Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 294(@250wpm)___ 245(@300wpm)
“Thank you,” I say, and I hug her tight before I head into the living room, where Papa is already enjoying his morning coffee in his chair.
“Good morning, Papa,” I say, hopping toward him to give him a kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning, Aurora,” he replies. “Have you showered already? You’re normally never this quick.”
“I know, but I was too excited,” I say, sitting on the couch in front of him. “It’s a special day today.”
“Oh, is it?” He turns the page of his newspaper, seemingly oblivious to my cheerful smile.
“Of course, don’t be silly,” I reply, playing along.
“Hmm … what for? I wonder,” he says, casually taking a sip of his coffee.
And now I’m beginning to wonder if he’ll ever notice at all.
“You don’t remember?” I ask.
He looks up from his coffee. “Remember what?”
All the warmth leaves my face, and my smile disappears. “Well, it’s-it’s …”
“It’s what?” he says, putting down his newspaper as well as his coffee cup. “Speak clear sentences.”
“Yes, of course. Sorry, Papa.” I swallow away my pride. “I meant, it’s my … birthday.”
He tilts his head, his eyes homing in on mine.
Suddenly, he leans forward and pulls a tiny package from behind his back.
My eyes widen at the sight of a beautifully wrapped gift, and I light up like the fireworks I so often view from my window. “Is that for me?”
“Who else do you think it’s for?” He laughs as he places the gift on my lap.
So he didn’t forget after all. He was just playing with me.
I breathe a sigh of relief.
“Well, go on then. Unwrap it,” he says.
Not another second do I wait before I tear off the wrappings and pretty bow. Beneath it is a small blue box, and when I pull up the lid, a pair of white gloves are inside with a rose embroidered on top.
“What do you think?” Papa asks as I hold them up to look at them. “Do you like them?”
I nod, but I don’t really know what to think. Why did he give these to me?
“Go on then. Put them on,” he says.
I do what he asks, and the material feels quite soft to the touch.
“I had them custom made for you,” he adds.
“Thank you,” I mutter, still admiring how good they look on my hands. I splay my fingers, and to my surprise, everything looks … gorgeous.
“Check the box,” he says.
Wait, did I forget something?
I peer inside and find a letter on the bottom. I open it up and read it.
It’s an acceptance letter to the English school here in the Netherlands. The school where all the English kids and expats go after they’ve moved here. And it’s the one school I was begging my papa to let me go to all this time.
I squeal and jump up and down in sheer delight. “Thank you, Papa!” I run to him and fall into his arms, hugging him tight.
He chuckles and awkwardly coughs. “Yes, yes, you’re welcome, but enough hugs.”
I pull away quickly. “Sorry, Papa. I just got so excited.” I rub my lips together and hold the paper tightly against my chest. “This means so much to me. Much more than those gloves ever could.”
“Well, you’d better like them because you’re not going there unless you wear them,” he says.
I stare down at my gloved hands.
“Every single day,” he says. “The second you step foot outside or when there are guests in our house.”
The joyful smile on my face slowly vanishes with every word he utters.
“Do you want to go to that school?” he asks.
I nod. It’s the one thing I’ve wanted for most of my life; to be a normal kid.
He stands up and caresses my cheek with the back of his hand. “Then you’ll wear the gloves like an actual proper lady.”
He presses a kiss to my forehead, something he rarely, if ever, does.
“Think of it this way. These gloves are a symbol of my trust in you. And if you wear these,” he murmurs, gazing into my eyes. “I will always be there to watch over you.”
Present
I bite my tongue to stop myself from speaking. When I gaze up at Lex, he pats the lounge while gazing at me.
I swallow back the lump in my throat and slowly make my way over to him, sitting down as far away from him as I possibly can. But he still scoots closer. “Don’t worry … it’s just the two of us.”
Suddenly, he places his hand on my knee.
I freeze.
“Your guards are still in the house,” I say.
“They won’t interrupt.”
Oh God.
What does he intend to do with me?
“You know, I’m quite disappointed in the way Beast handled things. If it was up to me, your father would’ve long been dealt with.” He squeezes my knee. “And you wouldn’t be in this precarious position.”
I swallow away the lump in my throat.