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I hear chair legs scrape against the floor, but only one of the people in the room reaches me.

“There, there,” Ashby says, his hand giving my shoulder a pat. “I’ll need to have Lex make you some shakes for that morning sickness.”

Shuddering, I flinch away from his touch, scrambling to my feet. “Turn it off. Please, just… turn it off.”

“Turn what off?” When I turn, my mother is regarding the image on the screen with a drawn face. “What is it I’m looking at?”

I freeze, looking at Sy, and he gives me a small shake of his head, eyes sliding away.

It hits me then.

Lex really was bluffing during our dance the other night.

She hasn’t seen it.

Ashby’s eyes flick to mine, the threat unspoken. If we don’t get them to agree to his proposal, he’ll show it. “Please,” I whisper, too desperate to feel ashamed of the way my voice cracks. “Please don’t show her. I did it—I signed the covenant.”

My mother’s whole body is rigid as she growls out, “What did they do to you?”

Ashby pulls out my chair for me, casually explaining, “There was an unfortunate incident a few weeks ago. We learned that Verity has been engaging in a campaign of espionage with your Duchess, Lavinia Lucia.”

“That’s a gross exaggeration,” Sy says, eyes sliding from Ashby to me. A silent understanding passes between us. “Girls like to gossip. It was locker room talk that you’ve blown entirely out of proportion.”

Panic builds in my chest as I numbly take my seat, the fear of revealing the truth about the Monarchs worse than them seeing the video. The video of the cleansing makes me look bad, but the betrayal that led to it? Well, it affects more than me.

“Verity revealed classified and sensitive information about assets in my Kingdom to Lucia during an unapproved visit to West End.” His voice raises a notch. “Her misguided loyalty to the West End put my Kingdom at risk, and because of those actions, she was punished accordingly.” He nods to the screen and holds up the remote. “That punishment was recorded and is currently on a server waiting to be released to all of Forsyth. If you give me my demands, I won’t release it. If you refuse, it will be delivered before your next breath.” His lips turn up at one corner. “My Pace is incredibly gifted in this area, you understand.”

Sy curses under his breath, and when our eyes meet, his are filled with both pity and annoyance. “First, let me assure you that I was unaware of any unapproved visitation, and that’s been handled with my Queen. Second—”

“YourPace?” My mother’s slow, mangled laugh fills the room. Her eyes are full of a pain I can’t quite understand, but it’s hidden beneath a wrath that’s so West End I get overcome by a wave of homesickness. “Is that what you tell him, Rufus? I wonder how loyal thosegiftedboys will be to you when they find out where he came from.”

Ashby pauses with his hand poised over the paper, eyes locking on hers. “You overestimate your credibility.”

“And you underestimate how much currency I’ve collected.” Her head tilts, and she rests her elbow on the arm of her chair. Her sharp red nails gleam from the overhead light. My mother isn’t just smart. She’s a survivor. She’s also fucking terrifying. “You’re not the only one with leverage, King Prick. Now that you’ve revealed to the world that Verity’s our daughter, I have no reason to keep your other secrets. Including ones that could threaten the house of cards this gaudy castle was built on.”

Sy, Killian, and I exchange a look. None of us are privy to whatever this leverage might be.

There’s a long moment where they just stare at one another, Ashby stiff and unblinking. That unsettling half-grin is still frozen on his face, but I detect something uncharacteristic in his gaze.

Apprehension.

“You can have a week out of every month,” Ashby concedes, breaking her stare to open the folder.

My jaw drops, but I’m quick to compose myself. Quicker than Sy, at least, whose forehead is puckered up in confused shock. I wasn’t expecting to be able to go home ever again—not after everything.

I see the moment it clicks for my mother that she has him by the balls. “You just had her for nearly two months. I want that time back.” Her nails tap on the table. “I want her in West End every other month, in fact.”

Ashby doesn’t even look up from what he’s jotting down to scoff. “That’s a demand so absurd, it borders on humorous, Liberty.”

“Two words, honey.” My mother leans over the table, catching his gaze. “Dungeon twins.”

Ashby drops his pen, head whipping upward to gape at her.

Mother inspects her nails. “As far as currency goes, that’s a nice golden bar.”

Huffing, Killian taps his fingertips on the table. “What’s it going to be, Ashby?”

“Give me a moment!” he snaps, making me jump. Sy sees this, looks between Ashby and my mother, and straightens.