DAMIEN’S POV: She was adorable. I could not take my eyes off. It was like I had to take care of two babies at once.Rosaline sat on the veranda with her arms folded above her chest and a hard scowl on her face. She was glaring at nothing but thin air, and I almost felt sorry for it. I could not hide my grin as I approached her with my hands behind my back. My little gift for her was completely out of her sight.Yesterday we spent the entire day shopping for Ariana. I would occasionally catch a few of Rosaline’s envious glances, but whenever our eyes would meet, she would scoff and turn away. Do not get me wrong, I did want to get something for her, but whenever I asked her, she would tell me she did not want anything and we should hurry up and leave.But how could I miss the way she was staring at that Louis Vuitton bag and Versace golden heels?When we left the mall, I could have sworn she was on the verge of tears. She was so moody; perhaps her heat was approaching. When we got
ROSALINE’S POV:I could feel his eyes on me, but I did not meet his eyes as I dressed his wound. I found it hard to even control my facial expression as I tightened the bandage around his arm with much more force than intended.“Jeez! Just cut the damn arm off!” Damien snapped, and a sigh left my lips.“Sorry,” I muttered, and I applied a lot less force. The silence between us was not only deafening but maddening. I could feel his eyes on me throughout, and I had to say that I was quite relieved when he broke it again.“What is the matter now? Why are you giving me the silent treatment?” he finally asked, and I met his eyes; he had a disapproving look in them.“I just..” I trailed off, putting the final touches on the wrapping. “I just cannot believe how careless you are with Ariana; what if she had gotten hurt?”“I never would have let that happen,” he defended."Yeah, but you almost did. For goodness sake, Damien, she is only four years old; she should not even be in the kitchen!” I
ROSALINE’S POV:“Who is that boy with my daughter?” “They are kids, Damien.” “But why is he holding her hand like that?” “They are four, Damien.” “But why are they looking at each other like that?” “Damien!” I snapped, and he groaned with a scowl. We sat on the veranda, watching the two children play in the courtyard below us. Ariana was teaching Jake how to ride a bike, and I was surprised by how much of a good teacher she was.She was really patient with him, despite how slow he was at learning. I could not be any prouder.His mother had left a few minutes ago to get things from the market, so I was basically the one in charge of both of them. And honestly, I loved it. I loved watching the two of them play together. I hardly ever got to see Ariana associate with her peers, and damn did she look so happy.It made my mind travel back to my childhood; I hardly ever got to associate with other children, and it was quite depressing. I found myself wanting siblings, but I knew that was
ROSALINE’S POV:The night was cold. Very cold.The air blew through my exposed skin, sending shivers through my body. Guards patrolled the courtyard, and all of them paused to greet me when we crossed paths. I wanted to look at them politely, but every time we crossed paths, I prayed that they would be the last.I needed to be alone. I needed fresh air.I had no idea where I was going, but my feet kept moving. I find myself at the fountain I nearly drowned in all those weeks ago. Ah, what a time that was.I thought Kiara and Jennifer were my greatest problems at that time, but how wrong I was. Now neither of them is alive, and I am still far from having my peace of mind.I sat by the edge of the fountain and stared at my reflection in the water. I have to hand it to myself; if I were any other person, I would never come near the place where I nearly lost my life. But somehow, I found solace here. Something about the way the water trickled down the statue and the calmness of the pool
ROSALINE’S POV:I did not see him again for the rest of the night.After our brief eye contact, Damien stormed back into the palace. I had to take a few calming breaths before heading back inside. When I got to our room, no one but Ariana was sleeping soundly on our bed. I freshened up and half expected Damien to be on the bed with her when I came out.He wasn’t.I found myself staying up, waiting for him to come in. He never did.I do not know at what point my slumber finally took the better of me until the sun’s warm gaze fell upon my eyelids. A groan left my lips, and I turned to my side to find some sort of shelter, but all to no avail. With a frown on my lips, I sat up and rubbed my sleepy eyes.When I was certain that I was fully awake, I was met with a pair of familiar grey orbs.No, they were not Damien’s.“Good morning Mommy!” Ariana squealed, wrapping her arms around my neck and knocking my breath away like she always did.I choked with surprise as she smushed our faces to
ROSALINE’S POV:“Fancy seeing you here,” said a familiar voice. I turned around to come face-to-face with Derrick, and he shot me that cheeky grin that left me smiling.I had just finished my meeting with the contractor and given Peace the check for her sister. I was just about to head up to the palace when I bumped into him. Unlike the last time we met, I got a better look at him now that it was daytime.He had everything a regular gardener would have: big rubber boots, green overall, and dirt mixed with sweat on his face. I noticed that he was panting; had he been running? As though he was able to read my mind, he said,“I saw you from afar and had to jog to catch up to you. I did not want to yell since I did not know your name, and servants are not allowed to make much noise,” he explained with a nervous chuckle. His hand found his nape as his eyes took me in from head to toe. “Wow, you look so nice—really nice. If this is what one of Luna's maids dressed like, I bet I won't be ab
DAMIEN’S POV:“But I really like you, and I have not been able to get my mind off of you since.”That fucking bastard I will rip his fucking tongue out, that’s for sure. Rosaline cannot protect him forever. Why was she even protecting him in the first place? She did not like him, did he?The more I thought about this, the angrier I got. My canines were digging into my flesh, and I wanted to kill something so bad, and it would be that bloody idiot who thought he could take my mate away. MY MATE!A growl left my chest, and I grabbed the closest thing near me, which was a vase, and flung it with all my might. It shattered into a thousand pieces against the wall.Rosaline’s eyes flashed in my mind. The way she looked at me while defending that bloody twat!It hurt.Fuck!I sat back on my chair and let the day pass away in my office. I knew I had sat there for hours, but I had no idea how many. The day began to darken, and I did not bother to turn on the light. How could I when the light i
ROSALINE’S POV:I did not know how to feel about this. Maybe that was why I was feeling everything at the same time. Happy, sad, disappointed, yet proud.I was happy because I had finally gotten to spend a calm and peaceful night with my partner in what felt like forever. but I was sad because, to do that, my daughter had to spend it alone and on the cold floor. I was disappointed in myself for allowing my child to be the one to bring us together, yet I am so proud of her. She put our love over her comfort.She is the greatest blessing the moon goddess has given us.Silently, Damien picked up her sleeping form and laid her on the bed. He placed a swift kiss on her forehead before pressing his against hers. For a moment, he said and did nothing; it looked like he was silently telling her something.He rose to his feet and shot me a glance before leaving the room without saying another word. Seriously? I followed after him and shut the door to Ariana’s room silently.“Where are you goi