Page 91 of Deviant Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 5)

Dad’s face begins to turn red, and just as he gets the chance to open his mouth before Mum jumps in.

“I think you should probably go cool off before you say something you’ll regret.”

“I wouldn’t regret anything I could say about last night’s clusterfuck,” he mutters.

“Even better reason for you to leave, don’t you think? Theo isn’t wrong. You’re the one who brought this on him, on us.”

“To protect my family. Fucking hell, Selene.”

She places her hands on her hips, and after a silent argument, Dad finally blows out a breath. He throws his hands up in the air and storms from the room, muttering under his breath.

“Your marriage was arranged?” I blurt out as soon as the echo of a slammed door—probably Dad’s office—drifts away.

Mum blows out a breath and walks over to the coffee machine, pulling mugs from the cupboard above.

“Yes,” she finally says. “Your grandfather, he thought it was a great idea. Things… things were complicated. My life was… something you never need to know about. I might not have agreed at the time, but your grandfather, your father, they saved me. I have no doubt that without them, I wouldn't be here now. “

I stare at my mum with new eyes.

I had no idea that they didn’t meet, fall in love, then get married. All the usual steps. I had no clue that there was anything—anyone—else involved.

“Don’t get me wrong though, Theo. Nothing about it was easy. We were hardly thrilled by the idea that we’d been put together, that your father was told to protect me no matter the cost.

“We both resented each other for a long time. Hated each other,” she adds with a soft laugh.

“What changed?”

She looks out the window behind me, her face softening as she takes a trip down memory lane.

“He saved my life. Showed me a different side to him. A side that made me understand why your grandfather would think we might be compatible.

“He protected me as if I was something precious, something worthy, and I’d never had that before. I remember the exact moment I looked up at him as he carried me away from the disaster he’d had to rescue me from and my heart tumbled.

“That was it for me. And him, too, because nothing’s come between us since.”

“Sounds like something out of a romance novel,” I tell her with a smirk.

“Yeah. I’ve always thought about writing it down. But I’ve never been brave enough to revisit my younger years. Living through them was bad enough.”

She spins away from me, stopping me from seeing the pain on her face as she continues making us both drinks.

“Things might have worked out for your father and me, but that doesn’t mean I necessarily believe in arranged marriages and all that.

“I had no idea, Theo. If I did, then—”

She places the steaming mug down in front of me and brings her own around the island, pulling out the stool beside me.

“I should have told you.”

“No.” She shakes her head. “I understand how this all works, Theo. Your father has to make tough decisions, and I’m more than happy not to be involved in any of it… usually.”

Silence falls between us.

“Until it involves one of my b-babies.” Her voice cracks, and my heart goes right along with it.

“It’s okay, Mum,” I assure her, reaching for her hand.

I mean, it’s not. I’m a fucking mess. Emmie is fuck knows where, and we did a very good job of ruining Dad’s prestigious New Year’s Eve party. Something I’m sure he’s never going to forgive me for, but there we go. At least everyone’s alive… I guess.