ElianaSoon it was dinner time, and the door creaked open, and Pearl slipped in quietly with a warm smile on her face. In her hands she was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of oats and a handful of fresh berries. The aroma wafted up, and my stomach stirred, despite my earlier reluctance to eat anything."Hey, I know you said you didn't want dinner, but you have to eat something; you can't fight if you're hungry." She said, carefully setting the tray down on the bedside table. "You skipped lunch, and I couldn't let you go hungry." She added with a smile on her face.I smiled back, touched by her concern, and thanked her. As I picked up the spoon, my eyes landed on the phone she had left earlier, which I had placed under my pillow; I quickly pulled it out. "When did you get a phone?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as I waved the phone in the air.Pearl chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "So that’s where I left it; I got it after the ball. I figured it'd be easier for us to communicate, e

DamianI sat behind my desk, my eyes fixed on the clock as I waited for Rostella to finally arrive. We had a meeting scheduled for earlier that week; in fact, she claimed she was already on the way, but she'd blown it off, claiming there was an emergency. I hoped whatever she had to say this time was important.Being in the same room with her felt like it was going to be a chore, but I decided it was for the best.The door swung open, and she strolled in like she owned the place. She pulled out the seat across from me and sat down with a broad smile, her eyes sparkling with amusement."Sorry about earlier, darling," she said, her voice dripping with sweetness. "I had a bit of a situation to deal with." She added.Hearing her call me darling made my skin crawl in ways I didn’t think were possible.I raised an eyebrow, my expression still neutral. "What was it?" I asked, trying to act like I cared.She waved a hand, her gold rings glinting in the light. "Nothing important. Just a little

DamianWhen I got home, I quickly walked into my study, and Xavier and Victor looked up at me, their expressions full of worry, I knew the plan didn’t sound like a good one and they looked like they were about to talk some sense into my head. Xavier was pacing the room, his usual calm demeanor nowhere to be found. He looked like he was about to lose it I had never seen him in such a mood."So, what's the plan, Damian?" He asked as soon as he saw me, his voice filled with concern. "You said we're launching an attack on Preston's house?"he said like the words were unbelievable.I nodded, dropping into my chair. "We have no choice, Xavier. We need to get Serena and Eliana back, this has gone on for too long and we all know Preston’s not going to give them up willingly. We're going in, guns blazing if we have to." I stated my face set in defiance.He stopped pacing immediately, his eyes narrowing. "And what about the innocent servants and maids who have done nothing wrong? What about th

DamianI stepped out into the gardens, needing some fresh air after the meeting with Victor and Xavier. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the tall trees, and I knew the view was the perfect remedy for my frazzled nerves. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my head. But my peace was short-lived as I heard familiar footsteps."Damian!" a soft voice called out, and I turned to see Mila walking towards me, a smile on her face. I cursed inwardly. I had been avoiding her, knowing she'd ask questions about Joseph's plan.If she heard we were going to be blazing guns at all, she wouldn’t let me hear the last of it. I just couldn’t bear to tell her.She threw her arms around me when we got close enough, giving me a tight hug. "When did you get back? I didn't see you around," she asked, looking up at me with those big brown eyes."Not that long ago, I had an emergency meeting with Victor." I replied, trying to sound casual. I disentangled myself from her hug, stuffing my h

Eliana About a few minutes after Pearl left, I decided to go back to sleep to help the anxiety of waiting for the time of our plan's execution to come, but once again, just as I was getting comfortable and drifting off into deep sleep, it was interrupted by my door being forced open.I should lock my doors, but the first rule Rostella gave me when I first arrived here was to always keep the door open no matter what. She said it was so she could protect me, but it didn’t take long for me to realize she just wanted to be able to walk in whenever she pleased, leaving me with no privacy at all.“You’re still asleep? Do you know what time it is?” Rostella said, her voice raised a little as she walked into the room. I carefully sat up, making sure to not say a word to her as I watched her keenly, hoping she’d say what she wanted quickly and go away. “I wonder what you were doing all night to have you sleeping by this time.” She said her nose scrunched up in disgust, and I just blinked at