Page 245 of Fated Mates of the Titan Empire

“I’m Traes,” I said. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Oh,” she said. “It’s fine.”

She glanced around the room for how I could have gotten in if I didn’t come through the one and only door she’d used.

“Did you find the house okay?” I said.

“Yes, thanks,” she said. “Your butler said you were going to take a while with something.”

“Yes. I was otherwise engaged,” I said. “But I’m not now.”

“He was going to show me around the garden. I think he’s waiting for me outside.”

“Don’t worry about him,” I said. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Knock, knock.

“Come,” I said.

Waev peered his head around the door. He looked surprised to see me standing there.

“I came to take the lady to the gardens,” he said.

“That’s okay,” I said. “We’ll have our meeting now.”

Waev frowned, in total confusion.

“Right,” he said. “Okay. Uh, would you care for drinks?”

“Tea,” I said.

“Very good, sir,” he said, backing out of the room.

Once he’d gone, I shook my head.

“Waev,” I said. “He’s beginning to get a bit long in the tooth, I’m afraid. You’re free to visit the gardens after our meeting if you’d like.”

“Thanks,” she said.

I shook her hand.

“Call me Traes,” I said.

“Bianca,” she said.

I couldn’t resist asking the next question:

“Did you grow up in a house similar to this?” I said.

The smile faltered on her lips.

“I, uh, no, uh, yes. The thing is… Sort of.”

“I hear a lot of families earn a lot of money from energies from your homeworld,” I said. “Oil. Gas. Things like that.”

Bianca looked at me through squinting eyes.

“Right…” she said.

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