Page 74 of His Beloved Princess
Dad let me go quickly, but it was enough for me to calm down. He was the number one person who always cared for me, and his presence was consoling.
“Andreas Thorn kicked your mom’s ass out of here,” Zoe announced, suppressing a smile.
“What?” I beeped, imagining my mother and the dragon arguing. In the corner of my heart, I regretted not witnessing it. She was no match for Andreas.
“Yeah,” Dad sighed, sitting on the chair beside Bastian’s bed. “She was bitching as usual, and he tolerated her for like ten seconds,” he grimaced, shaking his head. I noticed a glint of shame behind his sad look. “When she mentioned the word circus and you being a puppet in this, Andreas showed her the door.”
“It’s a very polite description, Mr. Hernandez.” Zoe giggled, giving me my teddy bear. Where she got it, I had no idea, because I was sure I left it at my grandma’s house.
“Was he an asshole?” I asked, handing my dad a bottle of champagne, and he raised an eyebrow at me. “Please, open it. I need it.”
He chuckled, and a loud pop echoed from the walls. I caught the golden liquid in a plastic cup, gave it to my best friend, and waited for two more to be filled.
“Andreas Thorn is one of the few people in the entire world I wouldn’t want to anger,” Zoe pointed out, clicking her cup with mine and winking at my dad. “He literally told her, I’m quoting, ‘Mrs. Thorn doesn’t need people who treat her like shit in her life. Get the fuck out of my sight .’” Shepursed her lips, staring at me with curiosity. “How does he know about yourhealthy relationshipwith your mom?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, slowly sipping my drink. I sat on the bed next to Bastian, taking his hand. “But Andreas knows many things about me. He’s Bastian’s confidant in everything.”
“You told Sebastian about it?” Dad asked, his eyes glistening with tears. He was always on my side and tried his best to shield me from my mother’s claws. But with his line of work, he wasn’t always there to stop her from treating me like garbage.
“I’m not as great an actress as I thought.” I shrugged, looking at his saddened expression. “Bastian saw right through me, through my lies and excuses. Our entire relationship was about me finding the ground under my feet.”
Still holding Bastian’s hand, I leaned down, kissed it, and gently brushed it against my cheek. At least this way, I could remind myself how it felt when he was touching me.
“He must think of me as a horrible father,” Dad uttered, standing. He walked to the window, probably hiding how hard it was for him to admit how badly my mom hurt me.
“I don’t know what he thinks,” I sighed, rising to my feet. I moved towards my dad, shooting Zoe a glance, who silently replied with a small smile. She knew this was a sensitive matter in our family.
“But I know what I think.” I gently took Dad’s arm, and he turned to me. “You’re a great dad, and I love you very much.” I wrapped my arms around his torso, as I often did when I needed to feel safe. “Everything I ever accomplished is thanks to you.”
I felt him exhale heavily and envelope me in a tight embrace. He kissed my head, and I smiled, feeling like a girl again.
“I love you too, sweetheart,” he whispered after a few seconds, pulling away. He stepped back and placed his hands on my shoulders, studying my face. “What are you planning to do, Electra? I just read an article about you and the extreme wealth and power that come with the last name Thorn.”
“Well, I survived my first meeting with shareholders,” I announced proudly, a smile stretching across my face when I remembered the room full of men staring at me like I had fallen from the moon. Almost all wanted to see the marriage certificate, and a few already had people working on verification. Derek and Peter had their hands full, answering their sometimes-attacking questions.
“You have no idea how to run a company, Electra,” Zoe remarked, pouring us another drink. I grinned at my dad and turned to her, nodding in agreement.
“I don’t,” I admitted, wrinkling my nose and watching the monitor showing Bastian’s steady heartbeat. “But he believes in me. It’s enough for me to at least give it a shot.”
“What if it doesn’t work?” Dad asked, sitting back on the chair next to the bed. I crossed my arms over my chest, thinking briefly about my response because doubts about my competence and abilities flooded my mind.
“For the first time in my life,” I started, looking at Zoe and then at my dad, emphasizing every word, “I finally feel like I belong somewhere like I’m exactly where I should be.” I drifted my gaze to Bastian’s motionless, gorgeous face and pushed any doubtful thoughts back into my subconscious.
“I always dreamed about becoming an artist, but this feeling is different. I fought against it since the day Bastian proposed.” I took a deep breath because of that lie. They didn’t know about my arranged marriage. “I was at war with a man I love and myself because I just didn’t believe I was enough. For him, for you, for everyone.” I looked at my best friend, whose smile was as bright as the afternoon sun. “But I’m enough, and they are all in this with me. Even if the worst thing happens and Bastian doesn’t wake up, I won’t be alone.”
“He really did an impossible thing,” Zoe whispered, grinning at me. “He made you see your own worth.” She stood and hugged me like her life depended on it. I hadn’t had so much physical contact since the crash.
“It’s not just him,” I muttered when she finally let go of me. “It’s his entire family. It’s you two, too.” I gave my dad a loving look, and he smiled at me, but the worries were still present on his tired face.
“I’ll be fine,” I reassured them, and Zoe nodded. She knew that if I made up my mind, I would do anything to make it work. “I’m only signing papers.”
“That’s the most important thing to do,” Zoe pointed out, handing my dad a second bottle. It was 3 p.m., and I planned to talk to Andreas, but he wasn’t answering his phone. I didn’t even know he was at the hospital before, and I badly needed advice. I couldn’t get drunk and then try to have a conversation with him. He would laugh in my face.
“Leave it for later, Zoe,” I suggested, taking the bottle from her hands, and she pouted. “We’ll have a girls’ night soon, but I can’t today.”
She needed more persuasion, but eventually, she gave up. She hadn’t had a day off in two months and was desperate for fun.
They stayed with me and Bastian for another two hours, and I was extremely grateful for their company. We shared memories and stupid jokes, and Dad told us stories from his times being deployed, which we had already heard a thousand times, but they always brought a smile to our faces. It was great, and I was happy Bastian didn’t have to listen to my constant whining and crying.
