“We purchased the building. And transferred it intoyour name. So, I could graft the bones of Violet House to your living space properly.”
I mouthed stupidly for a minute. “How? How the hell did you buy the whole building?”
Cecil threw his hooves up. “Don’t look at me. His Highness ordered the purchase.”
From his spot by the window, Donovan threw me a quick glance over his shoulder. “I did what needed to be done, Chosen.”
“How?”
His massive shoulders hitched in a shrug. “We have human agents in this realm who look after these things.”
I gaped at him. “You… you can’t just buy an entire apartmentbuilding. This is San Francisco!”
“He’s the prince. Of course he can.” Cecil gave a supercilious snort. “It’s not even difficult. The royal family's agents here hold several billion dollars in cash ready to make these kinds of purchases as needed. I doubt that the Queen’s treasurer even noticed the withdrawal from the mortal accounts.”
“But… but you transferred it into my name? You can’t do that. Donovan. It’s… it’s insane.”
“Technically, you bought it from me for one of your mortal dollars.” He turned slightly, barely meeting my eye. “So, you owe me a dollar.”
“You can’t do that.” I shook my head slowly, unable to comprehend it. “It’s too much. It’s too much. Donovan… you can’t give me a wholebuilding.”
Cecil snorted. “If you’re worried about that leggy redhead bitch and her lawyer trying to take it from you, don’t worry. The Prince and Princess’s human lawyers will eat her for breakfast.”
“I’m not worried about that.” I wasn’t. The terms of oursettlement were very clear. Alimony would be half of my salary until Vincent remarried, and anything I purchased with my own money after our divorce was mine.
And all the beautiful things I owned before our divorce belonged to him, including my dream home, my heritage-listed dream home up in Pacific Heights.
It would be rude to say it out loud, but I’d trade the whole building to get my old life back. Instead, I faced Donovan. “This building would have to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s beyond generous.”
“I didn’t give it to you. You bought it from me. And it is nothing.” He turned back to the window again.
Cecil bristled. “It’s not the building you should be thanking him for.”
“Cecil.” Donovan’s tone held a warning.
The duocorn shut his mouth, picked up the red dress, and tossed it at me. “Put it on,” he said, a touch hastily. “I’ll get my makeup kit.” He shimmied back out again.
“Donovan…” My own voice held a warning. “What else should I be thanking you for?”
“Nothing.”
Bart chuckled into his cocktail glass. “Thebuildingis nothing.”
“Is it Violet House? Is that the thing you would consider generous? Is that the thing I should be thanking you for?”
“You need not thank me for anything. Consider it payment for services rendered.” A strange expression drifted over his face. “You have already done more to stop my brother from growing more powerful than any of my company has done in the last half century or more.”
I shook my head, confused. “Half-century? Connor has been at it forfifty years?I thought you were the older brother? You don’t look a second older than thirty-two.” Ipaused and held up a finger. “Actually, let’s circle back to that. I noticed you didn’t answer my first question.”
Donovan let out a gruff noise. “Violet House was a mere fragment of bone when she was grafted into the foundations of this building. Domiciles like Violet are fairly common in my realm,” he explained. “They are like… like pets, I suppose, but you don’t know what kind of Domicile you’re going to get until the bones are grafted in place and watered with magic.” His eyes drifted around the luxurious drawing room. “As luck would have it, she has turned out to be possibly the most magnificent Domicile I have seen, but she was not valuable when I had Cecil install her here.”
“So what is the?—”
“Me,” Cecil said, clomping back in, wheeling a huge suitcase behind him. “It’s me. I’m the generous gift.”
Donovan growled. “Cecil.”
He bowed. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. She’s going to find out eventually. We might as well get this over with.”
