by Jennise K
“Speechless, I see.” I winked as I began helping her organise the clothes in the rack. She hid her face with her hair.
An hour later, Fin and Abigail found themselves surrounded by girls excited to shop in the boutique to get a glimpse or even a smile from the two boys. Meanwhile, Adyl stood beside me at the counter, clearly enjoying the commotion he and Fin were causing.
“You’re really good-looking. You ought to be in a magazine or something.” A red-haired girl of about eighteen years old blushed as she handed Adyl the money.
Adyl smiled as he punched in the digits before getting her change and handing it to her. He winked. “I’d rather be in a painting.”
~
The end of the shift approached faster than it ever had during my entire time working in the boutique, and I silently thanked myself for deciding on getting the boys a job here instead of letting them publicly be my bodyguards.
“Zee you on Vednezday.” Madame Crawfort waved as Abigail, the boys, and I walked out of the boutique, leaving her and Mary in the almost empty boutique.
“See you on Wednesday.” Our group waved back automatically before we made our way towards the escalator.
“Going to Prue’s tonight?” Abigail asked as we made our way out of the mall.
“Err, I don’t know.” It was the truth. I didn’t know. With everything that had happened, I hadn’t had the time to think where I should place myself.
“Oh, I thought you would since Grandma Liz is over at Prue’s.” Abigail shrugged, leaving the sentence as it was. I was sure she knew what had happened last night. Jay must have told her.
“I do think I should g—” My voice faded when I noticed Fin suddenly stopped in his tracks.
A minute later, he blinked and faced us.
“We should leave. The royal beta is calling us.”
~
“Come in.”
I looked around the study, which was light and airy, the interior white with an undertone of the palest grey. Dominic’s study suited his personality quite fittingly and almost made me feel like I was walking around in a black and white film.
“What’s going on?” I eyed the man settled on the large white chair behind the main table, and then at Matthew who remained seated on a chair opposite his. I moved further into the room and held a vacant seat.
Dominic smiled. “Sit.”
Turning towards Adyl and Fin, I motioned them into the room with my head before taking a seat beside Matthew.
“What’s going on?” I frowned at the two men. The knowledge of having Adyl and Fin standing close behind me strangely didn’t make me any less anxious. What exactly was about to transpire here?
“We found blood in your room, Olivia.”
I looked at Matthew with a blank face. It shouldn’t have surprised me as much as it did when I had discovered the blood myself only minutes ago, but still, it did.
“Yes, we know. We discovered the blood, too. It’s just Sophia’s,” Fin responded. From the periphery of my view, I noticed him take a step forward until he stood towering beside me,.
Dominic, whose eyes were settled on mine the whole time, snapped his gaze to Fin’s, his eyes narrowing. “Sophia’s?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “She told us it’s hers. Said she got hurt while trying to clean the room.”
“Hmm.” Matthew turned away, rubbing his chin.
“I suppose it wasn’t what we thought then,” he mumbled, turning back towards me. His eyes lit up, and he smiled with that same warmth—the same warmth that was designed to provide assurance. I smiled back but looked away. It wasn’t working on me today.
“Well, I guess that’s it—”
“That isn’t all, Olivia.”
My eyes snapped to Dom’s, and I frowned, confused.
“What do you mean?”
“We caught an illegal rogue in our territory this morning, drunk yelling that he knew who is trying to kill you.”
Kill me…Edika?
“Who tried to kill your whole family in that accident where only you survived.”
“W-what?” I cringed inwardly. The nervous stuttering was back. What was worse was that it reminded me of the period in my life where I was the worst version of myself, the dead version of myself—right after my mum and dad’s death.
“Those accidents, Olivia. They weren’t just accidents.”
I blinked, turning to look around the room almost hysterically. My heart suddenly felt like it was about to fall out of my chest. My hand immediately moved to my throat.
No no no no. “Where’s Rome?”
Dominic’s eyes widened, and he straightened in his seat. “Are you okay?”
Matthew, on the other hand, paused for a second before he spoke again. “He’s coming. He’s coming.”
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. The same old symptoms of a panic attack embraced me like an old friend, and I hid my face in my hand as I burrowed myself deeply in the seat.
The sound of the door slamming open seemed like a distant dream. My mind felt like a maze. I couldn’t see straight. Weren’t they accidents? They were murders?!
In my mind, a storm was raging and a whirlpool was pulling at my sanity. So strong was the current I couldn’t haul myself to escape the swirling water. But then, a familiar pair of arms wrapped around me and scooped me up, and the storm began to calm immediately.
“Breathe,” he whispered into my ear as a familiar pair of warm lips found my temple and pressed a kiss there. My hands clutched at Romanov’s shirt, and I held him close, panting, trying to regain my breath.
“It’s okay. I’m here.”
My grip on his shirt loosened as I was finally able to breathe, my heartbeat slowly beginning to settle down. I slipped my arms around his lower torso instead.
The panic attack stopped and out went the tears. I tried to hold them off as much as I could so no one saw them, but I just couldn’t.
“What happened?” Romanov asked, his voice cold.
There was a heavy silence in the atmosphere, and I raised my head just in time to see a flash of fear run through Dominic’s expression.
I understood. They had meant to tell me secretly. I wasn’t supposed to know yet. It wasn’t good. We all knew how Romanov would react.
“Nothing,” I said in a hurry, tugging on the back of Romanov’s shirt.
Perform.
He looked down at me, and I smiled brightly back at him.
Romanov’s frown hardened. His eyes remained on mine as he spoke again, unconvinced. “Domin—”
“It was random. That’s why the guys freaked out.” I cut him off, trying my best not to break the eye contact as I tugged on his shirt again.
Anything I would say that involved the boys would only get them into trouble because Rome could be irrational when it came to me. Saying it was only a random attack was perfect enough.
“Are you okay?” Romanov mumbled while his brows furrowed together. I felt as the rest of the people in the room sped out, one second there and the other, out.
No. My parents. My sister. Murdered. And I was supposed to be one of them.
I blinked as another tear tried to slip, then smiled at him, burying my fingers in his dark hair.
His eyes flickered with surprise, and my smile widened before I pulled his face closer and caught his lips with mine midway.
“Now I’m okay,” I mumbled against his mouth before I pressed a peck on his lips.
The corners of my lips twitched when I noticed Romanov’s cheeks turn red, and he quickly looked away.
Immediately, I framed his face with my hands and turned his head until he faced me again.
It took a while for him to look at me as he still tried to hide his burning cheeks. Ugh, how can he be so sexy and cute at the same time?
He looked at me then, his eyes gleaming in delight. “You think I’m both sexy and—”
Then I kissed him again, cutting him off.
I caressed Romanov’s cheeks
as his arm wrapped around my waist, and he pulled me deeper into the kiss, slowly nibbling on my lower lip before moving on the upper. I lightly bit onto his lower lip and revelled in the bolt of electricity which passed through both of us.
The only thing that was comforting—the only thing that helped me not cry or lose my mind about the “accidents”—was Romanov.
In this world, everyone had problems. Difficult problems and easy ones. In this world, everyone had a safe haven. And Romanov was mine—always mine.
“Not now,” Romanov whispered as he finally broke the kiss and placed a final peck on my now slightly swollen lips before getting up with me in his arms.
I hooked my legs around him as he began to stride towards the door.
The door opened to an empty hall, and I inwardly sighed with relief at not being the victim of werewolf hearing.
“Where are we going?” I asked as he took the turn that went in the opposite direction to our bedroom.
His mouth twitched. “Want to go to bed so early?”
“Shut it.” I blushed as I smacked him on his chest in response.
Nearing the banister of the stairs leading down into the living room, Romanov stopped and let me down on my feet before grasping my hand.
Stepping down on the last stair, I heard the happy gurgles of the tiny creature that I loved through and through, and I found myself rushing forward to where she was.
My eyes found a beaming Jaydin bouncing a happy Letty in his arms, and I dashed, my hand extended towards my little niece.
“Letty!”
“Just Letty?”
I froze at the sound of that sarcastic voice.
My head turned to my right, and I felt the hair on my back stand.
“Grandma Liz…”
Chapter 26
What is distinguishable when his eyes are covered with cloth?
How will he be able to see through the cloth—to me?
I hold a position in his life—his wife, his other half. Then why do I feel like a dirty little mistress, a title with no claim?
It has been a year. What should I do to feel like a wife? My life is withering away with every drop of rain that pours from these thick clouds—these dark thick clouds that resemble my heart.
Do I burn the cloth?
Is this what I have to resort to, to feel wanted?
A year has passed, and yet the lord hasn’t visited my bedchamber. How should I get my husband to lie with me?
A year has passed, and I have doted on his fruits, learned every dish that pleases him, burnt my hand straightening his suits with boiling hot rocks. What more should I do to be a wife to a husband who is devoted—not to her, to his dead wife—but to me? What more should I do to be a wife to my husband who lives in his memories and never sways?
– EL
“Grandma Liz…”
Long gone was the waist-length silver hair, and in place was a small bob that bounced when she came rushing to me.
When she finally reached me, I bent over with a yelp as the first thwack of her hand landed on my back. “How could you not call your grandma, huh?”
Another thwack. “No call! No visit! Don’t you care how much Grandma misses you, eh?”
“Ah!” I yelped as I turned and grabbed her hand in the middle of her smacking session and immediately pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms tightly around her.
“Let me go!” Grandma Liz demanded as she swatted my hand. But I didn’t. It wasn’t hard to hear the poorly hidden laughter in her voice. That is if one knew her. After all, this was something that was usual between us—her exploding on me with her tantrums and me restraining her until she finally smiled.
“Not until you smile.” I grinned, tightening my hold on her.
“Err…Olivia?”
A grin firmly held on my face, I turned towards Prue, not at all surprised that she was here, too. If Grandma Liz and Letty were, she’d be right behind.
An awkward-looking Prue nudged her head towards my back, and I frowned as I turned to see what she was motioning at.
My eyes met Grayson’s brightly smiling face, then Dominic’s awkwardly grinning one as they stood side by side to hide someone behind them. My eyes flickered between them and the man looking down at the marble floor, his black hair in the way to properly see his expression.
I frowned at the man as my hand automatically let go of my grandma.
Surprised, Grandma Liz momentarily looked me over as if to see if I was hurt anywhere.
I wasn’t. My eyes stayed on the man standing behind the cover that was Gray and Dom. I slowly began walking towards him. Reaching the two boys, I stopped until they shifted away a little, then I moved forward.
The first thing that I noticed was how hot it suddenly was—like the space behind Grayson and Dominic was a small thermal cocoon. I wiped the small layer of sweat that began to form on my forehead the moment I stepped in. I took another step towards Romanov who stood still with his head down and his hands balled on his sides. Reaching out for one, I tapped on his clenched fist until it slowly unclenched, then I interlocked my fingers between his.
“You okay?” I whispered, noticing the silence that had set over the living room.
“Better,” Romanov muttered his under his breath, squeezing my hand in his.
I smiled as I released the breath I had been holding, then took a step forward towards my grandma.
Grandma Liz’s sharp eyes moved back and forth from me to Romanov, silently evaluating the scene before her.
My grip on Romanov’s hand tightened, and I thought I saw Aunt Meryl smile proudly as I took the last step before standing right in front of Grandma.
“Rome, this is my grandma. Gran, this is Romanov, my—”
“Fiancé. I know.”
Boyfriend
“Fi—fiancé?” I stuttered, eyes suddenly wide as a button. Confusion shadowed Grandma Liz’s expression, and I almost jumped. “Ah yes! Fiancé!”
“I’m too young to be a great grandmother,” Grandma Liz responded bluntly, pursing her lips as her eyes found Romanov’s and my hands holding each other.
“What? You’re already a great grandmother, Gran,” I blurted out in disbelief. Were we really going to have this kind of conversation in front of everyone?
Someone in the room coughed, cutting off their obvious laughter. And as if on cue, more coughs joined in with the first one.
Looking past Grandma, I eyed a clearly amused Matthew, his hand over his mouth. I was pretty sure he was hiding a grin behind it.
Grandma Liz audibly sighed. “Fine. I’ll be more frank. You’re too young to be a mother. Use a condom.”
She then turned to Romanov. “Or better yet, keep it in your pants, handsome.”
More coughs echoed around the large room, and I felt my face heat up in embarrassment. I’d forgotten just how ageing had made my grandma shameless. Growing up, with every visit she paid, I noticed how I saw a different version of her, revealing a new layer of her identity.
Grandma Liz could cuss like a sailor in front of crowds and spoke quite bluntly. To keep her thoughts to herself was something she considered a sin. Especially if she knew it helped the person. Thankfully, that personality trait was inherited by my sister, Elizabeth. I, on the other hand, had more of a mild manner. I’d always guessed that it had something to with Liz being named after her.
“Where’s the bling-bling by the way?”
I blinked, my focus returning to Grandma Liz and her unanticipated question. Grandma Liz’s eyes found mine before they snapped curiously to my hand. I cringed.
“There is no ring,” Romanov spoke up before I could answer, his hand squeezing mine reassuringly.
“You proposed without a ring?” Grandma Liz gaped at Romanov, a disgusted look quickly taking over her graciously old features. “What? Is this some twenty-first–century money saving trend?”
I cringed as I turned to see Romanov blink. I couldn’t think of a moment before this when Romano
v had ever been rendered speechless.
“Ah n—”
“It’s a shit trend. Get my granddaughter a ring if you’re serious, kid. She may not look like it, but she’s an heiress. She could have a childhood heir fiancé waiting for her to graduate for all you know. Why, in my times things were very different! You better be sure to steal her properly if you plan on committing theft, kapish?”
Oh no…
Every amused sparkling eye in the hall suddenly dulled into pools of confusion and panic.
“What?” Romanov hissed.
I laughed out loud, the high-pitched sound sounding so fake to my ears that I couldn’t help but cringe while I continued to smile brightly like an idiot in front of everyone.
“Ha ha, what a joke! Childhood heir fiancé? Ha ha! Anyway, I think we should all relax! It’s awkward having everyone standing!”
“You’re so right!” Prue said, quickly playing along. Turning towards Aunt Meryl, she nudged her head pleadingly towards Grandma Liz. Aunt Meryl nodded quickly in understanding
“Why don’t I show you all your rooms then, Elizabeth?” Aunt Meryl approached Grandma Liz, hooked her arm around Grandma Liz’s, and without waiting for a response, began dragging my grandma towards the stairs.
Aunt Prue smiled at me reassuringly before she and a moody Lolette in her arms followed the two grey-haired women.
I craved to hold the child in my arms and bring her lovely smile back, but the almost crushing grip on my hand convinced me otherwise as I let them slowly walk up the stairs.
“Childhood heir fiancé, huh?” Matthew grinned, strolling slowly towards Romanov, and I wondered for the hundredth time how he had so much courage to even joke in the blazing furious face of Romanov Naight.
“Jealous, Rome?” The grinning Matthew turned towards Romanov, his eyes twinkling with humour.
Shockingly, Romanov only released my hand and took a step back, scoffing. I almost gaped. “Fuck no. She’s mine. Where will she go?”
“To her childhood heir fiancé. Who else?” Matthew taunted then barked out a laugh as he sent a mischievous wink my way before quickly making an exit. I was shocked he even managed to escape without any bruises.
Cringing, I eyed Romanov just as he clenched his jaws and looked at me. His eyes caught mine, and he gritted his teeth as he smiled at me.