Page 237 of Corrupted By You

There was always a hearty dose of nostalgia whenever I crossed the gates of the Halloween festival—the boisterous laughter, the glimmering lights from themanègesand concessional stands, the sweet and salty scent lingering in the night air.

And now I experienced the same, along with a sense of déjà vu, as I sat inside a tent before a very familiar fortune teller.

The same one who’d given me a life-changing reading exactly a year ago.

She may not remember me, but I never forgot a single word she echoed.

“I’m feeling…daring.”

“My favourite feeling.” Prudence smiled at me—strangely, almost knowingly—and I inched a crisp twenty-dollar bill in the glass jar to my right. “I take it you aren’t someone who is afraid to expand her horizons?”

At that, a slow smile curled my mouth. “No, I am not.”

“Good because daring women make history.” She winked and shuffled the tarot deck in her hands. “Let’s see what the future has in store for you, Darla.”

After many years, I felt bold, ambitious, and unafraid to express my opinions.

I was proud of the woman I’d become and nothing could take that away.

The future no longer scared me, for now I knew true power came when you surrendered to the cards you were dealt.

Prudence laid out a spread and discussed my fortune. Clarity washed over me when she finished the reading with a grin. “Your future is bright, my dear. I think that you have the ability to change the world if you simply desire to do so, Darla.”

Those words sank into my soul like an awakening call, solidifying what I already felt deep in my core.

I thanked her and promised to return next year.

She said she was holding me to my promise.

Sauntering out of the tent, I spotted my husband waiting for me just outside with his brows furrowed over rich brown eyes, his stubbled jaw tight and his arms crossed over his strong chest. My gold pin stamped over his tie gleamed like a beacon of light, guiding me closer to him.

The bustling world around us slowed and I had eyes solely for Zeno Gianni De la Croix—King of Montardor’s underworld—as he extended a hand my way. “Come here,regina mia.”

I grasped it and he yanked me into his unyielding embrace.

My husband kissed my knuckles. “How did it go?”

“It went well.” I caressed his chin. “She said I was going to have a safe delivery with Apollo, and that we would have a bunch of kids due to your newfound breeding kink.”

Zeno’s eyes widened and he laughed my favourite laugh. “Insolent little brat.”

I brushed my red-stained lips over his in a teasing kiss. “You love me.”

“I do,” he rasped. “I love you today, tomorrow, forever, Darla.”

I melted under his confession and whispered the same to him.

Weaving our fingers together, we walked deeper into the festival to join the rest of our friends.

Life was filled with twists and turns. It was likely that we’d stumble upon many obstacles, but as long as we hadus, Zeno and I could conquer anything.

We were stronger together than apart.

I once said I was an expert at creating happy endings for my characters.

Now I had finally created my own with the man who would burn down the world for me and love me until the end of time.

The End