Reign of a King (Kingdom Duet #1) by Rina Kent

Whenever I take them on a tour, I feel so vulnerable. In a way, I’m opening my home for strangers who might not like it. And they don’t. Most of the time.

Ethan is different.

He hasn’t shown any sign of displeasure as Layla and I take him and Agnus to the factory and talk about our plans for the upcoming product’s launch.

Agnus remains expressionless as usual, but Ethan questions us about certain parts he’d like to understand better.

Our offices aren’t extravagant. We occupy a modest building in London’s industrialised area, but it’s enough for the administration and the factory. We were thinking about expanding before the whole shitshow with Jake went down. Now, we’ll be lucky if we get to keep this building.

By the time we’re back to my office, I’m about to explode with anticipation and nerves. I touch my watch, then drop my hand so it’s not perceived as a nervous gesture.

When I woke up this morning, I took extra care of my appearance. I wore my black pencil skirt and pressed white shirt with a black ribbon. My hair falls on either side of my shoulders and I even put on the red lipstick again. There’s something powerful about looking the best I can; it fills me with a much-needed burst of confidence.

Even Layla put on a dress, which she usually only reserves for special occasions, and that says something.

The two of us sit beside each other as Ethan and Agnus occupy the sofa across from us.

Ethan is reading through Layla’s marketing plan for the new launch, taking his time between pages. Agnus scrolls through our online store on his tablet.

Layla squirms beside me. Although she’s never been the nervous type, I can almost see the anxiety halo surrounding her head. Like me, she realises this might be our last chance.

If we don’t get this, H&H will have to close down and we might have to hunt for a corporate job that we both hate so much.

And worse, we’ll let our employees down.

We have Mr Vincent, our French silent investor with eleven per cent of the shares. We only met him a few times at the beginning but never after that. He’s a private man and barely comes to England anymore. We could offer him more of our shares for investment, but Layla and I are leaving that as a last resort. She and I own forty-five per cent each and we already used twenty per cent each to cover our last loan.

Sweat covers my back, gluing my shirt to my skin, and there’s nothing I can do to make it stop. It’s like my body is being pushed back to that flight or fight mode.

No. This is different. I’ll never go back to those times.

“I must say.” Ethan neatly closes Layla’s organised plan. “I’m impressed. And I’m rarely impressed.”

Both Layla and I release a breath at the same time.

“Thank you.” Layla smiles.

“I’m kind of surprised Agnus here didn’t snatch you as soon as you were out of university. He gathered the best of the best in our marketing department, and they could use a tip or two from you.”

Layla grins. “That’s because I’d already started my own company.”

“My miss.” Agnus nods.

“Aurora.” Ethan faces me.

“Yes?”

“I believe the two of you complement each other really well. The designs are unique and Layla needs to get out of the box to find your special customers.”

“I believe so, yes.” That’s why Layla and I rarely have any disagreements. We’re not rivals; we complete each other.

“Let me ask you something.” Ethan stares between the two of us. “What made you start designing watches?”

I could give him the generic answer I always give. Like how it’s my passion and my art, and while it is, that’s not the entire truth.

Ethan is the type who can detect a lie and I don’t want to seem dishonest in front of him at such a sensitive time. He might take it as disrespect and that’s the last thing I want. So I go the vulnerable route.

Because the situation we’re in requires we become vulnerable. “When I was a child, my sister bought me a present. My first watch. I loved it so much, and since I didn’t have such pretty things, I hid it and studied it at night when I was about to go to sleep. Then I started thinking about how it was made and why it was made like that. It became my passion, and over time, I realised that was what I wanted to do.

“Whenever I sit down to design, I recall the awe I felt when I looked at my first watch. I recall my sister and the happiness she brought me, and I strive to recreate that sensation. I want people to feel happy when they receive one of my watches.”

“The art of time,” Agnus recites our slogan.

“Exactly.”

Layla touches my arm and I smile, trying not to get caught up in the memories.

“Your sister is…” Ethan trails off. “Alicia, I suppose.”

My eyes widen. He knows, too? “But…how?”

“It wasn’t that hard. Except for the eye colour, you’re a carbon copy of her, Aurora.”

I knew Ethan and Jonathan shared a history, a bloody one at that, but I never thought Ethan was an acquaintance of Alicia’s.

Everything starts to fall into place. My gaze trails to Agnus. “Is that why you approached me?”

“I’d say we approached each other.” Agnus remains completely unaffected.