We woke up ready for war. I got Michael to contact every single member of us that he could just so that we’ll be fully packed with people. This mission needs as many hands as it can get. We made sure to do it late at night and it’s presently reaching midnight so it’s time to make our move. This morning the members who could show up came and they all were told their positions and what they’re meant to do. Luca was mostly talking to ons girl. He says her name is Sofia. She’s cute and I like her. “Alright everybody! Round up.” I say. Everybody starts to stand in front of me. We’re presently outside the station, we have all our cars ready to start moving, they're all just waiting for michaels command. “Thanks.” Michael tells me and stands next to me. Luca does the same. “As you all know today is the first step we’re taking to get Aurelia back. Now I know a lot of you don’t understand why we need to risk our lives to save Kanes but unfortunately he’s the only one that may know ho
“Well I guess now we can pause with all the questions!” Emaine yells whilst gripping the wheel even tighter. “Where are our other members?” I ask. “I told them to retreat once they were done with their part of the plan.” Luca says, We all look at him. “What? I didn’t want anybody getting hurt!” He shrugs. I just shake my head. “You're an idiot-” Sofia gets interrupted by another clash of the cat from behind. “Oh fuck it, Emaine move, I’ll take the wheel.” Michael says. “I can handle it myself.” Emaine says. “Well shit, we’re all gonna die.” Sofia says. “Just give him the damn wheel.” I say to Emaine but she doesn’t budge. “Hold on right guys. You’ll see why you should never underestimate a determined mother. I lost one son because of that man and I sure as hell am not planning on losing another one.” She says and steps on the accelerator. The car rattles as another impact shakes us from behind. I tighten my grip on the back of the front seat, trying to keep my balance
I change into my sleepwear, the soft fabric brushing against my skin as I pull the top over my head. The night is silent, the kind that makes you feel like you're the only one awake in the world. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, and the memory of my last conversation with Leonard drifts back to me. It’s been two days since then, and I still can’t shake the image of myself with that cigarette between my fingers. I never thought I’d be the type to smoke, but he lit one for me, and I took it. It wasn’t about enjoying it; it was about feeling something different, anything other than this gnawing uncertainty. Our conversation was tense, full of undercurrents I couldn’t fully read. Leonard always knows how to keep me off balance, but that night, I saw a different side of him. There was something raw in his eyes, something desperate. He didn’t let it show in his words, but I could sense it. It left me feeling uneasy, a feeling that has only grown stronger in the days since. Ye
The door creaks open, and I step into the familiar hallway, the scent of wood and glass mingling in the air. It’s been a while since I’ve been here, but nothing has changed. The contrast between the downstairs…where glass furniture catches the light in sharp angles, and the upstairs, with its warm, wooden tones, still feels like stepping between two worlds. I’ve always liked that about this place. Kane was smart about that. Unfortunately this time, I’m not here to admire the décor. Shannon is the first to react, her eyes narrowing as she stands protectively in front of the others. Michael, Luca, and a girl I’ve never met before are all staring at me like I’ve grown an extra head, their shock palpable. She’s probably the one that opened the door for me. I can’t blame them, really. I am the palace princess after all and for all they know, I could have been the one to send the guards after them when really, I didn’t even know Kane was moved from the cell. Something tells me that has
I'm presently in the kitchen. I decided to cook today, I had told the cooks to leave. The kitchen feels empty without them, usually I’d just come here and look at them and go back to my room since I don’t do anything in this house but I need something to do, anything to distract myself from thoughts that have been gnawing at me since I woke up. Leonard. I can’t seem to shake him off. I set out the ingredients for noodles, a simple dish, but my mind drifts back to him. The way he grabbed my hips, pulling me closer, demanding to know why I cared. His touch lingers on my skin like a ghost, one I can’t quite describe. I focus on chopping vegetables, trying to lose myself in the rhythm. Carrots, onions, peppers…all diced with precision, but even the sound of the knife against the cutting board echoes with memories of him. It’s maddening. The noodles cook quickly, steam rising in a fragrant cloud. I reach to turn off the gas, absentmindedly grabbing the pot by the handles without thin
The late afternoon sun streams through the glass walls of the house. It usually causes tranquility in me but today, though, I can barely notice it. My mind is too focused on the faces gathered around me. Michael, Sofia, Emaine, Luca, and Isabel. They all look at me, waiting for the plan that will lead us to Kane. I had woken everybody up and told them to meet me downstairs because I didn’t want to waste any more time in finding Kane. I take a deep breath, letting the tension settle before I speak. "We need to find Kane," I say, my voice steady but carrying the weight of our situation. "He could be anywhere, and we don't have much time. Does anyone have any ideas?" A heavy silence hangs in the air. Michael leans back in his chair, his expression dark and thoughtful. Sofia fidgets, glancing at everyone else as if hoping someone else will speak first. Luca, typically the one with quick solutions, is uncharacteristically quiet, his gaze locked on the floor. It's Emaine who fina
The tension in the room is thick as we continue to interrogate Christian. He's seated on the edge of the hotel bed, sweating bullets, with Michael and Luca pressing him down, ensuring he doesn't try anything stupid. Emaine stands by the door, her eyes never leaving Christian's face, her gun loosely gripped in her right hand. Isabel is pacing by the window, her face unreadable, but I can tell she's more agitated than she lets on. Christian is acting too calm, though, like he's resigned to his fate. Something about it doesn't sit right with me. Where's his fight? He's always been a slimy, slippery bastard, but now he's just... waiting. Then it hits me-there's no way a man like Christian would be in a room like this without some sort of defense. My stomach drops as the realization dawns on me, and I scan the room frantically. We didn't check the other rooms when we burst in, assuming the main room would be all we needed to control. A grave mistake. I barely have time to shout a warni
The house is silent, colder than it should be. I stand by the window, watching the last of the sunlight disappear behind the horizon. The shadows stretch long across the room, and I can feel the weight of grief pressing down on us all. Sophia is gone, and nothing feels right anymore. We just got back from the mortuary, leaving her body there. It’s been a day since she died, but it feels like it happened in another lifetime. Her last breath keeps playing in my mind, a reminder that we failed her. I clench my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms. We can’t stop now. Sophia wouldn’t want that. Across the room, Luca is huddled in a corner, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. He wants to mourn, to lose himself in grief, but that’s not an option. Not for us. Not now. If we stop, we won’t find the strength to continue. And we have to keep going. We have to finish this. “Michael,” Shannon’s voice breaks the silence, pulling me away from my thoughts. She’s beside me, her expression har
My eyes have been shut this whole time that when I open them I realize none of this makes sense but I don’t even care. I get off him and kiss him so hard I’m sure I left a bruise somewhere. I finally allow us to breathe. “I’m so sorry baby.” I whisper whilst hugging him. “Shh..” he says and rubs my back. I step away and he wipes my tears. “I know you have many questions.” He says whilst holding my waist. I nod with snot probably coming out of my nose. “Ask.” He says. He’s trying to distract me. “How are you here.. the letter! Your silence on the phone? London?” I speak without thinking . “Michale called yesterday. He told me he didn’t want to tell me about your wedding but I told him we already met and you told me about it. He then told me it’s happening today but I still didn’t want to bother. I had concluded that I’d kill myslef the day you get married. So I was prepared until he told me the kind of danger you might be in and I immediately got on the plane. The only
“I’m so sorry Leo.” I say but he ignores me and I can see his heart shattering. I know how much he loved his sister even though he loved to pretend otherwise. I then look at Luca who seems to be staring at Isabel like he’s in a trance. He’s not even crying. There’s not even tears. He’s just staring at her. I sit flat on the floor between the two dead bodies whilst the war outside is still happening so it’s not like I can go anywhere. Elena suddenly calls my name but I’m too shocked to look at her. She shows up in front of me and hands me the same envelope that mom gave her. I take it from her and open it. I look down first because I want to see who it’s from, this is not the time. I see the name Kane there and I immediately start to get the most painful headache ever. I close my eyes and I could swear I’m in a trance where all I’m seeing are memories. They're all coming back. Rune was my stepbrother. Leonard killed him. I loved Kane alot and I also loved Rune a lot. Emaine
I sigh when I realize Michael and I have walked past half of the aisle and look up. I finally have eye contact with Leonard and the way he looks at me makes me want to drop my gaze back down. He looks amazing in his black suit. His hair is slicked back as well and he’s carved his beard. He’s staring at me like I’m the best thing he’s ever seen and that makes me smile. We finally reach the small stairs and Michael untangles his hand from mine. I see him glare at Leonard before he lets me go and I walk up the stairs. I stand right in front of Leonard. He's on the right side whilst I’m on the left. The priest is in the middle. My girls are behind me and vice versa with Leonard’s men. I so badly want to ask Shannon where Emaine is but I don’t think it’s appropriate. I hear some whispers whilst I’m up here but I can’t hear what their saying. Everyone sits down and I finally hear someone say that it’s not right for my mom to be here but the king's mother isn't. I snort and Leonard rai
One week later I’ve been thinking about Kane and I’s conversation all day and my heart feels like it's exploding every time. I don’t know whether it’s the memories of my past that have been coming back lately but they are affecting the way I feel about this entire situation. Leonard decided to rush our wedding because he felt like something bad would happen in between. Apparently the rebels are angry at me for betraying them. they’ve started to riot again. I didn’t betray them but it sure as hell looks like I am now that I’m getting married to one of the revolution's enemies. They must be feeling the same way Michael feels. I would definitely try to find who is commanding them now that me, Michael and Luca are no longer there just so that I could talk to them and try to find a reasonable understanding or come to an agreement between one another to stop the violence and just let the wicked leaders lead. The people will handle it during the elections when they are choosing their own l
I lean back in the seat, tracing the edge of the invitation card in my lap. It’s still strange, seeing my name next to Leonard’s in elegant, golden script. I went to see them today, to invite Michael, Elena, Shannon, and the others to the wedding. A part of me hoped they’d all be there, that maybe they’d want to share this with me. But every single one of them declined. Their rejections feel like tiny, sharp pinpricks, pressing deeper the more I think about it. As we slow at a red light, I glance out the window, watching people hurry across the street, faces blending into each other. Then I freeze. In the car beside me, a familiar face leans against the window, lost in thought—Kane. My heart skips. Without thinking, I lean forward and tap the driver’s shoulder. “Please, pull over. Right here.” He raises his eyebrows at me through the rearview mirror but nods, steering us to the curb. I roll down my window, sticking my hand out to catch Kane’s attention. “Kane!” I call softly, hop
Everyone keeps congratulating me but for some reason I don’t even feel like this is real. Leonard told me he doesn’t want to waste much time on our wedding and I agreed so we’re getting married in a week. I decided to go to kanes place to tell Michael and the others. For some reason I can’t get Kane out of my mind….ever since he helped me that day by getting me away from that weird ass man in the library stuck with me and I haven't been able to thank him. I didn’t even thank him for trying to get to me the time that Leonard had kidnapped me. Leonard invited his hateful relatives for our engagement. Apparently the tradition is that they have to all come and dine with me, I refused to do so.. they came regardless but I wasn’t there to see them. Leonard had understood that I needed to leave so he let me go to kanes place which is where I’m heading now. He insisted that I take some of his guards so I did. I don’t know how Shannon, Michael, Elena, Luca and even Kane will take this news…
Hearing that Aurelia was in love with Leonard was one thing but seeing it in her eyes did something to me. The moment we got home I didn’t speak to anyone no matter how much they tried to get me to speak. There’s no use for me to stay in Rome if the reason I’m here is clearly gone… I don’t want to give up but as long as she doesn’t have her memory back I have to leave. I decided to write her a letter, I hope that when she gets to read this her memory will be back. I’m presently packing. I'm going back to London. I don’t plan on getting talked out of this so I’m planning on going when everyone’s asleep besides Shannon, I'm going to give her the letter personally because I know she’ll deliver my message. I step out of my room silently and knock on her door a few times. She opens it whilst brushing her eyes with her hands. She looks like she hasn’t been sleeping… but she does look very tired. “Kane?” she asks, voice hushed. "What are you doing here? And...with a suitcase?" I st
I sit in my room, the dim light casting shadows on the walls. My heart still races from the commotion downstairs. I expected my mother, Shannon, to leave with the rest of them, but she didn’t. She’s here. I hear her soft footsteps approaching before there’s a light knock on the door. “Aurelia, may I come in?” she asks, her voice gentle but firm, like always. “Yeah,” I whisper, unsure of what to expect. My fingers fidget in my lap as she steps in and closes the door behind her. She sits beside me on the bed, the mattress dipping slightly under her weight. There’s a brief silence as she studies me, her eyes soft but observant, the way a mother’s should be. I look away, my throat tight, already feeling the emotions bubbling up. I know what this is about. “I didn’t leave with the others because I needed to talk to you,” Shannon says, her voice soft but serious. She reaches out, taking my hand. Her touch is warm, familiar, and it instantly begins to break down the walls I’ve tried to
I sit on the edge of the couch, my eyes scanning the room. Kane leans against the wall, arms crossed, his face unreadable. Shannon and Luca sit across from each other, both looking deep in thought. Elena is quiet, but I can feel her eyes on me, waiting. Emaine sits off to the side, her posture stiff, clearly uncomfortable. I clear my throat, trying to break the silence. "The revolution has been regrouping. We don’t know who their new leader is, but I have reason to believe they’re planning to take action soon." Kane uncrosses his arms, his lips curling into a grim smirk. “Let them. If their first plan is to kill Leonard, I’d be more than happy to let them.” Before I can respond, Shannon jumps in. "That’s not a good idea, Kane. Especially if Aurelia isn’t leading them anymore. They see her as a traitor. If they try to kill Leonard, they’ll go after her too." Her words hang in the air, and I can feel the tension rising. Luca’s phone suddenly rings, cutting through the weight of the