. It was no real surprise it had taken so long to find the right person. Anyone leading the Academy needed to have an in depth understanding of the way the Houses worked and how they influenced the town. House affiliations affected friendships between pupils, their behaviour, their academic performance. Unless a Head understood all those nuances, they weren’t going to last long.
The Board had approached me to take over before they gave the interim position to Jenny, but I turned them down flat, knowing full well they were only asking me because I was Knight heir. I didn’t have the experience to run the school and besides, I didn’t want to do more hours. Right now, my days mirrored Amber’s and she could stay at the after-school club when needed for those all-important staff meetings. If I’d taken on the headteacher position, it would mean I’d be away from my daughter for longer and that wasn’t going to happen.
Amber came first. Now and for always.
***
That Friday, I squeezed into the last remaining chair next to Nigel in the staff room, late for the meeting after needing to break up a disagreement between two girls from different Houses. Jenny was standing at the front of the room, droning on about how much she’d enjoyed being head and how it had opened new horizons for her.
“Have I missed anything important?” I leaned over and whispered to Nigel.
“Nah,” he whispered back. “Just Jenny going on about how amazing she is and how great her career is going to be now that she’s got head of King Academy on her CV. I think it’s actually a case that the Board were so unimpressed by her performance they’ve told her to find another school and she’s trying to put a positive spin on it.”
“So no sign of the new head then?”
“Not yet. You’d think he was headlining Glastonbury the way they’re keeping us waiting!”
I sat patiently, waiting for Jenny to introduce the new head, but she loved the sound of her own voice too much and it was a good ten minutes before she finally got round to what we were all waiting to hear.
“I asked him to wait in the kitchen so I could tell you how much you’ve all meant to me during my time leading the Academy,” Jenny said. “I want you to know that your support and encouragement has meant the world to me and helped me realise that it really is my true calling to lead. But the time has come to introduce you to the man who will be taking over the helm.”
She got up to open the door that led to the staff kitchen where we made our teas and coffees and microwaved our lunches.
“Talk about milkin
g it,” Nigel muttered to me out of the corner of his mouth. “I bet she goes home and cries into her vodka about not getting the head position permanently. I heard she interviewed but the Board weren’t interested.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I reckon she made the new head hide in the kitchen so she could have our undivided attention for as long as possible. I feel sorry for whatever school she ends up with after this.”
“What’s taking her so long?” Nigel frowned and peered at the kitchen door. The rest of the staff were getting restless as we were still waiting to find out who the new head was.
“Maybe she had him tied up so he wouldn’t interrupt her speech,” I suggested. “And now she can’t undo the knots.”
Nigel spluttered, as he tried to hold back laughter. I laughed with him, but my smile fell away when Jenny walked back into the room, a big fake grin plastered across her face, as a familiar man followed her.
“Everyone, I’d like you to give a warm King Academy welcome to Lucas Donatello, our new headmaster.”
Chapter Sixty-Nine
Lucas
A polite smattering of applause greeted me as I walked into the staff room. The teachers looked about as bored as I’d been waiting around in that kitchen. Jenny’s goodbye speech had filtered through and I could see why the Board had wanted to replace her. The woman was about as suited to being head as a dead fish.
“Thanks for the welcome.” I looked round the room, smiling as I made contact with each and every one of the teachers. My smile lost a little of its lustre when I saw Milly sitting there, but I quickly moved on to the guy sitting next to her.