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Chapter Text

Tory

The club buzzed with energy, a mix of men and women lost in their own worlds. It wasn’t a strip club per se, but a fetish haven where patrons indulged their kinkiest fantasies without judgment. Upon entry, customers donned masks that cloaked their identities, offering a tantalizing veil of anonymity to explore their desires freely. Yet Dante, the club's owner, possessed an uncanny knack for spotting regulars. His sharp eye and deep understanding of the clientele made it nearly impossible for anyone to remain truly anonymous for long.

I stood behind the bar, fighting to keep my eyes open. I had been bartending here for two years now. Despite graduating and no longer having morning classes, exhaustion still clung to me like a heavy fog. My shift stretched from five to midnight, and I still had five more hours to endure. The music thumped in the background, a steady pulse that matched the crowd's energy. I wiped down the counter for what felt like the hundredth time, watching masked figures sway in sync with the rhythm.

I remembered clearly how I had approached Dante for a job. He was the leader of the Oscura clan and practically owned the city of Alestria. His line of work wasn’t always clean—or legal, for that matter. I hadn’t wanted a job that would land me in jail, so here I was.

I was sixteen when I arrived at the club to speak with Dante. A mask had been handed to me at the door, just like everyone else. It was my first time in this club, and I was surprised, to say the least. I hadn’t realized how many people had such diverse kinks. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement and mystery, filled with individuals clad in an array of outfits and masks. I felt out of place, yet I knew I wanted the job.

Dante had been back in the back office. I’d been escorted back after giving the bouncers my name. I entered the office, noticing Elise in the room as well. She offered me a warm smile, though I didn’t fail to notice the way she was adjusting her clothing. 

“Ah, Piccola Principessa,” Dante greeted, leaning back in his seat behind the desk. 

I rolled my eyes at the silly nickname. He’d called me that for as long as I could remember, and I still didn’t quite understand why. Perhaps it was because my mom always referred to me as her princess.

“I want a job,” I said, cutting straight to the chase.

Dante raised his eyebrows at me.

“Here,” I clarified, dismissing any thoughts of the illegal activities his gang was involved in. “At the club.”

“You want to be a dancer, Fenice?” he asked, hesitation threading through his tone.

I’d been obsessed with phoenixes for as long as I could remember. I collected stuffed models and plastered my walls with their vibrant posters. I never understood why they captivated me so deeply; perhaps it was the freedom they embodied that drew me in. So, this nickname made sense.

I quickly shook my head. “No, I want to bartend.”

It was the most practical job here, one that didn’t require me to sell any part of my body or shake my ass on stage. I wanted something that would allow me to earn money without compromising my dignity. Bartending felt like the perfect option. Straightforward, with a chance to keep my distance from the club's more questionable operations.

“You should be focusing on your education,” Elise cut in, moving to stand beside Dante.

“I can do both,” I insisted, glancing between them. “I can work after school.”

Dante regarded me thoughtfully. “If you need money, you only have to ask.” His tone was soft, but the implication made my stomach twist.

“I’m going to tell you the same thing my mother did, Dante.” I folded my arms across my chest. “I don’t want free handouts. I want to earn my keep.”

“Fair enough,” Dante agreed, reaching out to pull Elise to his side.

“Dante,” she warned, her frown deepening.

“She wants a chance to prove herself, Bella. I can respect that,” he replied, glancing between her and me. “You’ve got the job, Fenice, but the first time you’re late or start slacking off, you’re out the door.”

I had to bite my lip to suppress a smile. This was why I’d approached Dante about the position. I knew he’d give me a chance, and despite his warnings, I didn’t believe he would fire me. Still, I was determined to work hard. I genuinely wanted to prove myself.

“You’re quiet tonight.”

I jumped at the voice, turning to look at the man who had appeared beside me, seemingly out of nowhere. “Tharix,” I breathed, placing a hand over my heart.

He turned his dark eyes on me, his handsome face cast in shadows from the dim lighting of the club. “I didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, his smooth voice sliding over me like silk.

I didn’t know much about Tharix. Dante had hired him a couple of months ago for extra security, but even he hadn’t been able to find any dirt on Tharix. It was as if the guy didn’t exist. I didn’t even know his last name. Rumors swirled that he was ex-military, but I couldn’t confirm if that was true. Still, I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to him than met the eye.

“It’s fine,” I assured him, lowering my hand from my chest as I relaxed. “I guess I should pay more attention.”

Honestly, even if I had been paying attention, he still would have found a way to surprise me. The guys had a knack for appearing out of nowhere. I’d jokingly asked him once if he’d been an assassin before working here, and he’d just offered a half-smirk before walking away. Most people would find his odd behavior off-putting, but I couldn’t help but be intrigued. He was an enigma wrapped in mystery, and I couldn’t shake the curiosity about what secrets he was truly hiding. Despite his quiet demeanor, an intensity radiated from him that made it impossible to ignore his presence.

He offered me that same half-smirk now. “I believe your mother is looking for you.” He reached out, tugging a strand of my hair free from the collar of my uniform, his fingers trailing down its length. “Just a heads up.”

I groaned inwardly at the mention of my mother. Lately, it felt like our conversations revolved solely around my future. It didn’t matter that she managed this club; she wanted more for me. She wanted me to better myself. More often than not, it led to arguments. She’d never have agreed to let me take this job in the first place, which was why I’d gone to Dante.

“Thanks.” I took a step back, turning to assist a customer. By the time I served the man his drink and turned back, Tharix had vanished. I scanned the room for him, but he was nowhere to be found—like he’d slipped through the cracks of reality, just as he always did.

“Please tell me you aren’t getting any ideas about that one,” Elise said, approaching from where she’d been serving another customer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I feigned ignorance, turning away to wipe down the bar with a towel.

She folded her arms and leaned her hip against the bar. “He’s a little old for you, don’t you think?”

“Well, I never claimed to have good taste in men,” I countered as I turned back to her. 

Elise held her hands up. “I just thought you learned your lesson with Bryce.”

I winced at the mention of my ex boyfriend. Talk about a poor choice in men. I had ignored all the red flags with that one. Not only had he been controlling and possessive, he’d also been a cheater. I had been blind to his faults, but I wasn’t going to make the same mistakes again. Tharix might be intriguing, but I wasn’t about to take any chances. 

I remembered when I’d first started dating Bryce. Ryder had his own car garage, and I’d been there tinkering around with one of the bikes when he’d strode in. “Bryce? Really, Tory?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I realized he was there. “How did you know?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder at him.

Ryder folded his arms, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “You so much as breathe on a guy, and I know,” he replied.

Meaning Elise had told him.

“I don’t see the issue.” I shrugged and turned back to the bike.

“He’s too old for you.”

“He’s the same age as you, and you aren’t that old.”

I could feel Ryder’s eyes boring into the back of my skull. “You just make sure you tell him that if he hurts you, I’ll kill him.”

I turned to face him again. “Shouldn’t you be the one telling him that?” 

“Trust me, he knows,” he answered cryptically. “But a reminder won’t hurt. Nobody hurts our princess and gets away with it.”

I rolled my eyes. I wasn’t a princess, and I was tired of them always calling me that. “I can take care of myself, you know.”

“I know you can,” he said, his tone softening. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t be here to back you up.”

I almost cracked a smile at that. “Wasn’t he your second in command?” I asked, looking up at him. “Didn’t you trust him?”

Several years ago, Ryder’s gang had merged with the Oscura Clan to form a single entity. Now, he and Dante ran things together, but before that, Ryder had led the Lunar Brotherhood, with Bryce as his second-in-command. Rumor had it that Bryce wasn’t too pleased with the merger, yet he remained in the fold, causing no trouble that I knew of.

“Not one bit,” Ryder replied honestly.

That should have been the moment I walked away, but it was common knowledge that Ryder didn’t trust anyone. I hadn’t thought too much about it. Bryce was nice to look at, and his skills in the bedroom hadn’t been terrible. He was charming and persuasive, and I believed I could handle him. It had all started out fine, but it always did, didn’t it? Gradually, he grew controlling and possessive. He wanted to know where I was at all times, who I was with, and what I was doing. He tried to dictate who I could and couldn’t talk to, which often led to arguments. He never got physical, but sometimes I sensed he wanted to. If I had stayed with him, I honestly think he might have crossed that line.

This was where I should have drawn the line, but it wasn’t until I walked in on him, balls deep in someone else, that I called it quits. I was ashamed to admit that I had cried. Half the time, I wasn’t really sure how I felt about him, and I knew for certain that I wasn’t in love with him, but the humiliation and degradation stung. The guy had the nerve to dictate who I could and couldn’t hang out with, then went and fucked someone else? Hell no.

I marched all the way down to Ryder’s garage, more furious than sad at that point. I threw open the door and strode inside.

Ryder looked up from the car he’d been working on, reaching for a towel to wipe the grease from his hands. He took one look at my red, swollen eyes and grabbed a crowbar from a nearby workspace. “I’m going to kill him,” he threatened, taking a step toward me.

I held my hands up. “No, I have a better idea,” I said, taking a deep breath. “Do you know how to hotwire a car?”

An hour later I was back outside of Bryce’s apartment attempting to hotwire his car. I wanted to be the one to do it so Ryder had explained to me what I needed to do. He’d also got the door open without setting off the alarm. Something I wouldn’t have known how to do either. 

“This is probably the nicest car I’ve ever sat my ass in.” Ryder was in the passenger seat beside me, admiring the upholstery. “How the fuck did he afford a half a million dollar car? I know damn well we don’t pay him this much.”

It was true. The Ferrari Spider was worth a small fortune, and I had no idea how Bryce had gotten his hands on it. He’d just shown up with it a few months ago, and from the first moment I laid eyes on it, I hated the thing. If I got so much as a crumb on the seat or floor, he’d yell at me. It was clear he cared more about that damn car than he did about me. He would never have let me so much as breathe on the steering wheel.

One night, he made me get out and walk home because he’d spilled his beer all over the place, and somehow it was my fault. I had been terrified to walk home in the city after dark; Dante’s protection only extended so far, and there were some real creeps in Alestria. Luckily, there was a bar across the street. I waited inside while I called Elise to come get me, begging her not to tell my mother or anyone else.

I’d never forgotten that night. The fear, the humiliation, the cold. It wasn’t just about the car, it was about control. Bryce wielded it like a weapon, and I was tired of being on the receiving end.

“You might want to hurry up over there, Hotshot,” Ryder warned, his eyes fixed on the rearview mirror.

I half-turned in the driver’s seat to see what had caught his attention. Bryce was striding down the sidewalk toward us and the car.

“Shit,” I cursed, turning back to the hot-wiring at hand.

With Ryder guiding me more carefully now, the engine finally roared to life. I trembled as the car idled beneath me, my hands gripping the steering wheel. A glance in the rearview mirror revealed Bryce sprinting towards us. I steadied myself and shifted the car into drive.

Ryder laughed as he rolled down the window. “See you later, Bruce!” he called out just as I surged forward, maneuvering the car away from the sidewalk.

Bryce shouted curses and threats, but we soon left him in our dust.

“What if he calls the cops?” I asked, my nerves getting the better of me. I hadn’t planned for him to catch me stealing his car. I just wanted to take away the one thing I knew he cared about. I hadn’t stopped to consider the consequences of my actions.

Ryder, however, seemed unfazed. He leaned back in his seat, a smug grin playing on his lips. “Dante will take care of it,” he assured me. “Besides, there won’t be any proof you had the car.”

I let my muscles relax because he was right. I had no intention of keeping it. The car drove like a dream, and as we hit the highway, I pressed down on the gas pedal, urging it to go faster. We drove for an hour until we reached the place where I planned to dispose of it. A cliff overlooking the ocean. I pulled the car up to the edge and shifted into park.

Ryder glanced at me before stepping out of the car. I took a moment, inhaling deeply, then shifted the gear back into drive. With my foot pressing down on the brake, I opened my door and leaned out as far as I could before letting go of the brakes. I jumped back as the car lurched forward, plummeting right over the edge of the cliff. 

I approached the precipice, staring down at the vast expanse of ocean below, its waves crashing against the jagged rocks. I inhaled deeply, savoring the salty air just as the car met its fate, shattering against the stones before being swallowed by the sea.

“Shame,” Ryder mused beside me as we watched it fall. “Would have brought a pretty penny on the black market.”

I didn’t answer because money was no issue. Dante paid my mother more than what was fair for her position managing the club. We’d never struggled, and I had never wanted for anything. He’d always taken care of us, and I couldn’t help but wonder what my mother had done to earn such fierce loyalty from him.

The police never came knocking. I knew it was because Dante had indeed taken care of it. He had the chief of police in his pocket, holding dirt on nearly everyone of importance in the city. There was no evidence of me stealing the car other than Bryce’s word; the camera footage from the apartment's cameras had mysteriously vanished.

It worked in my favor since it kept my mother from finding out what I’d done. Dante hadn’t been pleased, but that was nothing compared to the tongue-lashing I would have faced from her. She was so careful to avoid even a speeding ticket. If I had gotten arrested, she would have flipped her shit.

It wasn’t long after that when I took the trash out, close to the end of my shift. I had just turned away from the dumpster when a hand clamped around my throat, slamming me back against the wall. Pain, white-hot and blinding, pulsed through my skull on impact, nearly causing me to black out. The grip tightened around my throat, cutting off my air. I struggled, gasping for breath, but his hold only grew stronger. My vision blurred as I clawed at his hand, desperate for relief. Then, as quickly as it began, the pressure eased.

“Did you think you could steal from me and get away with it, you little bitch?” Bryce hissed in my face, his body pinning me to the wall so tightly that I could barely move.

“Fuck you,” I spat back at him.

He pulled a knife from his pocket, pressing the tip against my cheek. I opened my mouth to scream, but his grip tightened around my throat, choking me instead. I clawed at his hand, but he didn’t budge. The blade dug deeper into my skin, a sharp sting blossoming as it broke through. Warm blood trickled down my face, and a wave of fear washed over me.

“You belong to me,” he growled, his eyes blazing with anger. “I’m going to carve you up so no other man will want you.”

Just as Bryce pressed the blade harder into my cheek, he was yanked away and thrown to the ground a few feet away. Tharix stood in front of me, his normally expressionless face alight with fury. I didn’t care. Relief flooded through me, and my knees buckled as I fell against him. He caught me, never taking his eyes off Bryce.

“I think you’ve overstayed your welcome.” His calm tone contrasted sharply with the pure malice burning in his eyes.

Bryce rose to his feet, his face draining of color as he noticed what Tharix held in his free hand. I hadn’t registered the gun until that moment, my gaze flickering hesitantly between the two men. Where had Tharix even gotten a gun? I knew for a fact it wasn’t part of his role as security.

Bryce raised his hands. “Just a misunderstanding,” he said through gritted teeth.

Tharix jerked his chin, a dismissive gesture urging Bryce to leave. The look in his eyes before he turned away told me this wasn’t over; he hadn’t forgotten what I had done.

Tharix’s grip on the gun tightened, knuckles turning white. His cold, unyielding gaze bore into Bryce’s retreating figure. I could feel the tension radiating from him, an unsettling certainty that he wanted to pull the trigger.

I’d suffered a concussion from that night, but luckily the cut from his knife hadn’t left a scar. I hadn’t seen or heard from Bryce since. I didn’t know if it was because Ryder had buried him after all or if he was simply biding his time.

Bryce had been a mistake I had no intention of repeating. I was grateful to Tharix for saving me that night—that was all. I wasn’t interested in him romantically. I just didn’t like being told what I should and shouldn’t do.

Before I could answer Elise, my mother strode up to the bar, her blonde hair flowing behind her. Blonde because she wore a wig over her natural brown locks. She never dyed it, claiming it would damage her hair too much. Today, her face was absent of the heavy makeup she usually wore, making her look…younger. Sometimes, I swore she was trying to change her natural appearance.

“Tory, honey, I’ve got to leave early,” she said, glancing at me over the bar counter. “It might be late when I get home, so don’t wait up.”

Not the conversation I’d expected. I had braced myself for her usual push to quit my job and pursue something else with my life. Maybe someday, but not anytime soon.

“Okay.” I nodded slowly, curiosity gnawing at me about what she would be doing. I knew better than to ask. She wouldn’t tell me.

She smiled and offered a quick hello to Elise before slipping out the door.

Well, that went a lot better than I had anticipated.

A few hours drifted by with little to note. I busied myself making drinks for customers, careful not to engage too much in conversation. Sometimes the male patrons misinterpreted even the slightest bit of attention.

“Tory Nox?” A man’s voice called from behind me.

I turned from the bar, where I’d been straightening bottles of liquor, to find a dark-haired man standing there. He looked to be in his forties, but I didn’t recognize him.

“Can I help you?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He studied me for several long moments, his gaze probing.

I shifted uneasily, waiting for him to speak.

“Your mother,” he finally said, breaking the silence. “She’s been in a car accident. She’s in the hospital in Celestia.”

My heart dropped at the man’s words. I didn’t want to believe it was true, but he had known me by name. Confusion swirled in my mind—why was he telling me about my mother? Why hadn’t the hospital called? More importantly, what had my mother been doing in Celestia?

So many questions raced through me, but the only thing I could manage to ask was, “Is she okay?”

The man hesitated, his gaze flickering as he chose his words carefully. “She’s alive,” he replied before turning away and striding off into the crowd.

I moved around the bar to follow him, but within moments, he vanished from sight. Shit, I thought, my hands trembling as the weight of the situation sank in. I needed to get to my mother.

Elise grabbed my arm, turning me to face her. “I’ll drive,” she said.

She must have heard the man too; she’d been standing right here. But I couldn’t move. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My chest tightened as fear gripped me. I wanted to scream, to cry, to rage against the reality of this moment. God, what if she didn’t make it?

Elise tightened her grip on my arms. “Tory, breathe,” she urged, her voice steady. “We will find out what’s going on, but we need to go.”

My eyes locked onto hers as I took a few deep breaths and nodded slowly. She led me out of the bar toward a car parked in front of the club. We didn’t speak during the drive to the hospital. I barely registered the road passing by. All I felt was numbness.

We pulled up to the hospital before I knew it. It was much larger than the hospital in Alestria, probably a lot nicer too. 

We got out of the car and walked towards the entrance, heading inside. I headed straight for the reception desk while Elise waited by the chairs in the waiting room. 

“I…” I trailed off as the receptionist glanced up, her expression expectant. “My mother. She was brought here after a car accident.”

“Her name?” The woman asked, fingers poised above her keyboard, ready to search for my mother.

“Marissa Nox,” I replied.

The woman typed rapidly, then looked back at me. “There’s no one here by that name.”

“You have to be mistaken,” I argued, shaking my head. “I was told she was here.”

The woman’s annoyance deepened as she resumed typing. “There’s no one here by that name,” she repeated, leaning to glance behind me. “You’re holding up the line.”

I turned away and walked back toward Elise. She raised her eyebrows at the look on my face. “She said my mother isn’t here,” I whispered, frustration creeping into my voice.

Maybe the man had gotten the hospital wrong, or perhaps it had been some cruel joke. Panic surged through me. The man had been so sure, so insistent. Had he lied? Or was there some kind of mistake? I couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. Not like this.

Elise opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes went wide as she stared over my shoulder. I turned to see what had captured her attention, and my own eyes widened in shock. A man had walked into the hospital, his piercing gaze sweeping over the occupants. But he wasn’t just any man; he was Hail Vega, the king of Solaria. I’d seen him on TV and in news articles—I knew it was him.

He stopped short when his eyes landed on me, stumbling back as if struck by an unseen force, surprise flickering across his face. “Roxanya,” he breathed, his gaze locked onto mine.

I wanted to crawl beneath one of the chairs and hide. I didn’t like his attention on me. At the name he uttered, I turned to look behind me, confused, but there was no one there. Just Elise, her expression mirroring my shock. I didn’t know what to say as I turned back to the king.

Hail stepped towards me, his gaze sweeping over every inch of me. It wasn’t sexual, but it still made me uneasy. “Roxanya,” he repeated, wonder and awe flickering in his expression before it hardened again. “Your mother. Where is she?”

Confusion swirled inside me. Why was the king of Solaria asking about my mother? Why was he calling me Roxanya? The name felt familiar. I remembered reading something about the queen and her daughter, Roxanya, going missing, but I wasn’t her. There was just no way.

The woman paled, and a wave of satisfaction washed over me at the flicker of fear that crossed her face. She turned back to her computer, ignoring the person in front of her as she complied with the king’s demands.

“Upstairs, your majesty,” she replied after a moment, her voice trembling. “In room two thirteen.”

The king strode toward the elevator without another word.

I watched him go, still bewildered by what had just unfolded. The others in the lobby were now staring at us, disbelief and awe etched on their faces. I caught snippets of their whispers, “lost princess” and “the queen” among them.

“Tory,” Elise whispered, gripping my arm. “I think he was talking about your mom.”

“That’s impossible,” I hissed, turning away from the onlookers to meet her gaze. “My mother is the manager at a sex club, for fuck’s sake, not a queen. She said my father left when I was a baby, and I sure as shit don’t have a twin sister.”

I refused to believe it. My mother—the woman who raised me, who dedicated her life to ensuring Gabriel and I had everything we needed—could not possibly be the queen of Solaria. She just couldn’t be. The thought that my mother would ever abandon a child felt like a betrayal I couldn’t accept. She had loved us fiercely and done everything in her power to shield us from the world’s dangers. She had sacrificed so much for us, and the idea of her concealing something so monumental shattered everything I thought I knew.

Elise, however, didn’t look convinced. “Go,” she urged, nodding toward the elevators. “I’m going to call Gabriel and let him know what’s going on.”

Shit. I’d forgotten to call him.

I took a deep breath and walked toward the elevators, where the king was still waiting for one to descend. As I approached, the doors opened, and he stepped inside quickly. I slipped in behind him, positioning myself as far away as possible. I didn’t know why, but he intimidated the hell out of me. Probably because he was known as the Savage King. In the years following his wife’s disappearance, he had been merciless in his quest to find her. I wasn’t sure I believed everything that was said about him, but I wasn’t taking any chances.

He glanced sideways at me, just realizing I had followed him. “God, you look just like her.”

I wrapped my arms around myself, turning my head to meet his gaze. “Who?” I asked.

“Your sister,” he replied, looking away.

I wasn’t sure how to respond. I had no idea what his daughter looked like. The princess hadn’t been seen outside her palace since infancy. He must see her daily and would know if I resembled her at all, but doubt still gnawed at me.

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime as we reached the second floor, and we stepped out. I trailed behind Hail Vega, who strode down the hospital halls with an air of ownership. He paused to scan the room numbers before entering one on the left, and I hurried to follow him inside. The sight that met me was staggering. My mother lay motionless on the bed, hooked up to machines that surrounded her. Tubes and wires snaked from her body to monitors, their rhythmic beeping punctuating the stillness of the room. A tightness gripped my chest at the sight of her like this. I couldn’t comprehend what I was witnessing. My mother, the strongest woman I knew, appeared so frail and vulnerable.

The king was in a similar state beside me, his eyes fixed on the woman he claimed as his wife. He moved suddenly, shocking me as he dropped to his knees beside her bed. “Merissa,” he breathed, his voice heavy with longing. He reached out, trembling hand brushing a strand of hair from her face. “I’m here, my love.” His voice cracked. “You’re not alone.”

The raw emotion in his words sent a shiver down my spine, making me feel like an intruder in this intimate moment. It was absurd, considering my mother wasn’t even conscious.

A nurse strode into the room behind us. “You can’t be in here,” she said, but when the king turned to look at her, she hesitated. “Oh.”

“Get me a doctor,” Hail demanded, his eyes narrowed at the nurse.

Without hesitation, she fled the room at his command.

I figured being in his presence wasn’t so bad if it meant I might get answers about my mother.

Moments later, a doctor entered, his gaze fixed on the king.

Hail rose to meet him. “What’s wrong with her?”

I settled into a chair beside my mother’s bed while the king confronted the doctor.

"She's stable for now, but her condition is critical," the doctor said, his tone somber. "We're doing everything we can to stabilize her further, but it's too early to determine the extent of her recovery."

Hail's jaw tightened, his gaze never leaving the doctor's face.

The doctor hurried to continue. “She’s in a coma,” he clarified, shifting uneasily. “The wreck caused major trauma to her body. She’s lucky to have survived at all. I assure you, your majesty, we are doing everything we can, but it’s very likely she may never wake up.”

I tuned them out, closing my eyes and resting my forehead against my mother’s arm. A coma. Severe trauma. Lucky to be alive. My mother was likely lying here, dying, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it. Not even Hail Vega, the most powerful man in Solaria, could do anything to save her.

I vaguely heard Hail demanding second opinions and the best doctors to ensure my mother received the finest care. Despite his power and influence, frustration tinged his voice. He was accustomed to control, but this was one situation where even he was helpless. My mother's life hung by a thread, and all we could do was wait and hope for the best. I couldn’t bear to listen any longer. The weight of the situation settled heavily in my chest, suffocating me. My mother, the one constant in my life, might never wake up.

I was grateful for his insistence on the best care, but I didn’t know how much good it would do. “Please, Mom,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I need you.”

I needed her to wake up and explain what was happening—was this man really my father? Why had she left if that were the case? I needed her to tell me why she abandoned my sister. Shit… I had a sister. Not just any sister, but a twin.

The doctor stepped out, and Hail turned back to face me. “Take as much time as you need here, but you are coming back to the palace with me,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I didn’t know who he thought he was, ordering me around. Sure, maybe he was the king, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going anywhere with him.

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I stated matter-of-factly, meeting his gaze. “I don’t care if you are my father. I don’t know you.”

He looked stunned for a moment, probably unaccustomed to being challenged. “You will.”

“I won’t.” I shook my head. “You can try and make me, but I promise you, I will make your life a living hell.”

Hail studied me, and I swore I caught a glimmer of pride in his eyes. He sighed, conceding that I wasn’t going to yield. “Will you at least agree to come to the palace tomorrow? I know this isn’t the right time, but I’d like to get to know you, and I’m sure your sister will want to meet you too.”

I hesitated, grappling with how to respond. For one, I had no idea why my mother left this man. Was he abusive? Did he cheat on her? Why did she walk away? Suddenly, it clicked why she always wore so much makeup and that blonde wig—now absent—along with her usual façade. It was why she had been recognized as the queen. I realized the hospital must have contacted Hail Vega immediately. But then who sent the man who told me she was here?

“Okay,” I finally agreed, giving a slow nod. I didn’t trust him, but I wanted to meet my sister. She would have been innocent in my mother’s decision to leave.

We settled on a time, and the king left me alone with my mother. As soon as the door closed, I broke down, letting the tears flow freely. I wiped my face with trembling hands, struggling to compose myself. The weight of everything that had happened felt overwhelming, and so many questions swirled in my mind. My mother looked so fragile lying there, a shadow of the strong, vibrant woman I once knew. I reached out to hold her hand, desperate for that connection. I didn’t know how to face the king or the sister I’d never met, but deep down, I knew I had to try.

It was some time before the hospital room door opened again, and Dante Oscura stepped inside.

I looked up at him, my eyes still red from crying. “Did you know?” I asked, accusation lacing my tone, though hurt lingered beneath it.

He sighed, the expression on his face revealing everything I needed to know before he even spoke. “I’m sorry, Princepessa. It wasn’t my secret to tell.”

“But you told Elise, right?” I pressed, unable to hold back. “Ryder? Gabriel? Leon?”

But he shook his head. “Gabriel was old enough to remember Hail, but your mother made him swear not to tell you,” he answered. “And Ryder knows.”

It clicked into place, why they called me princess. Dante had started it, but the name had taken root among them. Elise was their queen, but they referred to me as their princess. How could I have been so blind? It had been right in front of me all along.

“Why?” I demanded, my tone sharp. “Why did you keep her secret all these years? What did she ever do to earn such loyalty from you?”

Dante stepped further into the room and settled into the chair across from mine. “When your mother left her royal life behind, she didn’t leave empty-handed,” he explained, leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees. “She brought a small fortune with her, a baby and a dark-haired boy in tow. She asked my father for help in disappearing in exchange for the money she carried. In return, my father offered her a place in his house as my caretaker. You know that much.”

It was true. I had grown up in the Oscura household alongside Dante, his siblings, and his cousins. Rosalie Oscura was one of my closest friends.

“It wasn’t until after my father died that I discovered who your mother really was,” he continued. “The time following my father’s death was hard on my mother. By then, I was old enough not to need Merissa’s care anymore, but she stepped in to support my mother when she retreated into herself. She remained there for me too, becoming like a second mother. When she decided it was time to leave my family’s home, I returned every penny she had paid my father for his protection. To my understanding, she set that money aside in an account for you.”

My anger softened as he spoke about my mother; the love and respect he held for her resonated in his voice. A pang of gratitude swelled within me for the woman who had been such a significant figure in both our lives. Despite the complicated circumstances, her love and care had left an indelible mark on us.

“She is as dear to me as my own mama.” He turned his gaze toward my mother. “I made sure she would continue to be taken care of. I made sure you both were taken care of. She earned my loyalty and respect over the years she cared for me, doing things for me and my family that she didn’t have to.”

I leaned back in my seat with a sigh. I knew he’d fulfilled my mother’s wishes, and I couldn’t be angry at him for that. Dante was nothing if not fiercely loyal to his family.

“I’m not mad at you,” I admitted, rising to my feet. “I just want to know why she did it.”

Dante looked up at me, his expression heavy. “I know, Principessa,” he said, releasing a weary sigh. “I wish I could tell you, but she never said anything, and I never asked after my father’s death.”

I nodded slowly, brushing past him to leave.

“Tory.” He turned in his chair to face me. “You’re going to be pulled into the royal lifestyle now that Solaria's Queen has been found.”

I shook my head. “I don’t want any of that. I don’t want to be a princess.”

“Listen to me, Fenice.” Dante’s expression turned serious. “The Acruxs are bad news. Don’t trust a single one of them, you hear me?”

I furrowed my brows slightly and turned back to him. “Why?” I asked. “Isn’t that Lionel guy a lord or something? Close to the king?”

His expression darkened. “That lord is heavily involved with the Shadow Queen. They deal in some nasty business that I won’t let my people touch, and Lionel Acrux has his hand in the cookie jar.”

From passing conversations, I knew the Shadow Queen was the leader of a gang in southern Solaria, fiercely opposed to the royal family's power. By extension, I supposed that included me, but I wasn’t particularly worried. Still, I took Dante’s warning about the Acruxs seriously.

I thanked Dante and left the room. As much as I hated being away from my mother, I knew there was nothing I could do by her bedside. Watching her like that was unbearable, and I couldn’t stand to remain there much longer, as much as it pained me to admit it.

Elise drove me back to Alestria, to the apartment I shared with my mother. It was one of the nicer places in the city, so I had no qualms about being alone. Still, I couldn’t shake the thought that my mother kept a handgun in her bedside drawer. Was it a precaution against someone coming for her? 

Elise offered to stay with me, but I declined. I preferred she be with Gabriel; he needed her more than I did. After getting out of the vehicle, I walked into the building and took the elevator up to my floor. Once inside, I turned the lock and leaned back against the door. The silence of the apartment felt unsettling. My mother was always bustling about, always awake when I got home from work to ensure I was okay. She was always here to tell me goodnight, and I had taken it all for granted. Now, I missed her deeply. I wanted her here, even if it meant enduring another lecture about my career.

I pushed off the door after a few moments, walking toward the balcony because I needed some air. I pulled the doors open and stepped into the cool night, where the city lights twinkled below. Their glow did little to ease the ache in my chest. Leaning against the railing, I let the breeze wash over me, carrying with it memories of her laughter and warmth. I wished I had appreciated those moments more.

Movement in my peripheral vision made me jump back from the railing. A figure stepped out of the shadows, and I stumbled back several paces, my heart nearly pounding out of my chest. As he approached, I recognized his familiar features—dark eyes locked onto mine.

“Princess,” Tharix greeted, his face devoid of any emotion.

I relaxed when I realized it was him. I should have been freaked out that he was on my balcony, but I wasn’t. In fact, his presence felt oddly comforting.

“How did you…” I glanced around, my eyes landing on the fire escape, his likely route. “You know.”

“The news about your mother being the lost queen has already broken,” he confirmed, shifting closer. “You shouldn't be without someone to watch over you.”

I noted his concern, but the thought of an attack seemed far-fetched. Right? Shit, I didn’t know. It was the last thing on my mind.

“So you just decided to take the job?” I questioned, my eyes sliding over him.

He shrugged. “It won’t be safe for you now.”

I didn’t want to think about what that might mean. I didn’t want to think at all. Not about my mother lying in that hospital bed, not about my newfound father, or my supposed royal ties. I just wanted things to go back to normal.

It was a decision I knew I would regret in the morning, but that didn’t stop me from reaching out and grabbing Tharix by his jacket. I pulled him close, pressing my mouth to his as I stepped backward into my apartment, drawing him in with me.

Chapter Text

Darcy

I woke to the blaring of my phone alarm, groaning as I reached over to silence it. Rolling onto my back, I pulled my pillow over my face, trying to shield myself from the day. In my sleep-induced haze, I struggled to remember why I had set the alarm the night before. Leaving the castle was not an option, thanks to my father’s strict rules.

Eighteen years ago, my mother and twin sister vanished into the night. No one had seen them leave, nor had anyone seen them taken. It was as if they had never existed at all. I was left behind, confined to a life of solitude. The people of Solaria hadn’t laid eyes on me since I was a baby. My father’s overprotectiveness felt suffocating, but I understood his fear of losing me too. Though I had no memories of them, their absence haunted me like a shadow. My father rarely spoke of them, and when he did, his voice trembled with pain. I longed for freedom, for the chance to explore the world beyond the castle walls, but his fear kept me trapped.

Hail Vega kept a picture of his missing wife on his desk, a silent testament to his enduring hope that she would one day return. I wasn’t so sure that was the case. Despite my efforts, I had never uncovered anything about her disappearance—no newspaper articles, no online posts, no interviews, nothing. It was as if she had vanished into thin air.

I sat up slowly, glancing toward the door as realization struck me. My new security detail. That’s why I’d set my alarm. I’d gone through several over the years, each one dismissed due to my knack for getting them fired. It was amusing, really, that I even needed one at all, considering I wasn’t allowed outside the castle. The last guard hadn’t lasted a week—my personal record. I didn’t plan for this one to stick around either. It was my small act of rebellion against my father’s strict rules.

I got up quickly, hurrying to the door in just my tank top and sleep shorts. I paused, smoothing down my blue hair before pulling open the door. Clasping my hands behind my back, I strolled out of my room, turning to where I knew he’d be standing. I stopped dead as I took in the sight of my new bodyguard— all six foot seven inches of him, a stunning man with toned arms and legs. His hair was a deep brown, his dark eyes intense, and his face framed by a perfectly styled beard. He looked like he could snap me in half without breaking a sweat.

I couldn’t help but stare. He was unlike any guard I’d had before, his presence alone commanded attention. A flicker of annoyance sparked within me at my own reaction. Of course he had to be handsome. I wasn’t supposed to be impressed at all. It didn’t matter because he wouldn’t be around very long anyway. 

He didn’t look at me as I stood shamelessly admiring him, his expression serious.

“So, you’re my new babysitter,” I said casually, stepping in front of him.

I hated having to look up because he was so damn tall, but I didn’t let it deter me.

His eyes flickered to me for a brief moment before returning to the wall. “It would appear so.”

“He speaks,” I mused, leaning back slightly as I folded my arms. “Most of the security guys don’t talk to me.”

“I’m not here to be your friend,” he replied flatly, his gaze still fixed on the wall.

Despite his good looks, I hoped this one didn’t last long. It felt like conversing with a brick wall. No matter how hard I tried, he remained completely unfazed. Was it his stoicism or his indifference that annoyed me more? Either way, I wasn’t going to let him get under my skin. I had dealt with worse, and I refused to let some tall, silent security guard ruin my day.

“Lance Orion, right?” I asked, folding my arms across my chest. “Your family works for Lionel Acrux? I understand he recommended you to my father.”

I had long perfected the art of eavesdropping on my father’s conversations. I’d known who this man was before he ever set foot in this castle; there were several pictures online of Lance Orion in his role as security for Lionel Acrux.

His eyes slowly met mine, his expression unreadable.

“I can’t help but wonder why Lionel would let you go if you’re truly the best, as he told my father.” I held his stoic gaze, refusing to give this man an inch.

“He didn’t want to give me a raise.” Orion shrugged, his tone flat.

“I see.” I nodded, though doubt lingered. There had to be more to the story. Lionel Acrux wasn’t the type to easily part with someone he valued. Orion’s nonchalance only deepened my curiosity about his true motives for being here.

Lionel was a lord and a trusted member of my father’s council, but I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him. I had long suspected he was involved in far shadier dealings. He was always whispering in my father’s ear, trying to sway his decisions, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was using his position to line his own pockets. I couldn’t prove it, but something about him made my skin crawl. His manipulative tendencies and constant influence over my father’s choices were enough to make me question his loyalty.

That meant Orion couldn’t be trusted either.

“Your father just wants the best for you,” Orion said, his gaze sliding down my body with obvious intent. “A little thing like you wouldn’t last two seconds against someone trying to kill you.”

I scoffed, unfazed by his stereotypical opinion of me. “I’ve had a personal trainer since I was old enough to throw punches. I’m not afraid of you or anyone else. If you try to fuck with me, you’ll leave here with more than a few broken bones.”

His eyebrows shot up, and I could have sworn his lips twitched, as if he were holding back a smile. I didn’t give him time to respond; instead, I turned my back and strode down the hallway.

As it turned out, Lance Orion was quite good at his job. Over the next week, I brainstormed ways to shake him off, but nothing stood out. He was too fucking perfect at what he did. Unless I was holed up in my room, he was there, watching me like a hawk. Usually, I could get my security to back off or even leave me alone for a few hours, but this guy wasn’t having it. I tried to lose him during my walks in the garden, but he simply replied that wasn’t what my father paid him for and kept following me. I’d even texted Geraldine to come out and walk with me to see if he’d relent. Her father was head of security and if I was safe with anyone, it was with her. 

Yet he still trailed a few paces behind us as we walked.

“I swear he’s like a shadow,” I muttered to Geraldine as we walked. “I can’t shake him no matter what I do.”

She shot a glance back at Orion before turning her attention back to me. “Well, he’s mighty fine to look at,” she said, her voice a touch louder than I would have liked. “Having him stick around might not be such a bad thing.”

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t deny she was right, so I didn’t bother trying. “It poses a problem for tonight,” I whispered, keeping my voice low to avoid Orion overhearing. “How am I supposed to get out of the castle if he’s glued to my ass?”

For the last few years, I’d been sneaking out of the castle through the secret passages that wound in and out of the palace. Aside from a trusted few, no one outside these walls knew what the princess of Solaria looked like, so there was little risk of being recognized. This anonymity was one of many reasons I tried to shake off my security detail. That, and I felt perfectly capable of handling myself. My father had me training to fend off attackers since I was old enough to understand the concept. The extra guards felt like overkill. Hisprotectiveness was driving me to the brink of insanity.

“My dear Darcy, there’s no need for you to worry about that.” She waved me off, her tone quiet now too. “I will take care of him for you.”

I had been relieved when Geraldine agreed to help me from day one of my plan to sneak out. She had always been one of my closest friends, living to please the royal family, despite my insistence that she didn’t owe us anything. Yet, she insisted it was her duty to serve them. Her fierce loyalty was unmatched, and I trusted her implicitly. She seemed to know what I needed before I even asked, and I couldn't help but feel grateful for her presence in my life.

After our walk, I bid Geraldine goodbye and headed back to my room to wait for nightfall. Orion, of course, trailed behind me. I gritted my teeth as I reached my door, suddenly turning to face him. He stopped short, nearly colliding with me.

“Does this amuse you?” I asked, annoyance clear in my tone.

“Not particularly,” he replied, his expression unreadable. 

I narrowed my eyes, trying to decipher his tone. He had a knack for remaining calm, no matter how much I lashed out at him. I wanted to hate him, yet there was something about him that made it difficult. His steady demeanor and unwavering confidence were both infuriating and intriguing, leaving me unsure how to react. Despite my frustration, an inexplicable pull drew me toward him—something I had never felt before.

“You don’t have to stand here all evening,” I tried, folding my arms. “You can leave early, I’m not going to say anything.”

He wasn’t supposed to leave until midnight, which was ridiculous in my opinion. I had plans to meet the others at eleven thirty, and I needed him gone before then. 

He wasn’t supposed to leave until midnight, which was ridiculous in my opinion. I had plans to meet the others at eleven thirty, and I needed him gone before then.

“The first time I neglect my post, you’ll run to daddy to try and get me fired.” Orion mirrored my stance, folding his arms tightly across his chest. “I see you watching me for the slightest slip-up.”

Heat crept up my skin at his implication. I shouldn’t let it get to me that he was paying such close attention. It was his job to watch me, for fuck’s sake.

I forced a scoff, determined not to let him see how much his words got to me. “You’re imagining things,” I retorted, my voice steady despite the warmth rising in my cheeks.

His gaze bore into mine with an intensity that quickened my pulse. I wanted to look away, to sever the connection, but something in his eyes held me captive. It was as if he could see through my every defense, leaving me exposed and vulnerable in a way that terrified me.

“I don’t think so,” he finally said, though his gaze never wavered. “I’m not going anywhere.”

A slow smile spread across his lips, as if he relished the effect he had on me. I had to turn away, cutting the conversation short. I hated how easily he got to me.

I retreated into my room, closing the door behind me. “I’m not going anywhere,” I mocked his final words as I walked to my closet.

I busied myself with getting ready for tonight so I didn’t have to think about the man standing outside of my door. I refused to give him that much power over me. He may be a very good looking man, but I wasn’t going to let that sway me. I would not let him win. 

As the clock inched toward eleven thirty, I had cleaned and organized my entire room. I needed something to keep my hands busy; sitting still was not an option. My phone pinged on the nightstand, and I moved to pick it up and read the text.

Geraldine:

Operation Get Rid Of Orry Man is a go.

I couldn’t help the snort of laughter that escaped me at Geraldine’s words. God, I loved that girl. 

I walked toward my door, pulling it open hesitantly, but just as Geraldine had said, Orion was nowhere to be seen. I turned off my light before slipping into the hallway, closing the door softly behind me. I moved quickly yet quietly through the palace, navigating the myriad hallways with ease. Reaching a tapestry on the wall, I pulled it aside to reveal a secret passage I often used to escape the castle. I slipped through and emerged outside the castle walls, inhaling the cool night air. The darkness wrapped around me as I made my way to the rendezvous point.

Darius Acrux leaned against the hood of his Audi, watching me approach. “Got away from the new security guy, I see,” he said, amusement lacing his tone.

I smiled back at him. “When have I ever failed?”

Darius laughed as the passenger door swung open, and Max Rigel stepped out.

He nodded in greeting, glancing in the direction I had come from. “Where’s Gerry?” he asked.

“She’s coming,” I promised, turning to look back as well. “She was providing my distraction. The guy is like a leech.”

Max wrinkled his nose. “I’ll never understand the need for a bodyguard in your situation.”

“You and me both,” I muttered, shaking my head.

He walked past me just as Geraldine emerged from the trees behind, catching her as she ran toward him. I looked away as they began kissing passionately.

Darius rolled his eyes. “Please take the back seat,” he pleaded, looking away as well. 

“I’m not sitting between them while they make those... sex eyes at each other.” I shook my head defiantly.

Darius snorted. “As if you know anything about sex eyes.”

I rolled my eyes at him, shoving his arm as I made my way to the passenger side. I tried to keep old memories at bay. The sting of my last relationship lingered, if it could even be called that. Darius had taken me to a nightclub a few times where I met a guy who charmed me with his smooth words. We talked for hours, and I was foolish enough to give him my number. He was so captivating, and I fell for it like the naive girl I was. I let him lead me to his car and allowed him to kiss me, convinced he was different. But it turned out he only wanted one thing. Once it was over, he had no interest in me anymore. I felt used and ashamed, but I learned a valuable lesson about trusting too easily. That experience shaped me, and I was determined never to let anyone take advantage of me like that again.

I had learned to be more cautious and guarded, especially regarding matters of the heart. That lesson was hard-earned, but one I would never forget. I wouldn’t let my past define me; instead, I would use it to grow stronger.

Darius was the only one who knew, having witnessed the fallout firsthand. I hadn’t even confided in Geraldine or Sofia, two of my closest friends.

Darius slid into the driver’s seat beside me, honking the horn to grab Max and Geraldine’s attention. They separated and hurried to climb into the back. Once everyone was buckled in, we sped down the road.

We headed to Max’s house since his parents were away for the weekend. We usually alternated between whose place we visited, depending on whose parents weren’t home at the time. Sometimes, we opted for the lake instead.

Darius sat beside me as we lounged next to Rigel’s gigantic pool. Max and Geraldine were locked in a fierce game of chicken against Xavier and Sofia, while Seth and Caleb cheered them on just a few feet away. I always placed my bets on Geraldine to win. The girl was ruthless, never backing down from a challenge, her competitive spirit unmatched.

“My father found me a new potential bride,” Darius said, his gaze fixed on the two couples splashing in the water.

“Oh, yeah?” I sat up and turned to face him. “Who is the unlucky girl?”

He rolled his eyes at my teasing. “Lux Andor,” he replied, pulling out his phone and turning it toward me.

After a moment of scrolling, he handed it over. I found myself staring at the Facebook profile of a stunning young woman in her twenties. She had long blonde hair, the ends dyed a vibrant shade of pink. Her delicate features were framed by bright blue eyes and full, rosy lips. I had no doubt she turned heads wherever she went.

“Well, she’s beautiful.” I handed his phone back after scrolling through a few more of her pictures.

He snorted, sliding his phone into his pocket. “She’s like five feet tall and smaller than you,” he grumbled. “I’m not interested in someone who looks like they’d break in half if I sneezed on them.”

Darius had turned down four of his father’s marriage choices now. He always found something wrong with them, but I suspected it was more about his father choosing his suitors. I couldn’t blame him; if my dad were trying to marry me off, I’d probably seek out reasons to escape, too.

“Are you just holding out hope for your mystery girl?” I teased, waggling my eyebrows at him playfully.

A couple of months ago, Darius took me to Alestria. Apparently street racing was very common after dark in the city. I had stayed in the car while he got out and went to speak to a couple of guys. A few moments later, he came back, looking over at me with raised eyebrows. “You sure you want to ride along?” he asked. 

Well, I sure as shit wasn’t going to be standing out there with these guys. I had heard plenty of stories about what happened to women after dark in this city. I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone here to see me anyway, and Darius’s windows were blacked out. “Yeah, I’m sure,” I told him, taking a deep breath. 

He nodded, and soon we were lined up to race. Four other cars flanked us. A motorcycle slid up beside us, the rider clad in tight black leather and a helmet with a visor so dark it concealed her face. If I had to guess, I’d say she was female based on her attire. I had no clue what the rules were—or if there were any—when it came to street racing, but no one objected to her presence.

Then we were off, and I forgot all about the girl on the bike. Darius was an exceptional driver, making me believe he’d done this before, or perhaps he just thrived in high-pressure situations. He wove through the streets with ease, leaving the other cars behind. The roar of the engine and the blur of city lights were intoxicating. All my earlier hesitation melted away in the pure rush of adrenaline.

We raced through the streets, the thrill of the moment consuming me. The world outside blurred into a kaleidoscope of lights and shadows. With each turn, Darius's confidence surged, and I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of freedom. For once, I wasn't overthinking. I was simply living in the moment.

Suddenly, one of the other cars caught up to us, and the driver slammed into my side of the car. “Holy shit!” I exclaimed, gripping the handle above my door.

“Motherfucker,” Darius cursed under his breath, quickly regaining control as he swerved to avoid another collision. The chase intensified as we darted through narrow streets, dodging obstacles and pushing the car to its limits. The other driver was relentless, but Darius kept his focus, pulling ahead. My heart pounded in my chest, adrenaline fueling every fiber of my being.

As we neared the finish line, the biker shot out of an alley directly in front of us. I sat up, certain that Darius was going to hit her, but she cleared the front of his car by mere inches, the edge of his bumper barely missing her back tire. She zipped past us, lifting the front of her bike into a wheelie as she sped away.

Darius crossed the finish line second, slamming on his brakes to bring the car to a stop. Then she was there, pulling her bike up beside him. Darius opened his door just enough to step halfway out, careful not to let her see me in the passenger seat. “I could have killed you!” he shouted.

She didn’t remove her helmet or lift her visor, but she tilted her head up in a defiant gesture that I imagined was her chin lifting, refusing to take any shit. Honestly, I thought it was totally badass. “I’d be more worried about getting a new paint job before you take that car home to daddy,” she retorted, revving her engine.

“Who are you?” Darius asked, his eyes locked on the girl.

Was it just me, or had I caught the faintest hint of awe in his tone?

She didn’t answer; instead, she revved her engine one last time before disappearing into the night.

We never figured out who she had been. I knew Darius returned several times afterward, even asking the regulars about her, but he turned up nothing. I couldn’t understand why he was so intent on discovering her identity—perhaps it was simply to know who had bested him.

“Hardly,” Darius answered at last, but I noticed how he shifted his gaze back to the others in the pool.

Holy shit. He was. Maybe that’s why he’d been so intent on uncovering her identity. Honestly, he deserved whatever would make him happy. An arranged marriage for political convenience wasn’t going to bring him joy. He’d been there for me most of my life, they all had, really, and I wanted what was best for all of them. Darius especially. He had been like a brother to me, and I couldn’t bear to see him trapped in a life that didn’t fulfill him. I couldn’t help but wonder if this mystery girl was the key to his happiness or just another fleeting moment in his life. Either way, I hoped he would find his answer.

“What about you?” he asked after a moment of silence, turning his attention back to me.

My eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by his question. I didn’t know why Orion sprang to mind. I barely knew the guy, and he annoyed the hell out of me… yet, somehow, I kind of liked it.

Darius was raising his eyebrows at me now, studying me as if he was trying to figure out what I wasn’t saying. 

Oh, god, did he know? The last thing I wanted was for Darius to discover that I was developing a crush on my security detail. 

I was saved from having to answer when Seth approached from behind, wrapping me in a hug. He hadn’t bothered to dry off, and the back of my shirt was now soaked. 

“Ugh.” I pulled away, swatting him on the arm. Leaning back, I peeled off the wet t-shirt, leaving me in my bikini top.

He laughed, settling onto the edge of my pool lounger. “Geraldine says you have a new babysitter. Is your old man ever going to stop with the overprotective shit?”

“That old man is the king, asshole.” Darius leaned forward and smacked him on the back of the head. “Show some respect.”

“Hey!” Seth whined, rubbing the spot where Darius had hit him. “You said the same shit to his face.”

“Yeah, because if you’re going to insult someone, you do it to their face, not behind their back.”

None of my friends agreed with my father’s overprotectiveness, but Darius was the only one bold enough to confront him about it. I believe he’d called my father a “protective old bastard” when things got heated. After that, Darius hadn’t been allowed back at the palace for ages. Even now, my father brought up his disrespectful attitude, warning me that I would never be allowed to marry anyone like him. I had no intention of marrying Darius, but that didn’t stop my father from using him as an example of what he deemed unsuitable.

“At least he likes me,” Seth muttered.

Darius raised an eyebrow. “Lance is your new security detail?”

“Yeah.” I nodded slowly.

“So that’s where my father sent him,” he mused, his expression thoughtful. “He’s a good guy. I imagine he has his hands full with you.”

I snorted, shaking my head. “I haven’t found a thing to complain about,” I admitted.

Seth barked a laugh as he popped the top off a beer and handed it to me. “You? Not finding something to complain about your security? I don’t believe that.”

“Well, it’s true,” I said, taking the beer from him. “He’s too damn good at his job.”

“My father would only have the best.” Darius took a beer from Seth but didn’t drink it. “His mother and sister work for my father too. Pretty sure they’ve both fucked him.”

It was no secret that Lionel Acrux had not been loyal to his wife Catalina. At least not to us. His affairs had been kept out of the public eye. I was just glad that Catalina had the good sense to have left his ass. I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. No one deserved to be treated that way, especially not by someone they loved. It was a relief she had escaped, even if it meant leaving behind a life of luxury and power.

“Got to keep it in the family.” Seth raised his own beer. 

Darius grinned and clinked his beer against Seth’s. 

I wrinkled my nose. “You two are disgusting,” I remarked. 

It was close to three in the morning when Darius dropped me off at the palace. Geraldine had chosen to stay at Max’s place. Unlike me, no one cared if she disappeared all night, and I felt a twinge of jealousy for the normalcy of her life.

“I can take you someplace else,” Darius offered, glancing sideways at me.

I fixed my gaze on the palace, a silhouette in the distance. I had confided in him about how suffocating it felt to live there day after day. What right did I have to complain? I had all the money I could ever need and could have anything I wanted. I essentially had everything…except my freedom. I would give it all up for just that.

“You are a few months shy of nineteen for fucks sake,” Darius’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Just tell him you are done with his bullshit. You can’t live like this forever. He has to know that.”

It wasn’t that simple. I loved my father, despite the limitations that he’d placed on me. He was the only family that I had left, and I didn’t want to do anything to drive a wedge between us. But Darius was right. I couldn’t live like this forever, and at some point, I needed to put my foot down. Now felt like as good a time as any. 

I turned my head to meet his eyes. “I know,” I responded finally. “I’ve already decided that I’m going to talk to him about it. I just don’t know how to go about it yet.”

“Walk in there and tell him how it’s going to be,” Darius suggested with a shrug.

“Like you do with your father?” I countered, folding my arms across my chest.

He clenched his jaw. “I haven’t agreed to a bride he’s picked yet.”

I shook my head and turned to get out of his car. I knew Darius meant well and he just wanted what was best for me. But I didn’t know how to broach the subject with my father without it blowing up in my face—or rather, without angering him, which I desperately wanted to avoid. The man knew how to hold a grudge.

I walked around to Darius’s side of the car, and he rolled the window down. “Do you want me to talk to him for you?” he asked, eyebrows raised.

“No, it’s fine.” I leaned down to rest my arms on the window. “I don’t want you to get banned from the palace again.”

He smirked. “My father was so pissed,” he said, turning his eyes on me. “It was worth it.”

“I’m sure.” After a moment, I leaned back. “Night, Darius.”

“Night, Gwen,” he returned, still smirking.

I rolled my eyes and raised my hands to flip him off before turning toward the secret passage that would take me back inside the palace. Halfway through, I realized I’d left my shirt in Darius’s car. It had dried since Seth got it wet, but I’d forgotten about it. Folding my arms around myself, I shivered at the cold, damp air in the passage. I quickened my steps until I finally made it back into the palace.

“So that’s how you got out unseen.”

I jumped at the sound of the voice behind me, spinning around to find Orion standing there. He did not look pleased. Well, shit. 

He wasn’t wearing his usual suit, instead he was dressed in dark jeans and a t-shirt. Somehow, it made him more attractive than usual. His dark hair was tousled, and his eyes seemed to pierce right through me. I swallowed hard, trying to regain my composure. I hated that he could affect me so easily without even trying. 

I noticed the way his eyes dropped to the bare skin on display, heat creeping up my neck as his gaze lingered. “Where’s your shirt?” he asked, lifting his eyes back to meet mine.

I ignored his question and asked one of my own instead. “Were you just standing there this whole time, waiting for me to come back?”

“Your friend Grus told me where to look when I explained why I needed to find you,” he responded with a slight shrug.

I tried—and failed—to mask my shock. Geraldine would never betray me. The hurt tightened in my chest at the thought of her revealing my return to Orion. Now he’d rush off to my father and spill how I’d been sneaking out. He’d probably seal the passageway.

“Have you even bothered to check your phone?” Orion’s voice sliced through my thoughts, pulling me back to the moment.

I shook my head slowly. “No,” I admitted honestly.

I had turned my phone off in Darius’s car on the way to Max’s. I wasn’t naïve enough to think my father didn’t have some sort of GPS tracker on it. Now, I pulled it from the back pocket of my shorts, waiting as it powered on. When the screen finally lit up, a wave of dread washed over me at the sight of several missed calls and texts from my father.

“I told him you were asleep and couldn’t be bothered to wake up to your phone ringing.” Orion folded his arms, disapproval etched on his face. “It would have been both our asses if he’d decided to check that theory.”

I lowered my phone and met his gaze. “I don’t understand.”

His next words were ones I could never have prepared for. “Your mother and sister have been found.”

I fidgeted in the chair across from my father in his office, waiting for my sister to arrive. My twin. She was alive, and apparently so was my mother. For now, at least. It saddened me to learn she’d been in a wreck and was now in a coma. I didn’t remember her, and I felt no real attachment to her, though the thought of never having the chance to meet her broke my heart. I wanted to ask her why she’d left us. Why she’d left me. I wasn’t sure any excuse she could give would erase the years of hurt I’d felt, but I was willing to listen. I wanted to understand. Did she ever think about me? Did she regret leaving? Did she ever love me at all? The years of unanswered questions and pain had left a void in my heart, and I hoped her recovery would bring the closure I desperately needed.

“It seems your sister can’t be bothered to be on time,” my father complained, leaning back in his chair.

Just as he spoke, the door to his office swung open. I twisted around in my seat, and there she was. My identical twin. Apart from her hair, which was its natural shade, it was like looking into a mirror. All these years, I’d felt something was missing in my life. But seeing her now, standing there, felt surreal. It was as if a piece of myself that I hadn’t even known was lost had suddenly been found.

She looked as stunned as I felt. There was no denying the resemblance. No denying that this was my lost sister. I stood up, my heart pounding. She took a hesitant step forward, her green eyes mirroring my own, locked onto mine. Without hesitation, I threw my arms around her in a fierce hug. She froze, her arms rigid at her sides. After a moment, she slowly raised her arms and hugged me back, her grip tentative at first, then stronger. The years of separation melted away in that embrace, and for the first time in forever, I felt whole again.

Orion tensed from his place by the wall, his hard gaze fixed on my sister. I offered him a reassuring smile. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he relaxed, though his gaze remained on us.

I pulled away after a moment, taking a step back, though my eyes remained on her. “You’re really here,” I breathed, unable to mask the wonder in my tone.

“Yeah,” she answered, her voice trembling.

Hail cleared his throat, and we both turned to look at him. “As much as it brings me joy to see you two reunited, I have something to share with you both.”

His tone was serious, and a flicker of unease crept through me.

“Your mother’s accident occurred in front of a gas station,” he continued, his gaze steely. “When I went to obtain the footage from their security cameras, it had been wiped.”

“What do you mean wiped?” My sister snapped, her eyes hard as she glared at our father.

He sighed. “Roxanya,” he began.

“My name isn’t Roxanya.” She shook her head, her voice firm. “Maybe that’s the name you gave me at birth, but I prefer Tory.”

“In any case, footage doesn’t just disappear like that,” Hail continued, ignoring her protest. “I believe your mother’s accident was an attempt on her life. The safest place for both of you is here in the palace.”

“No,” Tory objected instantly.

I was taken aback by her apparent indifference to who she was speaking to. I couldn’t help but envy her for having the courage to do something I never could—not in a way that made me hate her, but rather in a way that made me wish I had the guts to do the same.

“You can’t keep us locked up here forever in a pretty palace just because you’re scared,” she said, glancing sideways at me for a brief moment. “Like you’ve done with my sister for the past eighteen years. She’s an adult, and she’s free to make her own choices, just like me. Mom wouldn’t have wanted this for either of us.”

Hail closed his eyes briefly, and I could see his patience wearing thin. “I’m not going to explain my actions to you, and I’m certainly not going to accept that disrespectful tone.”

“Respect is earned, not given simply because of a title,” she shot back.

Well, this had gone to shit real fast. I needed to act before my father disowned her and forbade me from seeing her ever again. A bit extreme, but I wasn’t going to take any chances.

“She’s right, Dad,” I said, stepping forward.

His eyes snapped to mine, surprise flickering across his expression. I’d never challenged his decree to keep me from leaving the palace. Not to his face anyway. I had simply taken it upon myself to defy him. Not that he knew about it.

“There will always be threats,” I continued, glancing between him and my sister. “It’s part of who we are, but that doesn’t mean we should hide away and stop living because of it.”

He blew out a shaky breath, the first time I’d seen him on the verge of falling apart in a long time. “I can’t…” he trailed off, his gaze shifting to Tory. “I just can’t lose you again. Either of you.”

Her eyes softened. “I want to get to know you.” She glanced at me. “Both of you, but I won’t be caged.”

Hail nodded. “I will hire you security.” She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. “It’s not negotiable.”

Tory clenched her jaw, yet to my surprise, she nodded.

“I would like to speak to Darcy for a moment,” he said.

“I should get going anyway,” she responded, glancing at me again before turning and walking out.

I wanted to go after her, but I stayed put. Hail gestured to Orion, who followed suit, closing the door behind him.

“I haven’t been fair to you,” he began, rising to his feet. “I’ve kept you here when you should have been experiencing life and making friends.”

“I have friends.”

“Not very good ones.”

I knew he was referring to Darius, but I didn’t rise to his defense. I didn’t want to ignite an argument now, not when I felt we were finally making progress. I never imagined it would be this easy, but perhaps my mother and sister’s sudden reappearance had made him realize he’d been wrong. After all, if everyone had known what I looked like, Tory would have been recognized way before now. 

“You will still have Orion go places with you, and you will be home before midnight,” Hail declared, his eyes sharp. “That’s where we will start.”

I couldn’t contain my excitement as I threw myself at him, hugging him tightly. He returned the embrace after a brief hesitation. “Thank you,” I whispered as I pulled away.

He simply nodded.

I left him after that, anxious to see if I could catch up to Tory. To my surprise, she was waiting in the hallway, her eyes lighting up when she saw me. Relief washed over me that she had waited, and it felt good to know she wanted to get to know me as much as I wanted to know her.

Orion watched her warily from a few feet away, his distrust palpable. What did he think she would do? Kill me and assume my identity? Highly unlikely, considering she hadn’t even wanted to live in the palace to begin with.

”I’m sorry,” Tory said after a few moments of silence. “This is weird. I should go.”

She turned to leave, but I reached out quickly and grabbed her arm. “No, don’t.” I glanced at Orion before leading her a bit farther down the hallway. He seemed to get the message to stay where he was, though his eyes remained fixed on us.

“It’s going to be a bit weird until we get to know each other.” I chose my words carefully, not wanting her to bolt. “I’m Darcy. We can start there.”

“Tory,” she responded slowly. “You don’t go by Gwendalina?”

“Fuck no.” I laughed at the absurdity of the name. I had always hated it, but my father had insisted on royal names. Darcy was the name my mother had chosen, and I suspected that was the only reason he allowed me to go by it.

She laughed too, but it quickly faded. “I didn’t think you’d want anything to do with me,” she admitted, reaching a hand up to rub her arm nervously. A sharp contrast to how she’d been with my father just moments ago.

“Why wouldn’t I?” I furrowed my brows in confusion.

“Because my... I mean, our mother left you here with our father when she left,” she responded, her gaze locking onto mine. “I never knew about you, but you knew I existed somewhere, that my mother took me away. I thought you might resent me.”

“For her choices?” I shook my head quickly. “No, I don’t resent you at all, or her. I just want to understand why she did it. Why she chose to leave.”

Tory nodded. “Me too,” she said, relief evident in her tone. “If I had known…”

“I know,” I interrupted, sensing the weight of unspoken words hanging between us. If either of us had known where the other was before now, we wouldn’t have waited so long to meet. I felt it deep in my core. Was it possible to miss someone you had never even known?

“I really should go,” she repeated, though slightly more hesitant this time. “I want to stop by the hospital to check on mom.”

I wanted to go and see my mother, but it wasn’t something that I was ready to face just yet. I couldn’t bear the thought of seeing her hooked up to machines, lying lifeless on a hospital bed. If she didn’t make it, that wasn’t how I wanted to remember her. I knew I had to go eventually, but today wasn’t the day.

My twin nodded, as if she understood my unspoken thoughts.

“Oh my sweet stars!” A voice called out, and suddenly Geraldine appeared, her eyes wide with wonder as she stared at Tory. “Praise the divine heavens for bringing back our lost princess!”

“Um, hi.” Tory shot me a wary glance as Geraldine dropped to the ground in an exaggerated bow. “That really isn’t necessary.”

“I’m unworthy to even be in your presence!” Geraldine wailed, her voice high and piercing. “You deserve only the utmost respect, my princess! However I can assist you, you need only speak the word!”

“Um…” Tory glanced from me to Geraldine and back again, clearly uncomfortable.

“That’s just Geraldine,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “She isn’t always like this, but you learn to get used to it.”

“Right,” Tory replied, her unease still evident as she studied Geraldine.

“Alright,” Orion’s voice cut through Geraldine’s Geraldine’s effusive praise of Tory’s return. “She doesn’t need anything else to overwhelm her right now.”

He hauled Geraldine to her feet, and she clung to him as if her legs would give out at any minute. 

“Oh, please forgive me, dear Roxanya!” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I didn’t mean to cause you any distress!”

“It’s fine,” Tory assured her. “Really. You can make it up to me by calling me Tory.”

Geraldine sniffed, gazing at my twin in awe. “Of course, your highness.”

Tory sighed, not bothering to correct her, more than likely so Geraldine didn’t start crying and apologizing again. I could see that she didn’t like it, though.

After exchanging goodbyes, Tory and I swapped numbers and shared another hug before she left. Despite the sorrow surrounding my mother’s condition, joy bubbled within me at having found my sister. I longed for her to wake up and be part of my life, just as much as I wanted Tory in it.

I turned to face Orion, who was still supporting a sobbing Geraldine. Tears of joy, I suspected, now streamed down her face. “Come on,” I said, stepping past them. “I think we could all use a drink.”