New information…
I took a deep breath, leaning back into the plush chair as I considered my response. “I told them just enough to make them believe I was completely on their side. I played the role of the loyal ally, Mom. I gave them the impression that I had infiltrated Fabian’s circle and was gathering information for them. Of course, I didn’t tell them the full truth.”
She leaned forward, her brows furrowed. “And they believed you?”
“Of course,” I said, smiling slyly. “They have no reason not to. Simon and Lucas trust me-probably more than they should. I’ve made sure to position myself as indispensable to both of them.”
“Veronica,” she said softly, shaking her head. “You’re playing a very dangerous game. If either Simon or Lucas catches wind that you’re manipulating them, or worse, if Fabian realizes you’re using him, you could lose everything.”
“I know, Mom,” I replied, my voice steady. “But I have no choice. Fabian is getting impatient, and if I don’t move quickly, I’ll be trapped. But trust me, I have a plan. I’ll come out on top.”
She sighed, folding her hands in her lap, clearly unconvinced. “I just want you to be careful. The stakes are higher than you realize.”
I glanced out the window, watching the sun slowly dip behind the trees in the garden. My mother was right, of course. The web I had spun was delicate, and one wrong move could unravel everything. But what choice did I have? Fabian was growing more aggressive by the day, and the twins… they were becoming more paranoid with every passing moment. If I didn’t act soon, someone else would-and I’d be left to face the fallout.
“I know what I’m doing,” I repeated, though the words sounded hollow even to my own ears. “This is my only chance to secure my position and ensure that Fabian doesn’t pull the rug out from under me.”
She reached out, placing a hand on mine. “Just remember, power can be fleeting. And the more people you deceive, the more enemies you’ll make. Trust, once broken, is nearly impossible to repair.”
I squeezed her hand gently, forcing a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll make sure the game ends in my favor.”
We sat in silence for a moment before the sound of heavy footsteps approached from the hallway. I quickly stood up, recognizing the familiar presence even before he entered the room. Lucas stepped through the doorway, his sharp gaze immediately falling on me.
“Veronica, we need to talk,” he said, his tone clipped and urgent.
I nodded, trying to suppress the unease that stirred in my stomach. “Of course. What’s going on?”
He glanced at my mother briefly before turning back to me. “In private,” he added.
I exchanged a quick glance with my mother, who gave me a small nod of encouragement. I followed Lucas out of the room, my mind racing as we walked down the long hallway toward his office. Something was wrong-I could feel it in the air, the tension hanging like a storm cloud ready to burst.
As soon as the door to his office closed behind us, Lucas turned to face me, his expression serious.
“I’ve received new information,” he began, pacing in front of me. “Something about Fabian’s plans that doesn’t add up. It seems like he’s playing a much bigger game than we anticipated. I need to know if there’s anything you haven’t told us, anything you might have learned that could help us take him down before it’s too late.”
I swallowed hard, keeping my face neutral. He was digging for more, testing me to see if I’d break. I had to tread carefully now.
“I’ve already told you everything,” I said slowly, keeping my voice steady. “Fabian wants to overthrow you and Simon. He’s been working with Ashley to gather information, but since she’s no longer in the mansion, his plans have hit a snag.”
Lucas stopped pacing, his eyes narrowing. “Are you sure? Because I’ve been hearing whispers that Fabian has other informants. People we don’t even know about.”
I felt a chill run down my spine. If Fabian had other informants, it could complicate everything. My control over the situation was slipping faster than I had realized.
“I didn’t know about that,” I admitted, choosing my words carefully. “But if it’s true, it makes sense why he’s been more desperate lately. I’ll try to dig deeper, find out who these other informants might be.”
Lucas stared at me for a long moment, as if weighing the truth in my words. Finally, he nodded, though the tension in his shoulders didn’t ease.
“All right. But be careful, Veronica. Fabian is dangerous, and if he suspects that you’re playing both sides, he won’t hesitate to destroy you.”
I nodded, feeling the weight of his words settle heavily on my chest. “I know,” I said softly.
Lucas stepped closer, his gaze softening for the first time. “Just… stay safe. We can’t afford to lose you.”
The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard, and for a brief moment, I felt a flicker of guilt. But I quickly pushed it away. I couldn’t afford to let my emotions get in the way now.
“I will,” I promised, forcing a smile.
As I left his office, my heart pounded in my chest. I had thought I was in control, that I could handle Fabian, Simon, and Lucas with ease. But now, it felt like the walls were closing in, and my carefully crafted plans were beginning to crumble.
I had to move quickly. If Fabian actually had other informants, my position was even more precarious than I had realized. But if I could figure out who they were, I might still be able to turn the situation to my advantage. One thing was certain: the game was far from over, and I wasn’t about to let anyone outplay me.
I returned to where Mom sat, and she looked at me with tension clearly written on her face.
“What did he ask you, Veronica? I hope he’s not onto you now.”
“Mom, why do you keep thinking so negatively? Please, can you just stop?” I flared up, sitting back down and folding my arms.
“But what do you expect? I’m really worried about you, and as it stands, a lot is at risk. So of course, I’m going to think of the worst when things seem like this.”
“Well, please just calm down. Everything is okay.”
“So what exactly happened? Talk to me, Vee.”
“It’s nothing, Mom. He just mentioned that he and Simon got new information about Fabian and asked if I knew anything about it.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Apparently, Fabian has other informants, and this was something both he and Simon have recently found out. He just wanted to confirm it with me.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“What did you tell him about it?”
“Obviously nothing! I really don’t know anything about that, Mom. Fabian never mentioned having other people he was getting information from. I’m guessing that’s a dirty move he’s been taking to make sure I can’t go against him.”
My mom remained silent, and I looked at her, expecting some response, but I got nothing.
“Aren’t you going to say anything, Mom?”
“Well, what exactly do you expect me to say? If I say anything to you now, you’ll tell me that you have it all under control. So, what’s the point of me responding?”
“Hm, I guess you’re right,” I responded, and she shrugged her shoulders. “But Mom, I must say, there’s progress in all of this for me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The other time when Lucas called me, I noticed something that was never there before.”
“And what might that be?” she asked, taking a final sip from her glass.
“He was gentle! It’s not that Lucas isn’t a gentle person, but this time, he sounded so calm and concerned. Oh my goodness, Mom, you should have seen how that man literally rendered me weak just by talking. When he moved a bit closer to me, I could feel my body heating up in response. For the first time, it actually felt like he cared about my feelings and what was going on with me.”
“Wow, all of this happened just a while ago? All of this?”
“Yes, Mom! To be quite honest with you, this has just made me a million times more determined.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes! Now, I’m more determined than ever to have everything go smoothly so I can win over both of my husbands.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, and by the grace of the moon goddess, everything will go the way you want it to. I’m sure of it,” she said, and I comfortably gulped down the rest of my drink.
We spent some time catching up before Mom went to meet my husbands. They were both in their separate chambers, so Mom had to call for them to meet us in the lounge, where we always gathered to talk.
“Oh, Simon, Lucas, it’s so good to see you both!” She greeted them as they approached the lounge. They both had a nonchalant look on their faces, which they tried to hide, but it wasn’t like Mom could yell at them to fix their expressions. We just took what we got and didn’t complain, to avoid losing the little we already had.
“Please, sit down,” Mom urged. I stood up, straightening my dress as I tried to leave to get them snacks.
“Oh, Vee, where are you going?” Mom asked, and I looked at her, confused.
“Both my husbands are here; of course, I would have to get snacks and drinks for them to have while you converse,” I responded, proceeding to leave the room. But Lucas, however, stopped me.
“Oh well, that’s fine, Veronica. There’s really no need for that,” he said with a wave of his hand, and I nodded in response, walking back to have a seat. A maid walked in and quietly took the glasses and snack platters my mom and I had used before leaving the room for us to continue.
“Alright, I’ll just go straight to the point now. I have noticed something, and I didn’t tell Veronica first because I knew she would stop me from addressing it, but I just have to.”
“What is it, Mom?” I asked, pretending not to know what exactly Mom was about to talk about.
“I looked at my daughter and noticed that the glow that comes with carrying out marital activities is not just on her. Why is this?”
“Mom! Please, can we not address this right now? You of all people know that my husbands have been super occupied with getting the kingdom back together, and so, of course, they wouldn’t really have time to spend so much time with me. I understand, and I’m not complaining, okay?”
“But your father and I are really looking forward to having our grandkids already.” I kept quiet for a while, letting the impact spread evenly in the room, as both Simon and Lucas wore pressured expressions on their faces.
“Actually, we really understand how you must be feeling, but just as Veronica has mentioned, a lot is currently going on, and it’s our responsibility to handle it all. On the other hand, we definitely haven’t neglected our responsibilities as her husbands. Do not address this again with my brother and me because we definitely haven’t forgotten our duties. We’ll have children in due time,” Simon responded, and the room fell awkwardly silent for a while.
“Well, since that’s all, we’ll be taking our leave now. Do have a safe trip back home and extend our greetings to Alpha Norway,” Lucas said out of the blue, and they both made their way out, leaving Mom and me in a state of shock. The conversation seemed both like a success and a failure at the same time, so we couldn’t really tell what expression to give at the end of the day.