There was a girl once. A girl who thought her father was the strongest man alive. Indestructible. There was a girl once. A girl who thought her mum was the most beautiful woman alive. Eternal. 

There was a girl once and she lived life like a fairy-tale. Her father was her fairy tale's king and her mum, the queen. Her sister her forever best friend, and she everyone's princess. The youngest.

Her fairy tale bloomed and bloomed and thrived. Everyone was happy. Everyone was prospering. And then her fairy tale died. Her hero, destroyed. Her idol, only mortal. Her fairy tale a mere fable.

There was a princess once. And she watched her fairy tale die. She survived though. And every year, on this day, she asked herself why. And every year, on this day, she lost another piece of hope that she'd ever know the answer.

Why not her? Why them? Why?

The two grey gravestones sat beside each other. Close together, and it was sure that even after death mum and dad were together. Lying. Beside each other.

Going down on my knees I ignored my blurry vision as I placed two single stems of white roses over each grey cemented grave.

White. For hope.

In the distant, thunder rumbled, and I sighed as I reached over and brushed my hand over the headstone before me.

"Hi pa."

Another tear fell down my cheek and I rested my hand over mum's grave.

"Ma."

I couldn't help it, slumping over I let myself go to the misery. The events from the dreadful day flashing before me. The tall truck had come out of nowhere.

"I miss you, you both. You all. I miss you and I wish you were here." Another sob ripped out of my lips, breaking me mid-sentence but I continued. "It's stupid and I know that nothing's going to change but so much has happened and I wish you both were here to show me the way. I'm so confused."

A hand gripped my shoulder and gave it a squeeze, moving my palm over the hand I covered it with mine. I didn't so much as flinch from the contact.

"Your flight back to Berlin is in an hour, Olivia."

I sighed.

Reaching forward I slowly touched both my parents' gravestones.

"I love you. Both of you." I whispered, wiping my eyes I got to my feet and turned to face my oldest housekeeper.

Her face melted into a motherly expression and she pulled me closer against her, her hands holding both mine between them.

"I'm sure they would be very proud of you, miss."

I nodded, blurry eyed. "I hope so,"

A small smile filtered into the old woman's face and she pat my hand.

"I'm sure they would be. Every year, on their death anniversary you catch a flight to London. Just to visit your parents grave. You're a good daughter, Olivia."

I sighed as I followed the woman towards the black car at the entrance of the cemetery.

"Is there any way I can meet Mr. Monatelly before I rush back to the airport, Pompy?"

Sliding into the back seat of the car, I turned to see Pompy slide in beside me. The driver, Thomas, turned and I nodded softly before he began driving.

Back to the estate.

Back home.

Home.

A strange feeling flushed into my chest when the first thoughts of home brought up flashes of the castle. Romanov's Castle.

I shook my head and turned away, looking out of the window, at the usual dull day. Living at the castle for the last two weeks had changed me a bit.

Or maybe it was Romanov. 

The tall gates of the estate swung open grandly, making a loud shrill noise as they did. John and Yusuf, the two elite security guards stood on each side of the gate and I waved at both of them as the car drove into the long driveway, slowly turning into the large garage before parking beside the many vehicles.

I sighed when I noticed my dad's favourite Porsche still parked in its usual space. Turning away I got out of the car and at once began walking towards the entrance.

"Olivia! It's so wonderful to see you! I just emailed you papers to our latest accounts yesterday. Suppose you didn't see them?"

A small awkward smile ripped out of my lips when the tall built man extended a hand towards me. Looking up at the director of my father's businesses, I took his hand and gave it a small shake.

"It's good to see you too, Mr. Monatelly. I'm sure I'll see them when I'm back in Berlin."

Edward Monatelly smiled slightly before he moved us towards the large sofa placed in a comforting pattern. Seating me on the cream coloured couch he elegantly sat down beside me.

My insides warmed as I took everything around the mansion in, each knickknack, the shining polished hardwood floor, family photos placed above the frame of the fireplace.

I breathed the air in and smiled sadly. The mansion even smelt like warmth. Like home. My childhood.

"Ah! Speaking of Berlin, how are your studies sailing along, Olivia? Are you sure you're comfortable with both studying and controlling the whole business?"

I cringed. The question was something I had asked myself after mum and dada died. Could I handle the hotels? The malls? Could I handle taking over my parents' hard work?

Looking up I caught Mr. Monatelly's smirk and I frowned. All traces of doubt removed itself from my face and with cool practice I smiled as I leaned forward. "Businesses, Mr. Monatelly. Nine malls and eleven hotels. And are you forgetting the number of buildings we have out for rent by other businesses?"

Immediately Mr. Monatelly stilled and his face become serious. "I know each mall, hotel and building by the floors, their location, their decor, Olivia. I've spent years managing everything for you after your parents died."

A scoff echoed behind me and both Mr. Monatelly and I turned towards the source. I almost smiled when I noticed Pompy still standing behind our couch, arms folded in front of her.

Turning back towards the light haired sharp looking man I smiled softly, all anger from a second ago vanishing, his bright blue eyes widened slightly.

"And I know each hotel, mall and building by every floor, every hallway, every room, and every corner, Mr. Monatelly, because I've grown up with them."

My smile brightened again, "Now then, what was our main topic of conversation again?"

Mr. Monatelly's face melted into a smile and Pompy scoffed behind us again.

Ignoring her Mr. Monatelly leaned forward, hesitation clear on his face.

"I apologise. I get defensive when someone questions me about the... businesses, I took complete disregard to today's date and significance. My condolences, Olivia. Truly. How about I take you out for dinner tonight to make up for this?"

My eyes widened, and I immediately shook my head, refusing, an apologetic look on my face. "That's sweet but I'm sorry! I can't, I have a flight to catch in an hour."

Confusion filtered my mind when Monatelly's eyes widened in alarm, before he schooled them back to normal.

Is everything okay?

Edward licked the bottom of his lips as his right hand found mine, his left bringing forward a thick black file.

"I'm not sure you understand. It's important you stay. The accounts, Olivia, there's something wrong."

Oh hell no...

He nodded when I looked at him with shock.

"Yes. Someone's been messing with the money."

~^~
An hour later found me groaning as I carefully ripped off the last poster of Justin Bieber and threw it in the now overflowing trash can. The floral wallpapers of my bedroom screamed as I revealed them into the light. I slumped down on my bed and ran my eyes around my room, suddenly feeling the little empty space in my heart filling up. I'd missed this. My place.

My room was the smallest room is the mansion, by choice, because I liked things to be cosy, my room also looked the least luxurious and more comforting and warm, just how I wanted it.

Tiny photo frames littered on the rough spaces of my bookshelf while a long length of books still seeked homage on each shelf. Clean, Pristine. My bedroom was just as I had left it two years ago. I turned towards a silent Pompy to send her a grateful smile and stopped when I caught her looking at me with an odd expression.

"Are you, all right?" I spoke up slowly, waving my hand in front of her face.

The greying woman surprised me when she rolled her eyes and leaned forward to rest her chin on her hands.

"I'm just wondering how someone can be so naive, Olivia."

I frowned. "Who's naive?"

Throwing her hands up the middle-aged woman let out an incredulous laugh. "See?! You are so naive, Olivia! Can't you really see how Edward feels?"

My eyes widened, and I gaped, my hands finding my mouth.

"You think Monatelly... hates me?" I whispered my suspicion out loud. Did he really want to steal the companies from me?

Truth be told I had always thought the man disliked me for my lack of interest in officially managing the whole empire so to speak. Which was really why I was beginning to muster up enough courage to plunge into it after graduation, it was my responsibility.

Pompy on the other hand shook her head as she made a disapproving sound. "Girl! He likes you! Admires you. Edward is interested in you!"

I blinked. "... What?"

"Olivia... Monatelly—"

I shook my head, cutting her off. "I'm sorry. He's thirty!"

Pompy froze mid-sentence, her mouth still open, she sighed, as if defeatedly and slouched down on the couch.

"Ten years matters little, Olivia. Your parents had seven years apart. My late husband and I had nine. We were all happy. Age is but a number."

Despite myself I rolled my eyes.

"You won't be saying that when I decide to marry a fifty-year-old." I grumbled as I slumped to my right.

Age is but a number...

It wasn't a lie. But in a sense, it was. Age did matter when the difference was too large and rationality too low. But wasn't a difference of ten years better than twenty? And twenty better than thirty? What was even considered rational?

I mean, only just months ago I'd found out that werewolves exist. I shook my head, these were all meaningless musings. Instead, I let my mind ponder on the task at hand.

Edward Scissorhands.

"Monatelly,"

I blinked, my eyes snapping towards an amused looking Pompy.

Smirking, she shrugged theatrically. "You said that out loud, dear."

"He's still a lot older than me."

"Maybe, but then he's tall, very well built, exceptionally capable at his job, model material handsome, a sweet lad when he tries — and his eyes are blue." Pompy stated each and every point out loud, in a matter of fact manner. She stopped, turned towards me, and smiled. "But Olivia, are age and looks the only factor you should consider in a man?"

I pondered on it for a second and immediately shuddered when everything in me repealed against it. I couldn't. Not when over the days I'd come to a dead-end realisation.

I liked Romanov.

It wasn't just because he had saved me, it wasn't only because he was Beasty. I liked him. His mixed American and Cambridge accent, and although everything about Romanov was complicated, although Romanov was complicated, and not entirely human—if not human at all—I really couldn't think of Edward Monatelly in that way. Well... not anytime soon anyway.

"I've never viewed him that way, Pompy. And besides, I like someone else." I breathed tiredly as I let my head drop in my hand.

In front of me Pompy smiled. Her dark eyes twinkled against her tan skin, proving to her Romani heredity.

"Met the beast, I see"

I stilled. My shocked gaze snapped to her twinkling ones and she reached over to pat me on my head.

"Gypsy blood, dear. I've known ever since I first began working here when you were almost six."

A strange sort of anger flared in my chest and I almost frowned at the new sort of intensity in it.

"And you never once found it important to tell me?" I exclaimed, suddenly straight in my seat.

Pompy shrugged again, "It wasn't the time."

My mouth fell agape, and I moved closer to her, arching my neck to show her the mark Romanov had given me. "What do you know about this?! Please! I must know! I've searched nearly every book in the library! And in each one, pages with information about marks are ripped!"

Pompy's smile saddened as she reached forward and ran a finger along my mark. Strangely the anger bubbling in my chest flared, I pushed it down.

Suddenly pulling her finger back, as if she were zapped, Pompy's eyes met mine and she shook her head, her sad smile in place.

"Olivia... It isn't the time."

~^~
Heavy drops of rain hit the glass windows and I smiled in the dark, the smell of wet soil seeped into the room through higher open windows.

The whole mansion seemed to settle in comforting silence, and strangely it felt nice to just lie in a room without being scared of an eternal ghost or a screaming banshee.

Now a carefree smile on my face, I turned to my sides only to groan when the loud beeping of my cell phone began blowing around the room.

I smiled when Marsha Calling flashed on the screen.

Letting her know that I would be coming to London today had been one of the first things I had done because she was one of my closest person there.

Letting Romanov know had been the first.

Tapping on accept I placed the phone against my ear.

"Hello, Marsha?"

Marsha seemed to hesitate before she finally spoke up.

"You were due here eleven hours ago, dear."

Groaning I pulled my blanket over my face.

"I'm sorry. I got caught up with something here. I'll be in Berlin by 9-something tomorrow."

Marsha seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh okay. —" she stopped, seeming to hesitate once again. "—I wouldn't meet Master Romanov tomorrow if I were you."

A shudder ran down my spine and I bit my lip as I asked the next question, "Why?"

Marsha visibly sighed.

"You were due here eleven hours ago, Olivia."

"Oh... so he's mad." I drawled out lamely, suddenly my pillows seemed fluffier than it ever had.

At my lame reply, Marsha chuckled. Slowly it died, and my heart jolted in my chest.

"Very."

~^~

I stared at the message I'd received while I was travelling back to the castle, for the hundredth time, my eyes moving over the one simple sentence before stopping at the one powerful complex word. Home.

I was back in my partially hidden alcove, surrounded by hundreds of beautiful books. Old and new.

Looking at the message once again I sighed. Truth be told I had ignored the message completely. Finding out shark week had begun, in the morning, had left me in the pits of abdominal agony and the last thing I wanted was to tackle Romanov.

It was obvious, he was furious that I had not been back on time. Although Lord knew why, because human minds seemed too underdeveloped to understand the complex paradox named Romanov Naight.

The day's lights outside the alcove window seemed to die down and I sighed as I finally gave up on ignoring my bedroom and got up to my feet, moving towards the library door as quick as my tired feet could carry me.

Dozens of hallways passed by, and endless turns were taken before I finally saw my room's door. A relieved breath left my lips and I tried to calm down my thundering heart as I walked towards the door as calmly as I could. The fear of bumping into Romanov raged harder through me and I fastened my pace.

Finally, the doorknob touched my palm and I chuckled with relief as I twisted it open and moved into the silent dark room. Closing the door my hand found the light's switch.

Light filtered into the shadowy room and still smiling I turned around, only to freeze.

Seated on my bed was Romanov.

I watched, frozen as he finally looked up and his stormy dark eyes met mine.

His eyes blazed golden.

"Welcome, Olivia."