Twisted Kingdom (Royal Elite #3) by Rina Kent

Fuck me.

Her small methods of showing affection get me every fucking time. I like it when she stops fighting our connection and snuggles into me like I’m her world.

Like she also can’t live without me.

One day, she’ll be more open about her feelings and how much she wants me. One day, she’ll wake up beside me and see me, not our past.

It’ll take effort and a lot of persuasion, because Elsa’s brain is wired differently from mine. While I don’t give a fuck about what happened and only see our future together, Elsa is plagued by the past and won’t be whole unless she makes peace with it.

She has been chained to invisible trauma and demons for ten years. Knowing her, she must feel guilty about erasing her memories.

It’ll take her some time to come to terms with what happened, pick up the pieces and move on.

I’ll be with her every step of the way.

“Do you…” She hiccoughs over her words, drawing unsteady breaths. “Do you think it would’ve been different if Dad put her in the psych ward?”

“We can never know. The decision wasn’t ours to make.”

For some reason, this makes it worse, not better. Truth is, if Elsa and I were in Jonathan and Ethan’s shoes, we could’ve probably made the same wrong decision.

The human mind doesn’t work based on theories or what-ifs. It’s heavily chained to circumstances. We were children back then. We knew nothing.

Jonathan and Ethan’s mistakes are their own. Elsa and I will make sure to never make the same ones.

Resting her head on my bicep, she stares up at me with teary, blue eyes. “What happened to you after that?”

“I heard the gunshots.”

She gasps. “You… did?”

“I hit the door and called your name, but you never answered.”

It was the last time I called her name. I can almost feel the ache in my chest as I hit that door until my knuckles were bloodied.

“Then I finally managed to open the door. You and the red woman were lying there”— I point to a spot near the entrance—“in a pool of blood. You were on your side with a dark hole in your chest. Half of the red woman’s face was gone, spluttered all over the wall and the floor, but I didn’t look twice in her direction. You know why?” I dig my fingers into the flesh of her scar over her shirt. “You weren’t moving.”

She places her hand over mine. “I’m so sorry you had to see that.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“I’m not. I’m here, Aiden.”

She is. This isn’t a dream or a nightmare. She’s right here with me.

Like she promised.

“Did you find your way out of the mansion?” she asks.

“No. I think I fainted or something. The next thing I knew, I was in a hospital and Jonathan was sitting beside me. One of his insiders or security guards must’ve gotten me out.” I smile with no humour. “The moment I opened my eyes and saw him instead of Alicia, I knew something was wrong.”

She surrounds my arm with her small hand. “I’m so sorry about Alicia.”

“Stop apologising.” I lift her chin so I’m staring down at those hypnotic eyes. “You’re not to blame. You were a victim as well.”

Her bottom lip trembles like when she was about to cry as a child. “You didn’t see me as a victim, Aiden. You told me you’ll destroy me the first time I stepped into RES.”

“That day, I saw the ghost of the red woman. And yes, Elsa. I was angry at you for not keeping your promise. I was even more pissed off that you didn’t remember me, so I wanted you to pay.” I grin. “Then I decided you’re mine.”

Her adorable features light up. “That’s a drastic change.”

I lift a shoulder. “Could be.”

“And you’ve been such a dickhead.”

“You still love me.”

Her cheeks redden, but she remains quiet.

“Say it,” I grip her chin tighter.

“Aiden…” I can see hesitation in her eyes, hear the quivering in her voice. Soon, she’ll be hiding in her frozen castle, refusing everyone access.

“Say it, Elsa,” My tone becomes harsh and non-negotiable.

A sigh rips from her. “I love you, Aiden. No matter what.”

“No matter what, huh?”

“Yes, dickhead. No matter what.”

She wraps her small arm around my midsection and buries her face in my chest. I rest my chin on the top of her golden locks and inhale her coconut scent.

“You used to smell like cotton candies and summer,” I tell her. “And fucking Maltesers.”

“Hey!” She pushes at my chest. “Don’t go insulting my Maltesers. I love them, okay? Besides, you should be honoured I shared them with you. They’re delicious.”

“Not really. I only ate them because you kept shoving them down my throat.”

“You ungrateful arsehole.”

I chuckle, running my fingers through her hair. “I haven’t eaten them since back then.”

“Me neither. I remember wanting them when I was a kid, but Aunt’s strict diet didn’t allow me regular chocolate and sweets. I never asked Uncle for them, though.” Elsa pauses. “I guess deep down, I knew I shouldn’t eat them alone.”