Abby “Do you, Abby, swear to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth?” I hold my hand up in the air and nod solemnly. “I do.” “Let us begin.” Despite the lump in my throat, I feel shockingly optimistic about today. Maybe it’s the fact that the sun is shining through the large window o
“Apologies for the delay, Your Honor,” the man says. The judge simply nods. “Come in.” A moment later, three men come in; two men in suits and sunglasses, flanking a regal-looking man in a plain black suit. My heart skips as I realize that I recognize the man from somewhere: the art gallery in
Karl Abby is doing so great during her testimony. She’s practically a natural at this, and is telling every little detail of her story—even the upsetting or downright embarrassing parts. I should be here for her, and I am; but part of me is somewhere else. Ever since that regal-looking Alpha wal
Abby My hand rests instinctively over my belly as I step through the front doors of my restaurant for the first time in ages. Dust motes dance in the late afternoon sunlight that’s streaming through the windows as Chloe and Leah follow me inside. Leah lets out a low whistle once we turn on the l
Asshole. Either way, it’s over now. Damon’s father, Reginald, offered absolutely no help to Damon. He let his son go to prison, cut him off from the family money, and disowned him publicly. Alpha Hendrick and Alexander Black got put behind bars, too. And now that the truth is out, La Belle Vie i
Karl As I walk up to the small, discreet cafe on the city block, I take a deep, shuddering breath. The phone call that I finally made a few days ago after weeks of dragging my feet has finally led me here—to speak with Reginald, the strangely familiar king. I still don’t know why he wants to mee
My eyes widen slightly. For a moment, I guess I had some sort of hope that I would not only regain a father, but a mother as well. But she’s gone, and I never even got to know her. “As the king, I had no choice but to remarry,” he continues. “For political purposes, I married a princess of a for
Abby When Karl finishes telling me about the amazing revelations that he had with Reginald—his father, as I’ve now learned—over coffee, I’m too stunned to speak for a long time. “So,” he says, “I think I’m going to go to his estate. And I’d like you to come.” I blink in surprise, swallow, and
Abby Intrigued, I let Karl take my hand and lead me discreetly away from the reception, weaving through the tables and out a back door into the gardens. A mischievous grin plays on his lips as we giggle like teenagers, ducking behind hedges and scurrying across the lush green lawns. “Where are w
As the music shifts to a slow ballad, I feel a familiar pair of strong arms circle my waist from behind. “There’s my beautiful wife,” Karl’s deep voice rumbles in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He spins me around to face him, our bodies swaying in time to the soft music. I gaze up at him
Abby The reception hall is cast in a warm, romantic glow, with twinkling lights and the warm flickering of candles on every table. Soft music plays as Karl and I make our entrance, hand-in-hand to raucous applause and cheers from our guests. I can’t stop smiling as we wave to our loved ones gather
Abby The afternoon sun streaming in through the tall windows of the chapel casts the stones in a warm golden light, giving everything a sort of ethereal energy. I stand in the hallway, my arm linked with Anton’s, as the wedding coordinator prepares everyone to walk down the aisle. “Are you ready
Abby As I sit in front of the vanity mirror with the hair and makeup artist circling around me, I meet my friends’ gazes in the reflection; Chloe, Leah, Daisy, and even Elsie are here as my bridesmaids, each of them looking more beautiful than the last. “The seamstress really did do a great job
Abby With a gasp of excitement, I pull the wedding gown out of its box and hold it up in the light. Everything is perfect; the way the beadwork catches the light, the silky texture, the shape. I can’t wait to try it on now that it’s been altered to fit my body. Quickly, I slip out of my clothe
Abby “Abby, why don’t you sit down?” Karl looks up at me from where he’s sitting on the sofa, a look of concern on his face. He pats the spot next to him, but I shake my head. “I can’t,” I say, continuing to pace back and forth in our living room. “I won’t sit down until I hear back about that
Abby As I chop, stir, melt, and saute, the others stand around me, watching intently. The pasta simmers on the stove, the air smelling like warm butter and spices. It’s enough to make anyone’s mouth water. But my focus isn’t on the rumbling in my belly, nor is it even on the lingering pain in my
As we continue searching, I keep thinking back on our last harrowing hunt for black truffles; those poachers nearly shot us. Even now, I can still remember the sound of the bullets whizzing past my head, and the thuds they made when they careened into trees. “We got really lucky,” I say. “If we ha