"Goodbye, Connor," I  tell him, going on tiptoes and kissing his forehead. He looks at me, surprised that I’ve made my peace with him going back to Rome, and I crack a little smile.

"Will you be alright?" he asks me as he finishes buttoning up his shirt. "Tell me you’ll be alright."

"I’ll be alright," I reply with a quick nod, pulling the straps of my dress over my shoulders. With one final smile, I turn around and start walking down the chapel, the confident click of my heels like the sound of a ticking clock. And maybe it sounds like a ticking clock because, right now, there’s a countdown going on inside my head.

Oh, yeah, if you thought I’d let go of Connor this easily, that’s because you don’t know me yet. I’ve told you before, and I’ll tell you again, I always get what I want. And what I want is Connor.

Hurrying up the path toward the mansion, I try and think of what might be pushing Connor over the edge. Even though he doesn’t want to tell me what’s going on, it’s as obvious as daylight that there’s something going on. And I’m going to find out exactly what that something is.

Rushing up the stairway inside the mansion, I go back to my room and shut the door behind me. Connor seems hellbent on leaving as soon as possible, so I have to move quickly or risk losing him forever.

"Okay, let’s go," I whisper to myself, pushing the straps of my dress down my arms and tugging the fabric down. Kicking my high-heels off, I then step out of my dress and take my lingerie off, doing it as quickly as I can. The moment I’m naked, I hop inside my bathroom and turn the shower head on. I don’t even wait for the water to warm up; I just step under the running water and let its coldness jolt me, hoping for it to help me clear my head.

After I’ve showered, I dry myself off and step into my wardrobe. It’s time to choose something fitting for war, because right now that’s what I’m about to do, start a war. I pick my most professional black dress, put on some make-up, and walk out of my bedroom like a woman on a mission.

"Woah, where are you going?" my father asks me as he watches me walk down the stairs. He has his reading glasses on, which probably means he has either left the library, or his private office.

"Where’s Earl?" I ask him, trying to keep my voice down. I don’t want to make my father suspicious of anything, especially because I still don’t know exactly what’s going on.

"Earl? What do you want with Earl?" he asks me, and there’s already a note of suspicion there. But what else did I expect? My brother and I aren’t exactly on good terms, and lately all I’ve wanted was distance from that asshole. So, yeah, I guess it’s kinda suspicious of me to be asking about his whereabouts right now. But it doesn’t matter; the clock is ticking, and I must hurry.

"I want to talk to him… Maybe, you know, try and make peace," I reply, feigning a smile. I must've sounded convincing, because right now there’s a huge smile on my father’s face.

"Well, it was about time. I always knew Connor would be a good influence for the two of you."

C’mon, Dad, just tell me where Earl is!

"Yeah, I know. You were totally right about that," I continue, trying not to sound impatient. "So, have you seen him?"

"Well, last time I checked he was in his study, going over some financials. But I don’t know if --"

"Thanks, Dad!" I tell him, feigning joy and failing miserably, and then I keep on hurrying down the stairs without giving my father the chance to keep on speaking. He’d probably go on a tangent about the importance of a family, and right now that’s the last thing I need.

What I need is to crush my brother’s head under a vice. Yeah, maybe I’m being overly dramatic, but so what? I’m pretty sure that he’s the one behind Connor leaving, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let him have his way.

As I reach the bottom of the stairs, my gaze catches one of the full-plate armors in a corner of the hallway. I consider stealing the sword from the empty armor, but I don’t want to risk ending the night covered in blood. Yeah, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m pissed enough to commit murder right now.

"Earl!" I shout as I walk down the corridor that leads to his study. I stop in front of his door and, gritting my teeth, I turn the handle on the door and try to push it open. It’s locked, but I don’t even bother with knocking, I just slam my fist against the door as hard as I can. Earl’s study is on the opposite side to where my parents have their bedroom, and so there’s not a chance in hell that they’ll be able to hear us. "Open up, Earl! RIGHT FUCKING NOW!"

"And here she is, the Donovan princess," he mocks me as he opens up the door. He leans against the doorway clumsily, almost as if he has forgotten how to stand up, and just looks at me with a mocking smile. "What the hell do you want? Came here to apologize?"

"Apologize?" I growl, reaching for him and pushing him inside the room. He stumbles backward against his desk, hitting it hard and sending the open bottle of whisky he has there tumbling down to the floor.

"Hey, what the fuck!" he cries out, going down on his knees to pick the bottle up from the floor. "What the fuck’s wrong with you?"

"You are what’s wrong with me. And you either start talking right now or I’ll give you the beating you always needed."