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I want to tell her she can be queen if she wants, but don’t. I already feel like someone could break me into a million pieces so I don’t have the strength to argue with a woman who’s telling me she’s my husband-to-be’s mistress.
“Good, glad you understand,princess.” Gytha smiles, revealing perfect white teeth beneath her crimson-painted lips, then she turns on her heels and walks away, swaying her womanly hips.
“Don’t mind her,” Ehlga says, looking at me apologetically.
“It’s hard not to.”
“Try not to worry about her. She’s not very nice.” Ehlga confirms my prior thoughts. “I have an idea. If we leave right away, I can take you to my favorite Continental coffee shop. It’s on Main Street. They have a great selection of European tea there. Do you like tea?”
The offer surprises me but I’m grateful for it. She’s done a massive turnaround since the other day. As she’s in charge, I would have hated to have any contention with her.
“I love tea.”
“Ahh, that’s good. Then it looks like we’ll get along just fine.” There’s a warmth beneath her gaze. “My grandmother was a gypsy. She could tell the future by reading tea leaves. I’ll teach you how to do it.”
“That would be really cool.” I can see she’s trying to make me feel better, so I won’t spoil things by telling her I already know my future looks like shit.
“Come, let us go.” She places an arm around me and we head out.
When we drive off the grounds, it feels good to be away from the house, but my worries follow me, haunting me like my mother’s ghost.
ChapterEleven
Desmier
“This is the last thing to do.” Leif beams with a radiant smile, tapping the company ownership documents on my desk. The lawyer just dropped them off. “Everything officially belongs to you now. All you have to do is sign the documents.”
“Thank you, Uncle.” I shake his outstretched hand, savoring the surge of victory. My new reality became real for me the moment I stepped inside Volkova Inc. earlier this morning.
We’re in my new office, on the fifteenth floor at the very top of the building.
It used to belong to Leif. He felt I’d be more comfortable here than in my father’s office. He was right.
At the moment, my father’s office is closed. No one is using it out of respect. Everyone knows he’s not expected to make a return to the world of the living, but they won’t do anything with it until after he’s gone.
I’m only honoring that because I want to make a good impression and I’ve already caused enough upheaval.
All eyes were on me when I arrived earlier, and as Leif gave me the tour of the building, people looked on curiously, wanting to catch a glimpse of Evgeni’s long-lost son, and their new boss.
I was also right about the family wanting to protect my father’s name. The story going around is that my father never knew about me and I’ve suddenly come about as the rightful heir to claim the empire.
“I’m so proud of you,” Leif says, his eyes glistening with the pride he speaks of, once again assuming the role of the father I never had.
“I hope I can make you even prouder.”
“You know you don’t have to do anything more than you have. It’s been a long journey and I’m glad I got to see this day.”
“Thank you for sticking with me.”And for saving me.
Leif chuckles and taps my knuckles before releasing my hand. “As if I wouldn’t. I just wish your mother could have been here to see this and know you made it, know you’re okay and you got this far.”
“Me too.” No matter how tough I am or how iron-clad my skin is, any talk of my mother hits me hard. “This is for her. For you, too.”
“For you both, my boy. I’ve had my glory days. I wanted you to have that too.” He smiles briefly before a frown wrinkles his brows. “It doesn’t feel like it’s enough. We planned all this but it still feels like more should be done to avenge Fryeda’s death.”
It’s moments like this when I think I’m right, that my mother meant more to him than what he’s ever told me or allowed me to see. I’ve never asked him, but I’ve wanted to, long before my mother was killed. It felt like the question was always inappropriate for one reason or another. It stopped feeling that way after his wife died a few years ago. I still, however, haven’t managed to muster the courage to ask him.
“It’s not enough. But destroying my father’s greatest desire is something,” I assure him. “He wanted to ensure his legacy through the sons he had with Mira and that never happened. We have to take that as the real victory.”
