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“Thank you, Sebastian You all ht,” he said, and as they took their exit, I took a deep breath, only speaking once the door closed was behind them

“While that does explain why you’re such an entitled prick,” I spoke as if it allthe lobster meat from its small shell “It still doesn’t explain why you are in my city and not in Monaco”

“Is it your city, or your brother’s?”

“It’s the Callahan City I am a Callahan”

“But a Callahan still under another Callahan,” he stated as fact Reaching it his pocket, he put a black velvet box between us “You said you wanted power, respect, and recognition You do not want to bon to anyone…not even your brother As my wife, you can have all of that Your brothers will have to bow to you Since I don’t have a last name, once I take the throne, you’ll forever be known as Her Serene Highness Donatella Aviela Callahan, The Princess of Monaco”

He opened the box and inside sat a large, red, radiant cut diamond on a thin platinum, diamond-studded band It was beautiful I wanted it I wanted all of it However, reason stoppedin head first

Getting to , I walked the s on the edge right near his hands

“A prince co I want on a silver platter, that sounds too good to be true,” I whispered, pulling outit directly at his chest “And if it sounds too good to be true, my father toldas how you’ve already been shot, I’ll skip to my question Why me? I’m sure there is a duchess or countess or whatever soirl froo”

“Where in the hell have you been hiding that?” he asked, gesturing to the gun, baffled and amused but not afraid He looked over me quickly as he tried to answer his own question

I pulled back on the hammer

“Just a girl fro un was at his forehead “So then…the rest of the world knows you are a fighter,” he replied, using ainst rowing power in Europe It is one of the very few monarchies left in the world which hold any real power As you knoith power coh and low for girl ould ent, beautiful, and charh to be a princess And yourI needed, and she was right What use is a duchess or countess who is only well read with a pretty face? I need a woet her hands bloody”

“Andthe haun to my other hand, I said, “Some fairytale this is”

“Fairytales are for the weak-minded, Donatella We don’t love each other We don’t need to love each other What we need is et it Why rule a city when you could rule a nation?”

I stretched outfroer It fit perfectly, the fla in the red diamond I couldn’t see myself, but I knew my smile must have been just as mischievous and depraved as his

There was only one thing to say, and I said it proudly, “Long n”