Page 35 of Heart of the Villain

Regularly.

And last night, nothing else happened. Their moment in the cab of the military van had come and gone—but the feel of her lips hovering over Arlet’s pulse still lingered.

“She had one too many drinks waiting for the new escort last night.” Marlena waved her mother’s harsh gaze away, pulling herself from the bed.

Marlena had had one too many drinks too, but she wouldn’t let her mother see that.

That would lead to another unnecessary argument.

“What’s so important that you had to rush in here at…” She paused, looking at the ticking clock on her wall. “Six in the morning?” Marlena rubbed at her eyes, trying to rid herself of the sleepless daze she was in.

“Just get dressed and get to the meeting room.” Ryanna stormed out, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the walls and decor hanging on them. A mirror wiggled off a nail and crashed to the floor. Somehow it didn’t break.

Marlena could only imagine what was waiting for her in the meeting room if her mother was this agitated so early in the morning.

Arlet stirred, groaning at the light coming through the open curtains. “Five more minutes.”

Arlet and Vega were so similar sometimes.

Marlena smirked, rolling her eyes as she slipped out of her sleeping gown and into a quick outfit. She opted for a flowy emerald dress, with a black belt that cinched her waist and gave her chest a lift. “I have to meet with my parents,” she told Arlet, running a hand down her exposed arm. “Sleep. I’ll find you later.”

Marlena quickly zipped a pair of black thigh-high boots up her legs, brushed her teeth, and pulled her hair into a tight ponytail before quietly making her way out of the room. Once she shut the door, her demeanor changed. She didn’t walk on quiet footsteps. She owned the space she took up.

Her parents were waiting for her when the doors to their study opened, but they weren’t alone.

Ryanna’s younger sister was sitting next to her, and beside Marlena’s aunt was her cousin. Ivelle Fugere.

Her chartreuse eyes, which were almost the exact same color as her mother’s, met Marlena’s, and she held her stare, glaring like she’d been forced against her will to be here.

Ivelle was a few years older than Marlena, and despite being family, she didn’t come around much—from what she understood, Ivelle was known to be a bit of a problem child. Marlena would bet money that her bad attitude was linked to the fact she was missing out on a Curia seat. If it weren’t for Marlena and her double abilities, Ivelle would have been next in line for Amora.

Though, somehow, Marlena was sure her parents would have manipulated a way to sneak Vega in over Ivelle.

It was never meant to be hers.

“Marlena.” Celeste Fugere smiled, lighting up the room. “Long time no see. You’re as beautiful as ever.” Her red hair matched her daughter’s, but the smile on her face was polar opposite of the scowl on Ivelle’s.

Marlena cocked her head to the side, ignoring Celeste’s kind words, and focused on her parents. “What’s this about?”

“Have a seat, Marlena,” Jonan ordered. Marlena had fallen asleep on cloud nine, wrapped up in the sheets with Arlet… hoping for a much different scenario upon waking up.

Now, Marlena stood rigidly across the table from the rest of her family. “I think I’ll stand.”

Her mother rolled her eyes, huffing through her nose. “Must you two girls always be so difficult?”

Ivelle gawked at Marlena’s brazen lack of fear of her parents. Marlena returned her gaze with a raised brow, as if she were saying, What are you looking at?

Ivelle snapped back to the grumpy child she was portraying herself to be, looking away first, while Marlena stayed the ice-cold future leader.

Jonan spoke, stealing the attention of the room with his booming voice. “Marlena, we have a proposition for you. One we think you’ll really, really like… if you’re up for a little challenge.”

I’m always up for a challenge. “And that proposition would be?” she asked.

“Control of Amora.”

Marlena’s attention became real in an instant.

“Partial control, of course… We’d still be behind you, helping.” Ryanna purred the last word, reminding Marlena of the act she was putting on—of the little secret they planned to keep from everyone. “Since you’ll be so young, you’ll need all the help you can get.” She reminded Marlena that she would always be nothing but a puppet. “But you must take Ivelle under your wing. Help her stay out of trouble and learn that tarnishing an original name comes with consequences.” Ryanna’s eyes sparkled with unsaid words. Words she didn’t have to say out loud for Marlena to hear.