Page 34 of Three's A Crown
“You think he would do this?” Magnolia questions.
“Don’t tell me you’ve been in Dante’s company for a couple of hours, and you’re Team Valerius,” Skylar spits back.
Magnolia clutches her chest as if our sister’s words had physically wounded her. "That’s not at all what I meant. Dante was with us all night,” Magnolia adds.
“He’s been gone a long time, things have changed in his family,” Henny states.
Magnolia looks over at all of us, and I can see she has so many questions.
“What happened tonight wasn’t an accident, of that I am sure. What I don’t understand is Valerius’s or another enemy of your father’s motivation would be behind this?” Henny states.
“To send us a message,” I add.
Henny shakes her head. “I think Valerius bringing Dante was the message, the reminder of what your father agreed to.”
“Maybe he didn’t want there to be a chance of either one of us walking away with the prince. He needs us to be reliant on him and maybe tonight we got too close to escaping him that he needed to do something drastic,” I explain.
Silence falls between us all as everyone mulls over my words.
“Valerius needs the wedding between Magnolia and Dante to happen, to extend his tentacles even further. But why would be harm the castle?” Henny muses.
“For the money,” I say as everyone turns and looks at me. “On the chance that one of us did snag the prince and get the engagement money and paid him back, we would no longer be indebted to him. He knows there is no way we can afford to get the castle fixed after paying him back. He also knows that we wouldn’t want to put anyone in our household out on the street while we wait to come up with the funds to replace it or wait for insurance. That’s even if our father had insurance,” I say on a sigh. “He probably thinks he can ride in here on a white worse like a damn hero and tell us all to not worry about it, he will take care of it. It’s the least he could do as our late father’s friend, my godfather, and Magnolia’s soon-to-be father-in-law.”
“That does sound like something he would do. I think you’re right, my girl,” Henny adds.
“What can we do?” Skylar asks.
“Not sure there is anything we can do. Not unless they are able to find a male heir, or if Anthony is able to find a loophole or a fricken miracle happens and the Prince of Friendsburg rides in on a white horse to save us all.” Henny sighs.
I was so close to saving us all, so close.
“We can’t stand by and let these men dictate our lives,” Skylar argues.
She’s right, and it sucks because I’m sick of always feeling helpless.
“Do you think Dad had other kids outside of us?” Skylar asks.
“Maybe, who knows.” I shrug.
“Don’t you think someone would have come forward by now?” Magnolia questions.
“Maybe they don’t know who their father is? Or maybe he had girls, who knows with him,” I answer.
“Either way we are screwed.” Skylar sighs.
“Not as screwed as me having to marry a man I hate,” Magnolia says.
“Hate’s such a strong word, Maggie.” Dante chuckles as he walks up behind us with Enzo.
“Where the hell did you two sneak up from? Don’t you know this is a private conversation?” Magnolia hisses at them.
Dante can’t wipe the smile off his face as if he gets off on my sister’s anger, and Enzo grins too.
“Wanted to check in on my fiancée, let her know that I’m here for her. I have a big shoulder for her to cry on,” Dante says, teasing my sister.
Magnolia shoots him an icy look which makes him chuckle again. He’s probably been around more intimidating people than my sister; he isn’t going to scare easily.
“Maybe you should check in with your father and ask him why he thinks burning our castle down was a good idea?” Skylar asks Dante.