Chapter 17
“What the hell do you mean, woman?” Confused and alarmed, I look at my wife, whose face shimmers with various shades of violet.
Seeing Amelia alive at all feels like a miracle, since I honestly thought I was losing her.
Four days. Four fucking days that have felt like years stolen from me. Days when it hit me that my heart belonged to this woman—the one I never wanted to love. Yet, I do.
I love Amelia with everything I have.
The fear I’ve endured these past few days is something I never want to face again, truly never, but it’s not over yet.
In the next few days, I will confront my father with the incriminating evidence, as soon as Richardson is arrested. My security company has gathered enough proof to put him behind bars for years, and that will happen today.
I haven’t seen Damien since then, but Ced is watching him closely. I’m not sure if I’ll ever be able to forgive him for all of this. I really don’t know. Still, I don’t want that asshole to get hurt. Only Henry, that fucking bastard, hasn’t resurfaced yet, but he will, and when he does, he’s mine.
Lizzy and Amelia both look at me, and I can see the wheels turning in my wife’s head. She swallows hard, glances briefly at Lizzy, then back at me.
“Philipp discovered that Damien had betrayed him, on the very night our relationship was supposed to be made public. He was utterly devastated and furious, incredibly furious, and I believe he knew exactly with whom. The mere fact that he was betrayed at all was unbearable to him. Now I also understand why he was so reluctant to visit his father. And Damien, God, what he did was unbelievably foolish, but I can’t help feeling deeply sorry for him.
Truly sorry. He’s suffering. He’s in so much pain, and maybe we should listen to his side of the story before passing judgment.
I speak from experience.” Her eyes bore into mine, both warning and pleading, and it stings briefly in my chest because I understand exactly what she means.
We all acted too fast and judged each other too quickly. But she’s the one feeling it most, through the press and the public.
But I’m not ready yet.
“That may be true, but right now I don’t want to see him. At the moment, I don’t even want him near me because I’m not sure I could stop myself from punching his lights out.” Amelia flinches at my words, and instantly a sharp twist hits my stomach, followed by a rush of guilt.
“Sorry, Goldilocks, I…” I shrug, because I truly mean every word I said. She nods briefly and then nervously plays with her blanket, but I remain silent, giving her the space she needs until she’s ready.
“What about… what about Henry?” she finally asks, and an aggressive snort escapes me.
“He hasn’t been caught yet, and no one knows where he is.
But there’s a warrant out for his arrest. He blackmailed the king over your marriage and demanded a large sum of money on the side.
He’s got massive gambling debts and, apparently, unpaid bills at some brothels too,” Lizzy explains to her, while I’m already boiling inside and my whole body tenses at the mention of him.
“That’s why Perlington House is being forced into auction, but it suits him, he has a serious drinking problem, and when he’s drunk, he completely loses control.
I’ve… crossed paths with him more times than I can count.
” Her voice drops, and I clench my fist. I think of the scars on her back, The Purge, and how I was the one who called that bastard myself to have her taken away.
Fuck, I feel sick at the thought of what must have happened afterward.
“The scars on your back…” I don’t have to finish the question, Amelia immediately avoids my gaze, but I see her hand trembling.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“His belt… they’re from his belt.”
I’m going to kill him. I’m going to kill this goddamn son of a bitch.
Lizzy gasps sharply and within seconds I’m on the other side of the bed, carefully pulling my wife into my arms.
“Never again! I promise. Never again!” I press my lips to her hair and she presses closer to me.
Lizzy gives me a knowing glance and a faint smile, and I’m tempted to stick my tongue out at her like a kid, but instead I just raise one eyebrow. She warned me I’d fall for Amelia, whether I liked it or not, and I laughed at her.
Well. Looks like I was wrong. But I’m not unhappy about it in the slightest.
The past few days have been exhausting and hectic, but today Amelia is being discharged.
Ced and I are on our way to see my father because once she gets home, I want no more stress.
“How much do you think your father will freak out when he hears the news you’re bringing?” My best friend’s eyes gleam mischievously; he’s clearly eager for the confrontation.
“Hmm, honestly, I don’t give a shit. He’ll either accept the demands I’m making or he’ll go straight to jail.
End of story.” I shrug with boredom because I truly don’t care.
The fact is, he’s been king for far too long.
While Amelia was still in the hospital, I spoke with my mother, who will take over the business and the government until Goldilocks and I are ready to assume office.
We’ve secured the council’s and ministers’ approval, so my father can’t do a damn thing about it anymore.
My mother suspected something, but learning how far my father’s betrayal and deceit went nearly destroyed her.
“He changed. Over the years, he became colder, more distant, more power-hungry. I knew something was wrong. But I was too cowardly to dig deeper, to pursue it further,” she told me with a shaky voice, swallowing hard as tears streamed down her face.
Seeing my mother like that only deepened the wound that was already there.
“It’s easy to pretend you know nothing. As if you’re clueless. I… I was so incredibly cowardly. And look… look at what it cost me,” her words echo inside me. Her sobs pushed the damn knife lodged in my chest even deeper, and my entire body tensed as I held her close.
“It’s not your fault that he chose this path, Mom.
Yes, you could’ve opened your eyes, but then what?
He would’ve silenced you, we both know that.
Maybe he was once a good man and a good father.
But those times are over, and I won’t let him get away with it.
He has the blood of my brother—his own son—on his hands.
” My words were harsh and unyielding, but also true.
She nodded and together we set this plan in motion. One we will now carry out.
“Ah yes… I’m going to enjoy watching the old bastard’s downfall. Thanks for letting me witness it live and in color.” Cedric grins slyly at me, and I laugh loudly.
“Man, it’s almost twisted how much sick pleasure you get out of this.”
Grinning widely, he nods.
“Justice has to win, and I spent years being pushed around by your father because I don’t have the noble blood that flows in you and Dam.
I had to watch him drive you and Phil crazy with his demands.
So yeah, I’ll admit, there’s a certain satisfaction in being here today,” he says casually, and I get it.
I’m basically the same, except I truly feel sorry for my mother.
She’s already waiting for me in the salon, and now, before me, stands the queen. Her expression is a hard mask, exuding both dignity and pride.
“Your mother can be really intimidating, you know that?” Ced whispers to me fearfully, visibly impressed, and I have to suppress a grin.
“I’ve heard that, Cedric Lancaster,” she says dryly, and I actually laugh briefly but immediately get serious again as I look at her.
“Ready?”
She nods and links arms with me.
“As ready as you can be for something like this.”
Together we head to my father’s study, where two ministers are already waiting, accompanied by our lawyer carrying the evidence and necessary documents. They nod to my mother and me as I open the door without knocking.
“What the hell? Damn it, Nicolas, you’re supposed to—” He stops when he sees my mother, Ced, and the other three with me, looking confused but angry.
“May I ask why these gentlemen and you, Mary, are here? What requires my immediate attention?” he asks harshly, sitting straighter in his chair.
“Your abdication, your divorce, and your immediate departure from the kingdom require your esteemed attention, if you can arrange it,” I reply sweetly, making room for my mother to sit opposite him, while I stand behind her and Ced stands next to her.
Our lawyer immediately approaches my father and puts the folder on the table, while the ministers sit down on the free chairs.
My father’s face is twisted with pure rage, and he’s about to speak when the lawyer interrupts.
“Before you say anything foolish, you’d better take a look at these documents.
Now.” He gestures toward the folder, and my father snaps it open—never before have I seen him go so pale so fast. His face drains of color, and he stares at my mother, shocked and completely speechless.
Her fingers tighten around the armrest at his gaze.
I place a comforting hand on her shoulder because this is the hardest part for her.
“Mary, what… I… This… I can explain,” he stammers, and I should feel satisfied seeing him like this. But I don’t. On the contrary. It hurts. It hurts like hell, and I grip my mother’s shoulder tighter.
“No. No, Edward, you can’t. You’ve gone too far.
Not only have you tainted our marriage, no, you betrayed your son, you…
you slept with the man he loves… sent that reporter after him…
how… how could you? HOW COULD YOU?” She screams the last words and tries to stand up, but I gently push her back down.
She turns to me, eyes shimmering with tears, and I shake my head slightly.
My mother swallows hard, and by God, I want to kill my bastard father.