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“Close them!” I felt more than saw her open her eyes to look out theIt was the tension in her fingers that gave her away “Ready?” I felt her nod and pressed play on the iPod where I’d left it earlier I wasn’t surprised to feel her start to relax, but then there was a different kind of tension co to do with fear

Her fingerschanged My eyes cans I have the sa, but her excitehtly different froan to elic expression on her face

“What is this? Who is this?” She lifted the headphone from her ear to ask

“It’s the OST fro by Huo Zun”

“It’s so pretty What’s it about?”

“Eer Xuan She was the first stateswoent as well” I stopped before going any further, only now realizing the correlation I was about to impart

“Although she was the daughter of a king, she lived worse than most commoners as a child She was treated horribly by her stepmother, the queen She even watched her mother die because of the other woman’s schemes And yet, she rose to accomplish that” I squeezed her hand, and she put the headphones back in place with the other without another word

The rest of the flight ithout incident She had no idea that I atching her from behind the dark tint ofon repeat, or that I could feel the way she s to theelse they took froive back

Ma went into overdrive as soon as we landed less than an hour later “We’re barely going to irls”

“Don’t worry, love, Carlo knows to let the their three teenage kids roll their eyes in faux disgust

The fa on the tarmac I doubt Gianna noticed the security team that surrounded us as we h the streets of New York since she was too busy looking out thein ao

I could see the questions fore of the luxuryindustrialists in the country The twins nabbed her as soon as alked off the elevator, throwing oing to be a long day”

The reht her hand to her head, where at least for a little while, she’d forgotten her dilemma I’ve purposely avoided anyher even more anxious than she already was “Come here a minute Gianna” I pulled her away from Rosa and walked her upstairs while the others headed to the kitchen just as the doorbell chihout the house

When I reached the third floor, I stopped in the , only Lance and I stay on this side of the house Are you couestrooirls?”

“I’ll stay with the twins if that’s okay"

“Sure!” I headed in the opposite direction and showed her into the guestroo

She stood in the doorway and looked around the roouestroom? Or is this where the twins sleep?”

“No, this is a guestroo I think they’re here to take care of your hair” I touched the new scarf on her head for the first tier when I felt the hard crust of dried glue beneath the silk

I felt weird about leaving her even though I knew Ma and the girls would be with her getting their hair done as well It was a new and very foreign feeling, one that I wasn’t about to investigate in front of her Without thought, uess my body had decided on its own to do whatever the hell it felt like

My eyes closed when ainstme to break contact in surprise I hid my reaction behind a set you taken care of” I took her hand again, my new favorite pastime, and led her back downstairs, where the others were in the kitchen stuffing their faces while the stylists set up in the home salon