by Jennise K
It was Dominic’s turn next. Sure enough, he spoke just as soon as I had finished asking the question.
“No. We’re finishing her off, Olli.”
I gulped. That was not in the script, just as there shouldn’t be any feelings of fear. But I did both. I feared for the uncertainty of the future, and I gulped.
Before us, the movie was completely forgotten. I turned towards the monitor just in time to see their reflection on the screen when it darkened to a certain scene in the movie. It was a view that passed within a fleeting second. The sort of view that left me wondering if what I had just seen was real. However, as much as I wished it wasn’t, I knew what I had just seen was real. They were both here. Standing on the couch right behind me. The silent, deranged Edika. Then behind her, with her shining blonde hair, was Yvette.
For a second, I thought about jolting up and dashing out of the damned castle—away from both of them—screaming or something and making a scene. But I knew that that would only pour water all over our efforts. So instead, I bit my tongue and stayed put, concentrating instead on wondering why Edika looked like shite and Yvette looked like a goddess who had just descended from heaven.
“Don’t you think implicating her without enough evidence is unethical?” Grayson became the voice of reason. It was my turn to speak.
“Yeah.” I agreed with him. “I mean, I agree that she has a very weird past, but why would she want to hurt me?”
“Check the footages. She will spill everything tomorrow,” Romanov answered, his tone leaving no room for an argument.
Beside me, Grayson shrugged. “Okay, why don’t we go back to the movie, then? We’re already almost halfway in.”
Automatically, everyone turned back to the TV screen. Everyone except me. There was no way I was going to look into that screen again. So instead, I slouched back into my original position and closed my eyes.
I’d rather get my sleep while I could. Today was almost at an end. Tomorrow, there would be another battle.
The last.
~
I woke up today right where I had fallen asleep—on the couch, my head on Romanov’s lap and my feet on Grayson’s. The boys all seemed asleep, but we had a new guest sitting on a tiny couch to Romanov’s left. Aunt Meryl watched us in the comforts of the couch, a cup of what smelt like coffee in one hand and a fashion magazine in another. Slowly, I eased myself up to a sitting position, running my hand over my face and hair.
“Good morning,” I croaked out awkwardly after a moment of contemplation.
Her amused eyes lifted from her magazine and met mine. Aunt Meryl took a sip of her coffee, her eyes twinkling with delight before she nodded. “Good morning, darling.”
Romanov stirred, obviously waking up at the sound of our voices.
“You’re drooling, dear.”
“Huh?” Romanov groaned, and I turned towards him as he sat there blinking, still in a sleepy haze, still trying to get rid of the sleep clouding his mind. My eyes turned towards the box of tissue paper on the coffee table. Hurriedly reaching for it, I quickly wiped away the drool off his face before he made sense of Aunt Meryl’s comment and became embarrassed.
Turning towards the other boys, I noticed that they were drooling as well.
“Precious, aren’t they?” Aunt Meryl chuckled before taking another sip of the coffee.
“Very adorable.” I smiled, reaching for more tissue papers before wiping their faces as well. When I was done, I simply moved back to settle down in my seat again. Beside me, Romanov was asleep again. I let out a low sigh when his head dropped on my shoulder as soon as I shifted beside him.
“Don’t worry, darling. Alex and Matthew are just about to arrive. They will wake the boys up.”
I nodded, remembering the state of my breath if I spoke again.
“Livviaaa.”
I froze when Romanov groaned into my neck before suddenly pulling me onto his lap.
My wide, horrified eyes met Aunt Meryl’s amused ones who simply continued sipping her coffee.
“Roman?”
I flinched. King Alexander and Matthew were here.
“Rome!”
“Wha-what? What?” Grayson jumped to his feet, brushing his hair back as he looked around the living room in alarm.
“Shut the fuck up, Gray,” Dominic growled under his breath as he smacked his palm over his eyes.
“Romanov, you’re all still sleeping?”
Oh no.
I let my head fall, praying that my hair would help hide my horrible bed face from the two men who just arrived. This was getting exceedingly embarrassing by the minute.
“Did they literally fall asleep here?” Alexander asked. I was sure he was asking Aunt Meryl, so I let my head hang lower in embarrassment.
“Olivia fell asleep while they were watching a movie. The boys stayed up to guard her. They went to sleep when I got here around six,” Aunt Meryl replied.
Oh my God…
I felt my chest constrict. The guys had stayed awake all night guarding me.
“Alright. All three of you, get up. The protectors have arrived!” Matthew announced, shaking Dominic before quickly taking a couple of steps back. It proved to be a wise move. The next thing I knew was Dominic was up on his feet and glaring at nothing in particular, his eyes blazing golden.
“Not cool, man. Not cool at all,” Dom growled, finally turning towards the person who’d just disturbed his sleep. Matthew flinched.
“He’s not exactly a morning person,” Grayson explained apologetically. I watched, stunned and all the embarrassment for my morning face forgotten as Grayson got up and threw an arm around Dominic’s shoulder, pulling him towards the stairs.
“Wake him up will you please, Olivia?” Alexander’s tone was meant to be comforting, but it only made me nod nervously. I began poking Romanov’s arm just as I always did every morning to wake him up unless I had already freshened up.
“I’m up! I’m up, Livia,” Romanov groaned, shifting his arm away from my attacking finger, and I couldn’t help but grin at the small pout on his lips.
It took a second before Romanov was on his feet, placing me carefully down on mine beside him, his hand holding mine.
“Let’s get ready, Livia.”
This was it. It was almost about to begin.
Even if I did freshen up and get ready, I didn’t think I would ever be ready for what was going to happen today.
Still, I walked with him.
~
A perfectly constructed piece of a mousetrap or something along that line was what Grayson had told us this whole setup was. A setup that not even a hundred-year-old Yvette would be able to decipher. Right now, I wasn’t so sure about that.
“Where’s Thi?”
King Alexander turned towards a fresh and crisply dressed Romanov, and I found myself frowning, suddenly just as curious about where Theia was.
“She’s with Alpha Lyam and Abigail. They’re protecting Olivia’s niece and aunt.”
“Oh.” I couldn’t say anything else. I was feeling grateful and apologetic at the same time. For a second, I wondered how good my black belt would be against Yvette, then shook my head. My black belt would be garbage in front of the ancient demon woman who wanted my body and my soulmate.
“Sophia! Thank you for the tea, but do you know where Rose is?”
My head shot up at the mention of her name, and I almost flinched when I saw the dark-haired girl standing in front of me looking at Romanov.
“She’s in the kitchen,” Sophia signed nervously, her eyes darting to everyone sitting in the living room. I tried to analyse the girl, to see the evil lurking behind her innocent-looking eyes. Suddenly, her eyes snapped to mine, and instantly, I smiled. I smiled at her warmly just as I always had. I was almost proud of myself.
Romanov nodded, not a shred of emotion on his face that could give him away.
“Could you tell her to bring some cookies, please?”
“Yes—yes,
sir.” Sophia nodded, looking at Romanov with her big, innocent eyes for a few seconds, before quickly turning around and rushing out of the living room.
“Master Romanov doesn’t seem to like you a lot.”
“Guess master doesn’t like you.” As I watched her look at Romanov, suddenly her statement made a lot of sense, and so did most of her actions—her smile when she said those words, her dropping the dish when she saw my mark, her happiness when she spoke about all those clothes being Romanov’s fiancée’s.
Still, I couldn’t help but pray for the girl who Yvette was leeching from. The poor, poor girl.
Please save the soul whom that woman has been damaging for so many years. Please, let Sophia live.
A minute later, a smiling Rose walked into the living room with a large tray full of all sorts of cookies. She placed the tray beside the one that contained the tea and straightened up, running her hands over her apron. My eyes focused on her delicately moving hands. That was the signal. The main act was now in motion.
“Rose.” Romanov motioned towards the sofa on our left. “Sit.”
Rose’s smile faded a little. I watched as confusion clouded her face.
Wow, she can act!
“Is there something wrong, sir?” she asked boldly, setting her apron neatly over her knees with her small but strong-looking hands.
“We’re taking you under arrest for being a threat towards the Royal Luna Olivia,” Romanov announced loudly. His strong voice rang around the walls of the large living room just as the sound of hard footfalls got closer and closer. Seated between Alexander and Matthew, I could only stare as a couple dozen men and women marched into the living room and surrounded us completely in a matter of seconds.
“What are you talking about?” Rose shot to her feet, her hands fisted on her sides.
Matthew wrapped his arm around my shoulder, and I glanced to see him nod at me comfortingly. I nodded back. This was all a play. A drama.
“We have video footage, DNA blood report, and your falsely filled application form for proof—”
“I don’t understand a single word you’re saying!” Rose exclaimed as she cut Romanov off, pinching the bridge of her nose. “What are you even talking about, sir! Please explain clearly.”
Romanov visibly gripped the hand rest of the sofa tighter before he nodded to Dominic.
In response, Dominic nodded, too, before clearing his throat. “Yes, Alpha.” Then he turned towards Rose. “You have been seen sneaking in and out of Olivia and my room on numerous occasions when you should not have been anywhere near those wings. You have also been seen holding a cell phone and sneaking into my room during the day Olivia got attacked and received a blackmail through a text. On that same occasion and the night of the fire incident, you have also been seen running out of the castle boundaries and then coming back in, completely changed. Your background has been made up in your application, obviously by you. And your DNA has been found in Olivia’s old bedroom the day after the fire incident. I think you know exactly what I’m talking about now, don’t you, Rose?”
“It’s not me! It’s not what it looks like! I didn’t do anything! I swear!” Rose suddenly exploded as she launched forward from the chair she was seated on, her hands fisted on the sides of her dress.
The air in the room suddenly changed. It was a lot more quieter, deadlier. Everyone was on their toes. I flinched when Rose moved forward suddenly, pushing the coffee table with her as she did so. The foot of the table dragged against the floor, screeching in protest, pulling the silent room into chaos.
It all happened too fast. One minute I was seated between Alexander and Matthew and the next Alexander was standing in front of me and Rose was being held by five strong female protectors.
Suddenly, the room was even more crowded. The large doors pushed further open as all the help began crowding in the room, watching the scene before them with bewilderment. From the periphery of my view, I could see Marsha and Orik and a dozen more women and men standing near the doorway looking in with wide, horror-filled eyes. I could also see her standing there quietly, just observing the commotion before her.
“Olivia! Olivia, I swear! It’s not me! I-I know who it is! I know who’s trying to kill you! I know who she’s taking over! I have—I have proof! I can give it to you! I can! I can tell you!” Rose suddenly screamed, pulling away from the protectors as she tried to make her way to me.
I wanted to get to her. I wanted to push the people away from her. I was terrified of the real villain who was standing not far away, in the crowd. Hell, I was even worried that Alpha Lyam would barge into the living room and proceed to rage war against everyone in the room.
“Take her to the holding chambers!” Romanov growled, instantly cutting off Rose’s yelling down to soft pitiful whimpers.
I cringed when I saw the protectors begin to drag her out of the room mercilessly.
“Olivia! I swear! I know who she’s in! She’s possessing someone in this room! I swear it! I have proof! Please believe me! I-I’ve been protecting you! I’ve been keeping her at bay! Believe me! It’s not me!”
Then she turned towards Marsha, who stood stiffly at a distance with wide, terrified eyes.
“Mar-Marsha, tell Olivia to help me! Tell her! Olivia, please!”
I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t just stand there. I took a step forward. “Ros—”
“Olivia!”
I froze.
Romanov’s loud voice held no space for disobedience. The moment of weakness passed, and reality slapped me back again. Immediately, I dropped my head down in shame. Damn it, I had almost messed everything up.
“April, take her away now!”
~
Rose had been dragged out. The rest of the audience still stood in the living room, numb and quiet just as I felt inside.
When they had been planning this in front of me and when I had actually participated in the planning, I hadn’t thought that it would be this difficult, that I would be so confused about what was real and what was not.
“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” Grayson turned towards Romanov.
“I think we should let the girl have her say,” Alexander spoke as he moved to stand beside me again.
“I agree with Alex. Despite the proof, she does not seem to have a solid reason why she could be doing this. She could be telling the truth,” Matthew added in his input.
“I think so too, dear. She did say that she has evidence with her.” Aunt Meryl stepped towards Romanov and put her hand on his back, patting it lovingly.
“What do you think, Livia?”
My eyes snapped up.
Everyone was looking at me. Still, I couldn’t divert my focus from Romanov’s unreadable dark pools. My chest fluttered with warmth when I realised that even though this was still a setup, in the middle of such organised chaos, he still wanted my opinion when he was already getting some very strong ones.
“I…I think she should be given a chance to prove herself innocent. You should give her a chance to present her case,” I replied, carefully deciding my words before saying them out loud. This was definitely going to be the make or break moment.
“Alright. Let her sit there alone for the night.”
“The night?” I blinked. This wasn’t in the plan. And it was also ridiculously stupid. Why did he want to waste time?
“Yes, Livia. The night.”
I shut my mouth up. Oh yes, it was in the plan. Give Sophia time to attack.
Slowly, Romanov turned around, looking at the audience that had accumulated in the large living room.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, looking at the terrified crowd, a million unspoken questions in their eyes. Suddenly, he threw the cup he had in his hand. Everyone cringed when the cup crashed on the floor and broke into a thousand pieces. “Everybody get back to work! Now!”
“Finnigan, Adyl, take the queen to her room and do not let her out of your sight,” Matthew spoke up, holding me by my s
houlder as he brought me forward. My eyes stayed on Romanov’s golden blazing orbs, though.
I shook my head. “I’ll stay with Rome.”
Although Romanov would let the boys take me away from this drama, I knew he would still be very worried. And he wouldn’t be able to concentrate well. Therefore, right now the best place I should be was with him. Especially since he needed his concentration now of all times.
“Olivia, are you sure? It can get a little messy right now,” King Alexander spoke softly as he tried to bend down until his face was in level with mine.
I smiled at him. “I am okay.”
“Livia.”
I turned and smiled at Romanov as I began walking towards him.
“Yes?” I smiled at him as I kept my head tilted up, looking at the tall man.
Romanov’s fingers curled between mine, and he smiled. “Nothing.”
Grinning up at him, I turned towards some of the stunned audience that still stood in the living room. My eyes found Marsha. “Marsha, can you please get the girls to prepare some refreshments for everyone?”
That seemed to bring Marsha back to reality. Almost at once, I saw reality settle back into her system, and she instantly straightened on her feet. “Yes, Miss!”
“Hurry along, everyone. Everyone get back to work,” she instructed the rest of the household staff, quickly ushering everyone out of the living room.
Romanov turned towards Grayson. “Keep everything prepared in case she makes a move.”
Immediately, Grayson nodded, turning towards the officers, and talked to them through their mind-link.
I still hadn’t grasped the concept behind this, although it had become easy to spot the signs when the boys were talking to each other through their minds. For one, their irises shifted colours. And second, they looked like they were deep in thought.
~
It was a chilly night. The sort of chill that always came with a storm. The skies were upset and angry. Despite the constant thunder crashing and lightning flashing through the air, the smell of wet soil was still fresh in the air. That comforted me. I was content.
“It’s just as crazy outside just as it is inside the castle, isn’t it?”