The guards opened the mansion gates as soon as I rolled down my window and they recognized me.
When I parked, Ursula was already waiting. We shared a quick hug, and she said, "I'm so happy to see you. You caused quite a scene this morning with that press stunt, but congratulations. I'm proud of you."
I told her I had no idea what scene she was talking about—that I'd only gone out to buy a bed.
She replied, "You're all over the news, more than ever. Albert's family talked about what you did for them. The little girls were crying on camera, thanking you, and the shop was absolutely packed with customers and onlookers—completely full! Everyone wanted the exact same thing you bought. The man's wife called you 'Carmilla, God's messenger,' and that title is being repeated on every single channel. You're trending everywhere, of course. Now, come on, Mr. Longfield wants to speak with you."
The master of the house was at his residence. He greeted me by kissing the back of my hand like a true gentleman and said, "Let's step outside for a bit and walk through the gardens."
On the way, we ran into the three cloned blondes. They froze when they saw me. The one in the middle, who was holding some notes, glared at me with such pure hatred that even Mr. Longfield noticed.
He whispered to me, "She's been in love with Killian ever since she started working here, and that was several years ago. Don't blame her; everyone here is talking about your triumphant return as my son's girlfriend."
I replied, "Okay, now it all makes sense. They've always hated me and treated me as badly as they could. I'm not going to feel sorry for them."
Once we reached the gardens, Mr. Longfield said, "I asked to see you for a few reasons. You know I'm indebted to Killian for trying to arrange his marriage to Vandereck's psychopathic daughter. He's sharp; he'll hold it over my head forever, but he also understands that I like you. In fact, I've grown quite fond of you, so I won't oppose your relationship. However, I need to make one thing clear. There are two simple rules. If you break them, I will take it as a personal attack against me and our family, and you will stop seeing the nice gentleman you think you know."
"I don't think 'Nice Gentleman' is your nickname around here," I joked. That man always managed to fluster me.
He didn't smile. Instead, he looked at me with a serious expression and continued, "Killian, my son, will be taking over everything very soon. I'm telling you this before anyone else so you understand: I am retiring from the business world, I am leaving the mansion, and I am going to start living my life again. I'll do it two days after Lucius and Sarah's wedding."
I asked him, "Why are you telling me this? I mean, congratulations—you deserve to be happy again—but I don't have much to do with the family business, nor do I want to, especially given the whole judge-and-executioner thing we've already talked about."
He replied, "Precisely because of that. I assume you don't want to live in the mansion again, but I'm afraid you won't have a choice if you intend to see your boyfriend. When he takes over, he will have achieved his dream. He has always wanted this, and it will be a massive burden of responsibility, not to mention time. So he will be happy, but busy. Will you be able to handle it?"
I told him firmly, "No. If I'm being honest, I won't be able to handle it. In the movie of Killian's life, I don't want to be a supporting actress while the company plays the lead. I'm sorry, but I don't want him to end up like you. We'll have to find another way."
He smiled and shouted, "Exactly! I don't want my son to end up like me either, and I need you to make him see that. This empire requires 100% of his energy. In just two years, he'll be so overwhelmed that he'll completely forget to live. Save him from that—truly. He will make better decisions than I did, as long as he doesn't make the mistake of isolating himself from the world and the people he loves. Do you promise?"
I promised him, but then I asked, "What are the two rules?"
He answered, "Number one: you cannot get in the way of Lucius and Sarah's relationship. You must stay away from him—and I mean regarding what you already know. That chapter is over. He has a lot on his plate and an image of devotion to his wife and his country to maintain if he wants to be president. The world cannot think that you are actually the love of his life."
Stunned, I asked him, "Do you think I'm the love of Lucius's life?"
Longfield said coldly, "Does it even matter? Whatever happened between you two must stay in the past forever. And the second rule is that you must never, ever speak to the press again without my authorization. You have no idea what those vultures are capable of. If you want to help someone, like that man who sells beds, fine—go ahead. If you run short on money, call me. Tell me you want to shower him and his entire family in gold, and it will be done. But if you speak to the press again, you will make an enemy out of me—and believe me, I won't care how much Killian loves you."
Evangelina walked over from the mansion, cutting off a conversation that felt much more like a threat than a "welcome to the family." Right, girl? The supposed "Mr. Nice Guy" was pretty harsh with me. But anyway, the point is that the queen gave me a hug, and in an inside joke about the merger between their empires, she and Mr. Longfield greeted each other by saying, "Good to see you, my other half."
It made me laugh; tonight didn't seem to be a night for good nicknames. She took my hand and said, "Are you two done talking? Now it's my turn with Carmilla! Come on, talk to me."
With Longfield's permission, I went with her toward the hall where we were having dinner. I pointed to a corner and told her, "That's where I got my first kiss. It was Lucius. He turned off the lights and... well, it's a thing of the past."
I told her about the rules, and without even hesitating, she said, "Mr. Longfield knows he's weak. I don't mean physically weak. No matter how tough he is, he isn't strong enough to handle this new empire, and he doesn't want to admit the truth. Killian, your little boyfriend, isn't either."
Evangelina paused, flashing a deeply sexy smile—though I don't think she knows how to smile any other way—and confessed, "Sooner or later, I will have to take charge of the empire, and when that day comes, I want you by my side. Longfield-Bance isn't just a megacorporation; it's a monster far too powerful. It could devour anyone who tries to tame it. And by that, beautiful, I mean you can't handle that much power without it consuming you. At least, men can't. For me, it would be as easy as breathing."
I threw my arms out, complaining, "Can't tonight just be about Killian and me? Suddenly I'm caught in the middle of palace intrigues that I don't want now, nor will I ever want. You're the super genius—you'll know what's best for the company. But you're also a good person, so I trust you'll find a way to make things work without hurting anyone—especially Killian, who is now... my boyfriend!"
She faked wiping away a tear and said, "Does that mean I can't kiss you anymore? So you've decided—you're going to be the faithful girlfriend of the perfect boy. So nothing between you and me? Just friends? How boring!"
I blushed, not because of what she said, but because as she said it, she ran a hand down her long neck. I thought to myself, I won't even be able to tell my grandkids that I once kissed the actual goddess of love. Calmly, I replied, "Look, I think it's been made more than clear: yes, just friends. I want to see what it's like to have a boyfriend, a normal relationship. I love him, so it would be best if you and I turn the page and... stop doing that neck thing! Seriously, stop!"
She smiled and promised she would respect my decision, but the moment I turned around, I felt her hand smack my ass, and I burst out laughing.
"Stop!" I said, pointing a finger at her.
With her crystal eyes locked on me, she opened her mouth as if to bite it, and I knew she would always try to seduce me. It's just her nature—one that I secretly love. Regardless, I stood firm in my decision and pleaded, "Just be happy for me. Come on, cheer up. I'm truly very happy tonight."
Killian arrived wearing a white shirt and the brown leather jacket I love so much. He looked gorgeous. Nobody would hesitate to point him out if we asked, who's the hero of this movie? He lifted me effortlessly to kiss me, then complimented my dress and my hair. Half-joking, half-not, he pointed at Evangelina and warned her, "She's my girl and mine alone from now on. It's official, so keep your distance, Hunter Queen!"
Lucius and Sarah arrived last; the rest of us were already seated. Then Killian stood up, looked into my eyes, and everyone listened in silence as he spoke.
"You all know why we're here tonight, but I think it's important to share that some time ago—specifically the moment I saw you, Carmilla—I understood that my life had just gotten better. Within hours, I realized I had absolutely no right to try to change you, and that I would never dare to. Now you've agreed to be my girlfriend, and I feel so proud it's hard to believe. I want to be with you always, but even more than that, I want you to never change who you are—not even for me—or I'd never forgive myself. You are perfect, and I know I need you as much as I love you. You make people better; I don't even know how you do it. My heart is yours until the day I die."
He kissed me and held me in his arms. He had to—I was deeply moved. When I sat back down, I saw that everyone still had their glasses raised, toasting to us—everyone except Lucius, who tapped his watch and gave me a subtle but clear signal.
The message read: When the clock strikes 10... stand up and walk with me. It's urgent.