Page 44 of Volatile King (The Kings of Wayward Academy #6)

R en

Annoyed, frustrated, and hurt were not the emotions I’d wanted to have coming out of my first holiday with my father. But that was all I’d felt as I showered, changed, and locked my door for the night, ignoring everyone. Unless the house was on fire, I hadn’t wanted to hear it.

Awake and almost ready to face the day, I peeked out my door.

I wouldn’t put it past Myles or Blake to be curled up and asleep right outside.

Seeing that the coast was clear, I stepped out into the hallway and tiptoed down the stairs to the kitchen.

Myles had stalker tendencies, so I stayed alert for an ambush.

His betrayal gutted me the most. The fact that he kept this from me…

I didn’t know what to say to him. I couldn’t let his sad eyes lure me in because I was nowhere near ready to forgive him.

I walked into the kitchen, turned toward the breakfast nook and froze when I saw Eddie sitting in one of the chairs. Coffee in hand, he looked as polished as ever, staring at me like he knew I would sneak in here.

Acknowledging my defeat, I went over to the coffee pot and poured myself a cup before joining him. I quickly doctored it and took a sip so that I was a little less murderous.

“Tell me what you’re feeling. What I have to say can wait,” Eddie said.

Setting my cup aside, I chose to sign. The muscle memory seemed to be coming along much faster than my speech.

I’m hurt. You knew about me, but I didn’t know about you. I was so excited to get to know my dad. To have this connection to Mum again. To finally find out who I am. I get why Vicky is so confused and hurt. I was her.

A dish of fresh croissants was on the table. Eddie grabbed them and slid the dish closer when he noticed me looking at them. Taking one, I finished it in three bites. Was this stress eating? Was I trying to eat my emotions?

On top of that, you stole a major life decision away from me. You and Mum fought so hard to love one another. You wanted to be free, but others made choices for you despite your feelings and wishes. I just can’t believe that you would turn around and do that to me.

Eddie didn’t say anything. He wore the same calm expression as he waited for me to get everything off my chest. Sipping my coffee, I grabbed another croissant. This one had chocolate inside, and I finished it as I collected my thoughts.

Since Mum got sick, I have felt powerless.

She was murdered in front of my eyes. I wasn’t able to plan the funeral she would’ve liked.

I was forced to leave the only home I could remember and tossed into Wayward, where I was chased, threatened, shot at, and assaulted.

I didn’t even get to choose how I lost my virginity. Did you know that?

Eddie flinched, his eyes hardening as his hands flexed on the table. “No, I did not,” he said.

For years, everything has been chosen for me.

Dating Myles, Blake, Theo, Liam, and even Nash is my choice.

I thought I’d get to pick who, if anyone, to marry.

I thought that if we lasted until after college and still loved one another, that we could handfast or something, and have everyone involved. But this with Nash…

I shook my head.

It’s not that I don’t love him. I do, despite how much I want to put my fist through his face. It’s the fact that you two just stole one more choice from me. I hate feeling powerless, and that is what I’ve felt for so long.

Tears had started to fall, and I wiped them away.

You hurt me. I am hurting. That is how I feel.

I picked up my coffee cup to give my hands something else to do that didn’t involve the tray of pastries.

“Will you let me explain what happened,” Eddie asked.

Tapping my fingers against the side of my mug, I nodded.

“We have so much to talk about, but I’ll explain the contract first. I received a call from a friend who told me that a young man you were involved with was going to be flying to Italy, and it would be in my best interest to speak to him.”

Nash?

“Yes. Nash didn’t know who he was meeting. He flew into Rome, not knowing where he was even going once he landed, but he was brave enough to take the advice and look for help.”

So how did you end up having him sign a marriage contract?

“Many factors are at play here, Lilya. There was no single reason. To begin, I knew that if Lawrence discovered who you were, he would try to take you. Maybe run off with you and force you to marry him. I wouldn’t let that happen.

But I had also made your mother a promise.

You didn’t know who I was, and you were happy at Wayward with your new friends and your guys.

I felt like my hands were tied to try and protect you while keeping my promise to your mother.

Also…Wayward was a haven for me and your mother, and if you felt the same way, I didn’t want to rip you away from there. ”

“I get that…but marriage?”

Eddie sighed and sat back.

“Nash stayed with me for a few days. We spoke about business, how he was in the process of trying to destroy his father, and the evil Lawrence enjoyed inflicting. But he needed help. I am a generous man, Lilya, but handing over millions and resources to anyone is a risk. I needed assurance that he was as committed to Lawrence’s destruction as he was to the dedication that he claimed to have for you. ”

I crossed my arms and kept silent.

“Like I said, many factors. But…I did sign the contract with a condition. He had to wait until after Halloween to consummate it.”

“Why?”

“Because a marriage contract is only binding afterward. Until then, you still have the choice to cancel it. This way, Nash could hold up the paper to his father and lie about the consummation if needed. He got the power, but it was still your choice to marry him. I believed that he would respect that.”

And you promised Mum that you wouldn’t tell me who you were until after my eighteenth birthday.

“Exactly.”

All the little pieces came into focus. It explained why Nash was so freaked out after we spent the night together in Seattle.

It had to do with this. He’d made a deal and broken it.

He knew that Eddie would be pissed. Nash kept saying he was sorry, and he would explain after Halloween.

Stupidly, I’d thought he meant his engagement to Vicky, never a contract with me.

“Now, I’m not throwing Nash under the bus and leaving myself blameless in any of this.

But I do want you to know that I did want to make sure you were safe, loved, and still felt as free as one can in this world.

From the day you were born, I have only ever envisioned you as a powerful woman taking my place one day.

Not forced, but stepping into this role like a gale force wind, just like your mother.

I would never willingly chain you or clip your wings, Lilya. ”

He reached out for me, and my tears streamed faster as I put my hand into his open palm.

“Nash took matters into his own hands. You will need to speak with him about his actions, but I didn’t find out until after the accident when you were unconscious.

It may not matter in regard to how you feel about what he did, but I will tell you that he barely left your bedside.

I didn’t have it in me to tear him down at the time.

I’m so incredibly sorry that I’ve inadvertently made you feel as trapped as your mother was.

I promise you, my beautiful daughter, that was not my intention.

I was walking a very fine line and trying my best to keep all the balls in the air without them falling or shattering.

I do regret not reaching out to you sooner or telling you who I was when I saw you at Wayward.

I wanted to, but I’ve always been loyal to my word and to Ana more than anyone else. ”

Eddie closed his hands and held mine tight.

I wanted so badly to hang onto my anger and to look at him and see this horrible man who tried to ruin my life, but I couldn’t.

I’d lost so much time with him. So many years were stolen from both of us because of Christov, my grandfather, and then ultimately my mum.

I hated to think that about her. I understood why she kept us hidden, but I felt robbed of a life with this man whose love for me and my mum burned brightly in his eyes.

“Please don’t cry, you’re breaking my heart all over again. I will have his kneecaps broken if you like,” he said, and I laughed.

Letting go of my hands, he passed me a napkin.

“You laugh, but I will do it.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head as I wiped the tears and blew my nose. “I need…to…deal with…Nash.”

He wasn’t getting off that easy. Nash knew full well what was at stake when he slept with me in Seattle, and there was no excuse. Making a promise to Eddie was not a good enough reason for not being honest with me.

“Dad?” Eddie’s head snapped in my direction, his eyes hopeful. “Why…agree…stay away.”

“You mean when your mother asked?”

I nodded.

“Because she said you were happy. She took me to the beach and pointed you out. You were playing with who you thought was your father.” He shrugged and looked out the window beside us.

“She begged me to let you have a normal life for as long as possible. You had already forgotten about me, and…I didn’t want to turn your world upside down all over again.

It broke my heart, but to see you smiling and laughing as you ran around free of the weight this world brings…

I understood. You were living the life that Ana and I always wished we could have. ”

His gaze found mine again. Silver eyes, that were only a shade darker than my own, filled with tears.

“I want to spend whatever time I have left getting to know you. Teaching you what I can about your true family. I want you to see your other home, the home you would’ve shared with me and your mom.

And if you are willing, I want to teach you everything I can about what it means to be the heir to the Genovese empire.

All of this and everything else I have will go to you. ”

What about Vicky?

“You two hate each other so much, I’m surprised you’d ask.

But that tells me that you are exactly who I always thought you’d be.

Strong, but kind of heart. Vicky will always keep the name and receive a massive inheritance from both me and Patricia.

I have also been looking for a suitable marriage with a family that can… accept who she is.”

You mean a spoiled princess?

He laughed hard and nodded.

“That is certainly a blunt way of putting it, but yes, that is what I mean.” Sobering, he drummed his fingers on the table.

“But I want you to know that what I just told you has been in place from the day you were conceived. Not even the day you were born. The moment your mother confirmed with me that she was pregnant, I had the paperwork drawn up. You were always going to be my heir. My firstborn. My reginette. My Little Queen.”

Covering my mouth, I started to cry all over again as my mother’s words rang through my mind.

“I love you. You’ve always been a queen.”

I quickly wiped away the tears as a very sheepish-looking Myles and Blake walked into the kitchen. I guess it was time for round two.