Page 112 of Wicked Princess (Knight's Ridge Empire 2)

A smile twitches at my lips. “Oh, happy to move in now, huh?”

She lets out a long breath. “I don’t want to be here, Seb. Why do you think I went to Calli’s in the first place?”

I nod, reaching for her and pulling her into my body, wrapping my arms around her as tight as I can.

“I’ll fix this, baby. I fucking swear to you.”

“I know,” she whispers, pressing a kiss to the underside of my jaw. “I trust you.”

My heart tumbles in my chest. Well, if those words aren’t as good as hearing three others, then I don’t know what is.

“What’s going on?” Galen demands as we close the door behind us.

“He’s been here. He’s been in her room. I thought you were fixing the security of this place?”

“We are—we have. There’s no way he’s been here.”

Anticipation ripples through the air as Galen and I stare at each other.

“I wouldn’t put my daughter at risk like that.”

“No? Isn’t that exactly how we ended up in this fucking mess?”

“Seb, please,” Stella begs, her hand landing on my forearm. “He’s been here, Dad. More than once. And recently. I found a message on my mirror when I got out of my shower.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh I don’t know,” she snaps, finally starting to lose her temper. “Maybe because once again, you weren’t here.”

“Then you should have told me,” Calvin says, hurt covering his face. “If I knew then…

Stella shakes her. “It’s too late. The damage is done. I’m not safe here—”

“You are. I’ve installed—”

“And even if I were,” Stella says, steamrolling over Calvin’s argument. “I don’t want to be here.”

“Where the hell do you want to be instead?” Galen asks, sounding like he’s just had the wind knocked out of him.

I don’t need to see Stella’s eyes flick to me. I feel her attention, even for that brief second. It makes my chest puff out in pride.

Take that, motherfucker. Your own daughter just chose me.

“Him?” Galen spits, his lip curling in disgust. “But you hate him.”

“Yeah,” Stella says with a laugh. “I do.” She steps up to me and laces her fingers through mine. “It’s not going to stop me leaving with him, though.”

Galen’s mouth opens and closes a couple of times.

“Daddy,” she says, her voice softer, “you’ve brought me up to always go after what I want. To know how to protect myself. Well, that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m not safe here. The entire Cirillo estate is secure. No one will get me there. And this,” she says, lifting our hands, “might be completely insane. But it’s right.” She shrugs. “So it’s how it’s going to be for now.”

Galen clearly knows his daughter well enough not to argue, and all he does is nod and step aside, allowing both of us to move to the stairs.

“Stella,” he calls before we take a step up, his voice rough with emotion, “this will always be your home. I hope you know that.”

She pauses beside me and sucks in a sharp breath.

“Honestly, Dad, I don’t think I’ve ever actually had a home. Least of all this place, where someone’s been inside my room, my space, without any of our knowledge.”