Page 233 of Nanny and the Beast

We sway to the music. We’re both out of sync, but neither of us cares.

This moment is perfection.

I make eye contact with Gigi. She gives me a bright smile as she continues singing.

I look up at Klaus.

A rush of affection seizes hold of me.

We went through so much to get to this point. We had to fight demons, both within us and outside us, just to hold on to our love. Even when it felt hard, we chose each other.

We chose love.

When I hear the smatter of applause, it feels like coming out of a dream. Klaus and I join in, cheering for our talented friends.

“You sing like an angel,” Olivia says, squeezing Gigi in a big hug.

“Seriously, how are you so talented? I hate you,” Ophelia says, joining in on the hug.

Alaric goes to a corner of the room and lights a cigar.

“Is he okay?” I whisper.

“He will be,” Klaus says.

“Why is he acting strange?” I ask, noticing the wayAlaric’s hands are shaking.

“He loved someone once, and he never got over it,” Klaus tells me.

The doorbell rings.

I glance at the clock. It’s well past midnight. Maybeone of the guests left something behind in the house.

“I’ll get the door. Go check on your friend,” I say to Klaus.

Before I leave the room, I give Gigi a hug and squeeze her hand.

“You have what it takes to be a star, Gigi,” I say.

“You’re just saying that.” She waves me away. But she looks at me with big, hopeful eyes, like nobody ever told her they believed in her.

“I mean it,” I say. “You made every single person in the room feel something.”

“Thank you for saying that,” she whispers.

I’m smiling as I leave the room. Alaricdismissed his staff for the night, so there’s nobody else in the house. I walk to the entrance and swing the front door open.

A ghost stands on the other side.

Seraphina Sinclair tilts her head.

“Hello, Emma,” she says.

50

EMMA

This can’t be real.

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