She was basically trapped in a bunker in the royal palace, Ethan’s parents—the King and Queen!—had just met her while she looked like a fucking disaster, and she’d been fired.
Fucking fired.
Shit motherfucking goddamn fucking shit!
She held the flaps of Ethan’s jacket so tight against her chest that her fingers were turning pale. What the fuck was she going to do?
She was no longer an agent, and that meant any future missions to take down Envision were no longer under her purview. She’d either have to give up her lifelong mission…
No, she couldn’t give it up. She owed it to her parents…she owed it to the little girl she once was to try to take them down.
That meant she’d have to find a way to do it on her own.
It wasn’t even revenge that she wanted from Envision anymore. She wanted closure, and she wanted to prevent them from doing what they’d done to her to anyone else. If she couldn’t infiltrate them as an agent posing as an actor, then she’d have to rely solely on her acting persona to do the job without backup. As her star power continued to climb on its own, she would eventually garner the attention of Envision and be asked to be a member, she was sure of it.
She loved acting but, in the past, she was usually so focused on her next mission at the same time as her next acting job that she hadn’t always enjoyed the life of an actress. If she wasn’t an agent anymore, would her feelings about acting change? She didn’t think so, but couldn’t say for sure.
Then there was Ethan. He’d told his parents that she was the love of his life, but love had never been the problem for them. She still wasn’t convinced he truly accepted and trusted her. He’d said he understood her desire to be an agent, but she didn’t think he really did. Even if Ethan did somehow now accept who she was and what she’d done and what she might do in the future, should she even believe him?
Her life’s mission was different from his. Being an agent was just a method she used to get what she needed, and she was fucking good at it, but she basically never had a chance to be anything else.
Ethan was different. He’dchosenthis life and did love being an agent, and would probably want to continue with it regardless of what happened with her, assuming Marcello eventually let him go back to it.
Suddenly feeling dizzy, she leaned against the wall and grabbed her head. Keeping hold of the wall, she slowly made her way around the room to the couch and sank into it.
She just needed a few minutes of rest, that was all. Just a few minutes…
Or at least that’s what she had wanted until the door suddenly burst open and a pack of royal women came through.
She stumbled to her feet to curtsy, but crumpled to the ground instead. When she tried to stand once more, the world spun again and she collapsed back on the couch.
“You must sit down, my dear.” Ethan’s mother—the Queen!—sat next to her. “There’s no need to curtsy or for formality right now. Just take a breath and relax.”
The Queen took hold of her hand, placing it between both of her warm ones. She’d never held a queen’s hand before. It was strong, but she supposed it would have to be to raise nine kids and help run a country. What she hadn’t expected was how comforting it was. She didn’t remember her own mother’s hands anymore. She had only vague memories of both of her parents now, more of Luna and her foster parents, most of them triggered by pictures or mementos she still held on to and kept safely tucked away. But being held by the Queen’s hand reminded her of a moment when her mother had once held her hand before she’d died.
Now, in addition to everything else she was feeling, the wave of sadness of missing of her mother washed over her again, too.
Princess Catharine sat down on her other side and began to gently rub her back. “Yes, just rest. I’m sure Ethan will be here soon. He doesn’t seem like the type to stay away when you need help.”
She wasn’t sure what to say that, so she avoided it completely. “I apologize for not curtsying, Your Majesty, and Your Highnesses. I did try but I, er, appear to be a little dizzy.”
The Princess just waved away to comment. “Like Mama said, there’s no need for that formality. I mean you’re practically family.”
Anda jerked. “What? I’m not family, Ma’am. I’m just…an injured woman you’re forced to put up with for a little bit longer.”
The Queen fussed over Anda’s cheek and head injury. “Well, Ethan said he loves you, and I believe him. I have a feeling he’ll propose at some point, so there’s no need to wait, really. We might as well welcome you into the family now.”
“What?” Family? She wasn’t…she couldn’t be part of their family. What would the public say about an actress marrying into the royal family? Ethan had been so worried about that. Truthfully, she had been, too. She wasn’t built for the life of a princess. Not to mention, Ethan might love her, but he didn’t accept her.
Yet…here was his family accepting her, though they didn’t really know her. They were just accepting her based on Ethan’s words and actions, not her own. Would they change their minds about her, too, if they found out the truth?
“Mama’s right. We do think Ethan might propose, as he does love you. I guess the question is, do you love him?”
Suddenly all the royals leaned closer and the already small room became even more confined. “I, uh, well…”
The royals looked at each other and nodded. Then, at the same time, they all said, “It’s love.”
She had to stop this, so she blurted out, “Love isn’t enough.”
