Lucius's message hit me like a shockwave. I didn't reply. Instead, just like we'd planned with Killian and the girls, I sent him a text that read:"Lucius, I have good news. There's a chance we can stop your brother's wedding, but it's going to require your approval. You know how I feel about arranged marriages. Talk to me as soon as you can."
He answered almost immediately: "We're going to do a lot more than talk when I get to Switzerland in a few days."
Dinner was at one of those restaurants only the ultra-rich can get into. Our table was the best in the place. We laughed and drank like there was no tomorrow. Killian was way more affectionate than usual. He wouldn't let go of my hand, and honestly, I think he was using me as a shield to keep other women from approaching him. Going out with him and Evangelina is seriously awkward. Girls kept walking past our table—not once, but four or five times—just to stare at them. The guys didn't dare get close to Evangelina. I think they were either intimidated by how untouchable she seemed or scared of Killian's size. But after a few glasses of wine, the women got bolder. By dessert, some of them didn't even care that I was holding his hand. They walked right up and invited us to private parties. One of them even said, "My mansion is famous because anything goes there," and winked at Evangelina.
Evangelina wrapped her arm around Annia and answered coolly, "I already have my own party right here. But have fun."
I asked, completely innocent, if they didn't think it was strange how people acted around them. Both of them answered at the same time: "Not at all. It's always like this."
From that moment on, the idea settled deep in my mind: extreme beauty is the most cursed blessing of all.
When we left the restaurant, we headed to a private party in the basement of a building. Killian led us by the hand. The security guards opened the door without asking a single question and guided us down a side hallway to an exclusive area where they served us champagne and had seats waiting. Annia put on a pair of dark sunglasses to block the flashing lights and said:"I want to dance. Why don't we hit the floor?"
Evangelina grabbed our hands and we headed down.
A circle formed around us almost instantly. I was so lost in the music, dancing in a trance, that I didn't even notice everyone was staring at me. Annia leaned in close to my ear and asked:"Where did you learn to dance like that?"
I told her it was my adoptive mother, Carol, who taught me. When she asked how Carol knew how to dance, I didn't know what to say. That's when I realized Carol barely ever talked about her own life—like time had stopped the day her daughter Mary died.
A guy reeking of alcohol approached me, followed by one of his friends. They asked if I wanted to leave with them. When I said no, they got pushy and aggressive. Evangelina came to my rescue. She shoved the one who had his face inches from mine and snapped:"Back off. Now!"
To my surprise, both of them backed away.
Killian came down a few seconds later, and the situation turned into chaos. I counted at least five women who walked past him, grabbing his waist, clearly offering to take him to the bathroom area. I had never seen such a brutal hunting scene in my life.
By the time we went back upstairs, I wasn't having fun anymore. Annia whispered in my ear:"If you get jealous, you're done for. This is what everyday life looks like for people like Evangelina or Killian. Guys ask her to take selfies with them just so their exes think they've moved on to someone successful. The girls are worse—way worse. Look to your right!"
I turned and saw two blondes staring at Evangelina from a couch. They whispered to each other, then looked at her again. A moment later, they stood up and walked straight over to us. One of them told me my dress was gorgeous and looked amazing on me. She added that they had returned all the dresses their exes had given them so they wouldn't have any reminders. The other one told Annia she loved her arms and that no matter how much they trained every morning at the gym across the street, they couldn't get theirs to look that defined.
Evangelina whispered in my ear:"They're clever. They just made sure we know they're single and exactly where to find them. Give it a few more minutes and they'll show their real intentions."
And that's exactly what happened. One of them looked straight at Killian and asked if he was staying in Switzerland long.
He lied smoothly:"No, I just came with my wife to ski. We're leaving tomorrow."
Both women looked at Evangelina and said, "Congratulations, you two are the most beautiful couple we've seen around here."
But Killian pulled me in and kissed me on the mouth, then answered with clear irony:"My wife Carmilla and I appreciate that."
They must have decided I wasn't good enough for him, because in the most disrespectful way, one of them said something like:"Oh, well… if you want, you can come train with us at the gym before you leave."
Annia stood up, took both of them by the hands, led them to a corner, left them there, and came back laughing. As we were leaving, one of them caught up to Evangelina and slipped her a note with her phone number and apartment address. At the bottom it said: "In case you want to come over for a drink at my place."
It wasn't funny at all watching how those women behaved around Killian. It was the first time I'd gone out dancing, and I was pretty sure it would be the last for a long time.
On the ride back, I felt like I was being surrounded—like I was prey. Killian's strong hand rested on my thigh. Annia, sitting in the back, massaged my neck while telling stories about the first time she went dancing and how her father's bodyguards scared off every guy who tried to approach her. Evangelina joined in, locking eyes with me and gently stroking my arm from behind. I won't lie to you, girl. I felt beautiful under that kind of attention.
The four of us kept the party going at Evangelina and Annia's cabin. It was almost identical to ours: same fireplace, same rug, even more wine, champagne, and drinks. I lost count of how many times I doubled over laughing at Killian's stories. That's when I realized he isn't as perfect as he seems. According to him, he's extremely absent-minded when he doesn't care about something. He told us that just two years ago, his father sent him to personally inspect several factories in Australia they were planning to buy. He left right away—but headed to Austria instead, because he hadn't been paying attention. To cover his mistake, he told his father they should sue the airline and the plane's tracking system because it had misinterpreted Australia as Austria. His father's answer was blunt: "Why would I sue them when you know damn well we own 100% of that company?" Something Killian should have known, but had completely forgotten.
When the voices finally died down, worn out by exhaustion, no one wanted to move. The alcohol, the fire, and that incredibly soft rug made the perfect place to stay. In Killian's arms, feeling his steady breathing, I was happy. Evangelina was sleeping on her side near my feet. Annia and I were the only ones still awake. I noticed a hint of melancholy in her eyes. I caressed her face, and without me having to ask, she said:"I love you, Carmilla… but I'm a little jealous of you too. I know Evangelina likes you."
I tried to lighten the mood with a joke:"She adores you. I promise, if that feeling makes you sad, I'll hit her with something every time she gets close to me."
She smiled and whispered:"No. I want you to do the exact opposite. The truth is, she loves this life with me, but she doesn't need me. I know she cares about me, but she could live without me. I, on the other hand… I'm in love with her. So I'm sure that if you help me, she might start looking at me the way she looks at you."
I kept trying to joke around, but she got serious:"Come on, Carmilla. Help me. It's not that hard. Get as close to her as you can. I'll never get jealous of you. I'm just asking you to pretend you're interested in me too. I know it sounds pathetic, but if you act like you're into me—if you hint that you like me—she'll like me more. I swear it works that way. Evangelina worships you."
I pretended to be offended and told her:"I wouldn't have to lie. You're really special to me. I've got your back. But promise me jealousy will never come between us."
She celebrated and swore she'd never get mad at me. I gave her a small kiss on the lips and checked my phone to see if Lucius had messaged again. There was one from him that said:
"I thought about you. Don't think I'm one of those idiots who just sigh over a girl. I imagined everything I'd make you do. First, I'd strip you down and make you wait for me on your hands and knees, ass up, for several minutes—without knowing when or what I'm going to do to you. I won't give you more details right now, but in my head, you end up with your ass bright red, riding me with your hands tied behind your back and your breasts at the mercy of my strength."
For a moment I was tempted to reply, but I didn't. That didn't stop the heat that rushed through me. Because yeah, girl—that message set me on fire like he'd thrown me straight into the fireplace.
Annia had fallen asleep by then too. It felt incredibly erotic to try waking Killian up and seeing if we could keep quiet, if we could play without them noticing. And if we couldn't… we'd just end up in our own bed anyway. We'd still win.
At first he was so deeply asleep he brushed off my caresses like they were annoying tickles. But then he caught on to what was happening and whispered:"You wanna play right here, baby? You sure?"
I answered softly:"The rules are we do everything we can without moaning or screaming."
I turned onto my side with my back to him. He lifted my dress and thrust into me, firm but slow. He pushed deeper until we fell into a rhythm that kept building in intensity. I bit down on his fingers to keep from crying out. Killian only let out soft, ragged breaths.
Then I got bolder. I wanted to be on top of him, hands together behind my back, just like Lucius had described. I enjoyed it so much I couldn't stop. My man is so big, so powerful, that I completely lost my mind without even realizing it and pulled my dress off. He set the pace with his hands on my ass, and I grabbed one of them, making him squeeze my breast the way his brother had threatened to. Killian did it gently, but it didn't calm my fire. I glanced to the side and saw Annia was still asleep, but she made a slight movement and—don't kill me, girl, but I was bad—I actually wanted her to wake up and see me. Am I crazy? He sensed it, and I'm convinced that's why he went deeper and faster. That's when I moaned, biting my lip. When I opened my eyes, Annia was watching me. She covered half her face with her hand. I pulled it away so she could look.
She slid toward her girlfriend like a cat, never taking her eyes off me, and started kissing her. When Evangelina woke up and saw us, she caught fire. Without making a sound, she stripped completely naked. Killian realized what was happening, but I didn't let him look. I turned his head and he obeyed. The two of them moved closer to us, touching each other while always watching my body. I closed my eyes for a moment, completely lost in ecstasy, and felt their lips on my waist, slowly moving upward. When I opened them again, Evangelina had her face right next to mine, whispering:"I love you, beautiful."
I moved my hand away and let Killian see me like this, to find out if he wanted it too. His deep, heated voice ordered:"You see that, baby? We're all in love with you. Let go."