Lara:

I had not forgotten a single look on their faces.

The night before, when Kash left the table and told them the decision would be mine, I gave them the keys in a way I felt was appropriate.

I threw the keys at Lady Vivian and watched her stare at me in disbelief.

By that point, she knew there was nothing she could do.

Kash would take my side in a heartbeat.

Zoe got up and took the children away.

She did not fight back, which was the only thing that concerned me.

Other than that, I was happy with how everything had turned out.

"Let’s go, Mother."

After Zoe put the kids to bed, she walked up to her mother and gently held her by the arms.

The way Zoe glared at me, I could tell she wanted to rip my heart out.

"Yeah, take your mother away. I mean, she will have to pack too," I remarked dramatically, checking my nails.

"You know what? I deserve it." And then Lady Vivian surrendered.

I looked up and smiled at her, glad to see her give in. But she shocked me. Of course she did.

"This is what we get for losing the best one. And then you?"

She let out a chuckle, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Then you came here just to show us how wrong we were."

As she continued, I felt my body stiffen.

"Is that it, or do you have more to say?" I grunted.

She let out another chuckle.

"No, I just hope my son will be fine, because I’m leaving him with the devil."

Her words made my jaw clench.

I glanced around, but the maids were there.

She was lucky, or I would have pounced on her.

"You can leave," I mouthed, warning her she was no longer needed.

"Oh, I will. I cannot stay here with the devil myself."

Her comment caused my fingers to curl into tight fists, but I stayed silent. She was testing every nerve I had.

I took a sharp breath and gestured toward her room.

"Come on, Mom. She’s not worth it," Zoe said, taking the keys from her mother’s hands and guiding her away.

Of course, they were doing this just to ruin my happiness, so I did not fucking care.

Tomorrow, they would be gone, and there would be one less problem.

I watched them walk away with defeated looks on their faces, and that was all I could enjoy in that moment.

After that, I returned to my room, my beautiful and handsome mate’s room.

Morning arrived.

Sadly, I could not cuddle with Kash even last night.

He was sleeping on the couch.

And I understood why. He was just annoyed with his family.

Once they were gone, everything would finally fall back into place.

That was what I hoped for. So I did not complain much.

Now here I was in the morning, getting ready for the biggest success of my life.

I was so happy.

Beyond happy.

I giggled as I put on my beautiful white gown, feeling like a bride once again.

I planned to prepare a very romantic dinner and recreate our wedding day, minus the fact that last time Iris ruined it when she ran away.

This time she was not there to do that.

Neither would his family be.

As for the children, I would plan something for them.

I mean, Kash was pretty much wrapped around my pinky finger.

So it would be easy to get rid of them now.

Once I got ready, I walked out and realized Kash had gotten ready in the side room.

Probably because I was taking too much time in the bathroom.

"Good morning," I greeted Kash, wearing a beautiful smile on my lips.

He gave me a nod and then turned toward the empty hallway.

We were both walking toward the dining room now.

However, I noticed how silent the entire mansion was.

"Where is everybody else?" Kash asked and I shrugged.

"Your Highness, we are going to have breakfast in the garden," a maid announced as he arrived, informing Kash about the plans for the day.

I was slightly confused because I did not order that. That was usually for special occasions.

Maybe it was a special occasion, but who planned it?

"Oh yeah, that is a good idea," Kash responded.

I chalked it up to maybe Kash’s idea that he had forgotten about later on.

We walked out toward the garden, and that was when I saw Lady Vivian and Zoe sitting there with Markus and the children.

I sighed because I began to wonder if they had caused another issue.

I was very scared of the possibility of Lady Vivian pretending to be sick.

That thought had been at the back of my mind.

Thankfully, looking at her, I could tell she had not gotten that idea, so it was fine.

Kash gave his mother and Zoe a nod, and then he took his seat, and everyone else sat down as well.

"So we are leaving today?" Markus asked Zoe, and I frowned.

Had they not packed up or anything?

"Yeah, we are," Zoe replied casually, taking a bite of her omelette, and even Kash had already started to eat.

"It is okay if you are having trouble packing. The maids can help you," I said, still trying to play the part in front of Kash.

However, I suddenly noticed that Kash, Lady Vivian, and Zoe all started to chuckle and shake their heads in disbelief.

"What is it?" I asked in confusion, looking at Markus, who seemed just as clueless as I was.

"Nothing. I was just thinking how happy you would be when they leave," Kash answered in a very subtle way, and I felt my heart drop in my chest.

"No, that is not true. I do not want them to go, but I will never disobey your opinion or go against your decision," I said in an even sweeter tone, reaching out for his hand.

"See, Kash? I told you she does not want us to go. It is just you who keeps saying that," Zoe said to him, and my body started to shake once again.

"Yeah, but I think it is better for our relationships if we go our separate ways. Otherwise, you know how things are getting dirty," I added.

I quickly changed my tone, and once again I noticed the three of them laugh.

It was starting to get uncomfortable, so I decided to stay silent and focus on my food.

"So I will ask the driver to prepare the car then," Kash said to his family, and I sighed.

So it was done. They were definitely leaving.

"Yeah, the driver has to take a long journey though," Zoe mumbled, and I began to nod my head.

"Wait a minute, I have something for the journey," Kash said, stopping his meal, getting up from the table midway, and walking away.

I turned my neck to see where he was heading, and he was going back into the mansion.

I was slightly confused about what was going on. The entire air had shifted.

Lady Vivian was no longer crying or begging to stay, probably because she felt it was a blow to her ego or whatever the hell was happening with her.

Then, when I realized Kash was not around, I smiled at Zoe and Lady Vivian.

"So, are you ready to go to your new home?" I said in a taunting tone, watching them glare at me as if they would eat me alive.

"Do not be angry with me. It was Kash’s decision anyway," I added, shrugging and pouting.

"So you definitely achieved your mission, huh?" Lady Vivian said, taking a bite of her food.

She looked rather calm, and that was kind of scary.

"Well, I told you. I always get what I want," I replied, raising my eyebrow at her.

"But what you did to Iris was wrong," Lady Vivian said, and goosebumps prickled across my skin.

That was when I turned my attention to Markus and gave him a look.

"Actually, maybe you guys are forgetting what she did to me."

Thankfully, that asshole spoke up.

It was important that they remembered that just because they were angry with me did not mean they should forget what she had done to this asshole right here.

"We will discuss that later. For now, we are talking to Lara," Zoe said dismissively, and my spine stiffened at her tone.

"Well, you can cry or say whatever you want. The truth is that you are leaving," I said, looking straight at Zoe and her mother.

"And if you dare disrespect me again, I will be very harsh. Remember what happened to Iris? Your fate will be worse."

I finished speaking and watched the two share a glance before they looked behind me.

"Why? What exactly happened to me?" a voice came from behind, and for a second my entire existence paused.