Page 47 of Royal Beast
But I know better than to let myself fall for that hope again. So when I walk back down the hall, I pass by his closed study door without a second glance. We’re partners in public, strangers in private, and that’s all there is to it.
But sometimes, when I see him from across a crowded room or even just catch a glimpse of his reflection in a window, it feels like I see something but I’m not sure what it is. Is it longing? Regret? I try not to think about it, pushing those moments to the back of my mind.
Besides, I have more important things to focus on. All my time and attention at work are now being taken up with this deal I’ve been working on for the last few weeks. Callie Fitzgerald is a popular self-published author and herTravelersseries has been making waves in the fiction community. We’ve been courtingher for months now and I finally secured a meeting with her. The meeting went well and things are now being finalized.
My email dings and I check it, heart pounding in my chest. It looks like she’s just signed the final paperwork to be brought into Enchanted Dreams Publishing!
Landing Callie is a huge deal, a complete game-changer for us. Enchanted Dreams has been mostly children’s literature so far, with a couple of middle-school series here and there, but this is our first YA series to date.
I sit back in my chair, a thrill of pride settling in. I’d done it, despite the storm brewing in my personal life. This is something that’s mine, something Kellan can’t touch, can’t diminish.
I quickly type up an email to Miranda, the subject line in all caps.WE GOT HER!
I barely even manage to hit send before she bursts into my office, eyes wide and gleaming. “Darcy!” She practically bounces into the room, her smile so contagious that I can’t help but grin back. “I just got your email! This is huge! I’m so proud of you.Travelers of the Starsis ours!”
I nod, feeling the excitement wash over me again as Miranda wraps me in a tight hug. “It’s all finalized. Callie Fitzgerald is officially with us!”
Miranda steps back, her hands on my shoulders, beaming. “I knew you’d pull this off. You’ve been relentless, Darcy. You deserve to celebrate this.”
She glances at the time, then waves off my attempt to get back to work. “Dinner is on me tonight. You’re not getting out of it.”
I laugh, feeling a small weight lift from my shoulders. “Alright, alright. Dinner it is.”
Over appetizers, Miranda brings up a familiar topic. “So, when are you going to bring me that manuscript of yours, Darcy? You know I haven’t forgotten.”
I stiffen, my fork pausing mid-air. "It’s not going to happen, Miranda.” My words come out sharper than I intend, injecting an awkward silence into the celebration.
Miranda raises an eyebrow, taken aback. “Alright, alright, message received.” She gives me a careful look. “You doing okay?”
I sigh, feeling the walls I’ve been holding up beginning to crack. Before I realize it, I’m pouring out everything—the tension with Kellan, the missed date nights, the broken promises, and how I’d thought, just for a moment, that maybe things were changing between us.
“I was trying, Miranda,” I admit, swirling my water glass in agitation. “I gave him a real chance, just like you suggested. For a while, it felt like we were building something. We had these moments together, with Rose, too, like a real family. Then he started pulling back, always busy with work. He would leave me hanging without so much as a text message.”
Miranda listens, nodding in understanding, her eyes soft with concern. “Did you talk to him?”
“He shut me down,” I say, my voice quavering despite my best efforts to stay calm. “Reminded me that this was just a convenient arrangement, a business deal. Like he hadn’t meant any of it.” I press my lips together, my chest tight. “I can’t lie, it hurt. So I pulled away, and now we barely speak.”
Miranda reaches across the table, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “Darcy, anyone would feel the same. You deserve better. Does he even have a good excuse for why he’s been acting this way?”
I hesitate, glancing down at my plate. “He’s under a lot of stress with… you know, his ‘work’.” I lift my eyes to meet hers, hoping the implication is clear enough. We both know what Kellan and his family are involved in.
Miranda raises an eyebrow thoughtfully, nodding as she digests that. “Well, if that’s the case, I might be able to help.”
I let out a laugh, thinking she’s joking, but Miranda’s expression remains steady, her lips lifting in a confident smile. “Oh, I’m serious, Darcy.”
I blink at her, stunned. “Miranda, are you saying you’d be able to do something about this?”
She smirks, sipping her wine before answering. “Believe it or not, I’ve been in business with powerful men for a long time, Darcy. They don’t scare me—and you’d be surprised at the contacts you can accumulate over the years.”
I shake my head, amazed. “So, what, you’re going to take on the big, bad men of the world now, too?”
Miranda chuckles, her eyes flashing with that knowing spark. “I’m not saying I’m about to storm in there myself, but I might know a few people who could give us some insight. And besides, no one messes with the people I care about.” Her voice is light, but I can tell she’s completely serious.
I glance around the restaurant, half expecting someone to overhear, though no one is paying us any attention. “It’s… complicated,” I say quietly. “Kellan’s family has a lot of enemies, and I think their rivals are getting more aggressive. It’s impacting their business, and he’s had to spend so much time on it. It’s like he’s completely… checked out.” The pain slips into my voice, despite how hard I try to mask it.
Miranda’s gaze softens, and she reaches across the table again. “Then let me see what I can do. If nothing else, maybe I can pull some strings, get some answers.”
I nod slowly, a flicker of hope stirring in my chest. “Thank you, Miranda. I didn’t think anyone could… or even that anyone would even want to help.”
