Chapter 57

Raven

The process of handling my father’s affairs felt so… clinical. After hours of signing papers and talking to coroners and a whole blur of other preparations, I finally stepped out of the hospital, feeling sick to my stomach.

But I also felt strangely numb.

Numb because I had the chance to heal my father, and I didn’t. Because I had been too caught up in myself to do it in time.

Selfish as always. Apparently that was the one thing about me that hadn’t changed over the past few months.

We hailed a cab, as I was too weak to make the trip back to the Lycan kingdom tonight. And besides, it was getting late and there was still much to do to deal with my father’s death.

My father had told me many times throughout his life that he just wanted to be cremated—no funeral. I decided to honor his wishes. No one in this world would have come to his funeral for anything other than appearances anyway.

Once we got back to the Lycan kingdom, I’d have a small memorial somewhere in the forest. Somewhere beautiful. But that was it.

Neil sat in the back of the cab beside me, quiet as ever, although I felt his gaze flick to me a few times. He didn’t say anything, didn’t ask if I was okay. Maybe because he already knew the answer.

The car pulled to a stop in front of my mansion, and I climbed out, my legs shaking. The guards stepped out as well, silent as they followed me up the pebbled driveway. I didn’t look at them, didn’t need to see their reactions to know what they were thinking.

The house loomed ahead of us, all pristine white walls and glass windows that reflected the city lights. It was just as I had left it—perfectly maintained, no doubt thanks to the cleaning staff that were still coming every week, even while I was gone.

“Goddess,” Castor breathed, his eyes wide as he took in the sprawling estate. “This is your house?”

“It’s… massive,” Ember said quietly, as if she didn’t fully believe it.

Eric let out a low whistle. “It’s almost bigger than our castle.”

Neil said nothing, but his eyes lingered on the grand front doors, his expression unreadable.

I shrugged as I punched in the keycode to enter. “It’s just a house.”

“Just a house?” Castor echoed, gesturing wildly at the massive structure before us. “This place is bigger than one woman could ever need!”

“It wasn’t supposed to be just for me,” I muttered bitterly, recalling all too well how I had dreamed of living here with Nathan and our future children, how Dani had slept in a room right down the hall from mine, how I had once thought this place would be filled with laughter and love.

I stepped inside, my heels clicking against the marble floor, and was immediately hit with a fresh wave of pain.

The house was quiet. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that made every creak of the floorboards and hum of the air conditioner seem deafening.

It didn’t feel like home anymore. It felt like a tomb.

“Make yourselves comfortable,” I said flatly, my voice hollow. “There are tons of guest rooms upstairs. Take your pick, I don’t give a shit.”

The guards hesitated, exchanging uncertain glances. Ember opened her mouth as if to say something, but Neil shot her a warning look, and she closed it again.

Without waiting for a response, I dropped my bag on the nearest chair and headed for the living room. My legs felt like lead, but I forced myself to keep moving, needing to do something—anything—to keep from collapsing under the weight of it all.

I barely made it to the couch when there was a knock at the door. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Who could possibly be visiting me now?

The knock came again, louder this time.

With a sigh, I stood and strode over to the door, half expecting it to be a salesman or something. But when I pulled the door open, my heart sank.

“Raven!” my old public relations manager, Valerie, exclaimed, her face lighting up. She was dressed to the nines in a sleek black dress and heels, her hair perfectly styled. “Goddess above, where have you been? You’ve had me worried sick!”

“I…” I faltered, unsure of how to respond. “It’s been… complicated.”

“Complicated?” she repeated, her perfectly groomed eyebrows shooting up. “You disappear off the face of the earth for months, and all you can say is ‘complicated’? Do you have any idea what’s been going on while you’ve been MIA?”

“Valerie, now’s not really a good time—”

“Oh, nonsense!” she interrupted, waving a hand dismissively. “Listen, there’s a masquerade event tonight at the Blackwood Hotel. All the big names are going to be there. It’s the perfect opportunity for you to make an appearance and remind everyone why you’re the star of the show. Here, I got you a dress and a mask. I hope it fits. You look… fatter.”

My stomach twisted as she shoved a box with a familiar designer logo into my hands.

“I’m not interested,” I said, holding the box back out to her. Once, I might have ripped it open like a feral animal, dying to see the luxurious items inside. Once, I might have had a fit over someone saying I looked ‘fat’.

But not anymore.

“Raven,” she said, sounding annoyed, “you’ve missed so much already. Nathan and Dani got married. The tabloids are having a field day speculating about where you’ve been and why you weren’t there. You need to show up and prove that you’re still relevant.”

“My father just died,” I snapped, my voice cracking.

Valerie blinked, her crimson lips parting slightly. For a moment, I thought she might apologize or at least back off. But then she straightened, her expression hardening.

“All the more reason to show up,” she said firmly. “You can’t let grief destroy your career. This event is important, Raven. You don’t have to stay long—just long enough to be seen. No one will even notice your…” She paused, her eyes flicking over my body. “...Love handles. I’ve already booked a room for you upstairs, so you don’t even have to worry about going home afterward.”

“I don’t care about any of that,” I said through clenched teeth.

Valerie’s eyes softened just a little, but she didn’t relent. “I know you don’t. But I do. And as your manager, it’s my job to make sure you don’t lose everything you’ve worked so hard for.”

I hesitated, my hands curling into fists at my sides. The thought of going to some stupid masquerade while my father’s body was still lying in a hospital morgue made me sick to my stomach. But Valerie’s insistence was relentless, and I honestly just wanted to tell her I would do it to make her shut up.

“Fine. I’ll go,” I said finally, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. “But only for a little while.”

“Wonderful!” Valerie beamed, slipping out her phone and tapping furiously on the keyboard—no doubt posting about my upcoming public appearance on social media. “I’ll have a car pick you up in an hour. Do try to squeeze into that dress, darling.”

And with that, without looking up from her phone, she turned and made her way down the front steps. “Oh, and bring a date,” she called over her shoulder. “You’ll need to squash those rumors about Nathan and Dani breaking your heart.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but she was already gone. I did make sure to throw my middle finger up at her, which of course she didn’t notice, too busy staring at her phone.

“As if I’m going to some stupid fucking party,” I hissed, slamming the door and dropping the designer box. “I don’t even have a date.”

“I’ll be your date.”

I turned, my eyes widening a little when I saw Neil standing there.