I quickly realized that a luxury helicopter is much more than just a rich man's toy. Killian was taming a beast—a machine that seemed desperate to spin out of control and plunge into the abyss just to shake us off, like a wild stallion trying to throw its rider. Seeing him command this bird with such absolute mastery was undeniably sexy. Annia and Evangelina were fast asleep, clearly used to this kind of travel, but I couldn't close my eyes. I kept staring out the window, thinking that down there, in every tiny light of the city, there was a home. There were people living out a love story.
We touched down at the airport and, well, the Longfield plane was nothing like I'd imagined. I expected one of those small private jets you see in movies, but this thing looked more like a spaceship. Even Annia looked surprised.
"Is this the Gulfstream G800?" she asked.
Killian feigned annoyance as he replied, "Seventy-five million, plus another forty-five for customization, so technically, it's not even the same plane anymore."
We took off immediately. There's no point in describing the luxury inside; it was beyond words. Annia and I sat together to talk while Evangelina curled up nearby. When the flight attendant—a pretty, kind woman—approached with drinks and saw her lying there, she froze. She actually stopped mid-motion, mesmerized. She even turned to us, pointed at her, and whispered with a mix of respect and shyness:
"Forgive me for asking, but is she a beauty queen or a famous actress? Should I offer her something to drink, or should I let her sleep?"
Annia replied, "She's my woman. Let's not wake her for now."
But Evangelina opened her eyes—that striking, almost translucent blue that contrasted so sharply with her red hair—and smiled, asking for a coffee. The flight attendant couldn't contain herself when she saw her.
"Oh my God!" she breathed.
She hurried off to make the coffee, her face flushed with embarrassment.
I watched Evangelina stretch, trying to shake off the sleep, and asked her with a laugh:
"What's it like having everyone react like that when they see you? Like they've just seen a goddess for the first time?"
She returned the compliment easily.
"You tell me. We were born this way, weren't we? It has its perks, but you have to be careful… very careful with the ones in the background. The ones who watch you from the shadows, who never dare to approach but obsess over you in secret."
Annia finished the thought for her:
"She had a stalker once. A junior partner of my father's who offered her money and, eventually, tried to take her by force. The family took care of him."
No, my friend, I didn't even want to ask what that last sentence meant.
A few hours later, we landed on the Vanderecks' private airstrip.
What I saw around me made me feel deeply uneasy. I'm not talking about Killian and Annia playing the part of the happy engaged couple, walking side by side toward the cars while Evangelina and I followed behind like tag-along friends. I'm talking about the men armed with submachine guns and dressed for war. The military vehicles, the tanks, the fighter jets. Even the mansion reinforced that feeling: it was an endless concrete fortress, with watchtowers and a bronze gate that made the whole place look like a giant vault. It was obvious Killian had been there as a child because he pointed out a few modifications.
Inside, it was even more luxurious than the Longfield estate. Gold was everywhere, alongside art—real masterpieces you only see in books: Cézanne, Monet. There was also a portrait of Annia's mother and father. She was wearing her Miss Universe crown; he was a rather ordinary-looking man, not very attractive. And just as I was studying him in the painting, Vandereck appeared. Instead of hugging his daughter, he went straight to Killian, shook his hand, and pulled him aside for a private conversation.
Annia mocked the moment, loud enough for me to hear:
"Hi, Dad, I love you too." She laughed. "See that, Carmilla? Business first."
They eventually returned. He greeted Annia, congratulating her on a "successful" trip, gave Evangelina a cold nod, and shook my hand.
"Vandereck. At your service," he said.
Then he went right back to Killian. He spoke with him for a few more seconds before announcing:
"You'll be staying here as guests for two nights. I won't take no for an answer. You can go to Switzerland after that. We'll dine together at eight."
And with that, he was gone. As I watched him walk away, I figured he was about sixty, but he dressed like a much younger man. His black hair was perfectly neat, and he had a thick mustache without a single gray hair—the magic of a good dye job. A young woman with an exuberant figure came to meet him and kissed him. She didn't come over to say hello.
Annia said, amused:
"He and Mom have been separated for years. That's Dad's new girlfriend. She won't last a year. He gets bored fast—buys them an apartment, sets up an allowance, they sign a contract, and that's it. She's the tenth evil stepmother I've seen. I don't even remember their names anymore."
Killian turned to us.
"Well, as you heard, change of plans. Let's get on the same page. Vandereck doesn't want me going to Switzerland without you, Annia. He literally told me, 'It's not right for you to travel alone with your friend. That's not the image we want to project. Take Annia and Evangelina too.' So now it's the four of us going. I'm sorry. My father and he are monitoring this wedding second by second."
Evangelina clapped her hands.
"Switzerland! Yes! Besides, the four of us have fun together. Come on, look on the bright side!"
I wanted to take Killian's hand, but then I remembered that wasn't possible. Instead, I said:
"Do you guys get the feeling that something bad is about to happen? We were supposed to leave immediately, and now we have to stay here for two days… I mean, you're probably used to this, but… yeah. I have a bad feeling."
Annia led us to where we'd be sleeping. Unlike the Longfield mansion, where the important rooms are on the fourth floor, the Vanderecks' are on the third basement level. Annia's room was like an entire house, complete with an endless walk-in closet, a reading room, an office, a photography studio, and a piano. Ours were a bit smaller but right next to hers: first Evangelina's, then mine, and finally Killian's.
Just as I was getting settled in my room, a secret door clicked open and the two girls walked in, laughing. They stood against the opposite wall, moved a book—just like in those haunted mansion movies—pushed a painting, and that wall rotated too. We stepped through into Killian's room, and he looked startled to see the three of us standing there.
Annia told us:
"My father's security paranoia has its perks… look at this… come here."
We went back through the secret passages to her room. She laughed and asked:
"Are you guys ready?"
She explained:
"The Longfields have their dock, but the Vanderecks… we have this."
She leaned against one of the walls, which also rotated, revealing a steel panel in the center. It opened to a staircase leading down.
Annia gave a playful bow.
"Welcome to my panic room. My very own bunker, proof against nuclear bombs and… prying eyes."
We went down, and I swear to you, my friend, for the first time in my life, I felt like maybe the money was worth it. Down there, deep underground, was an entire house, complete with a pantry stocked with enough food to last ten years. But even that was nothing compared to the underground river, glowing in soft blue light, where a speedboat sat waiting. There was a small waterfall, hammocks, a playground, and beautiful beds and sofas. She smiled and explained that they had built it when she was a child, back when her father had been dealing weapons with the wrong people.
We had some drinks and put on music. Eventually, we lay down on the beds by the river: Killian with me, and Annia with Evangelina. Evangelina said:
"More than once, we've thought about just staying down here and coming out in five or six years. We really could, because once this thing is sealed, no one can get in."
I asked:
"Wouldn't that be something beautiful? To just close a door and leave the whole world behind?"
Killian answered:
"No. Some of us have responsibilities."
That cold response made me realize just how much the marriage agreement was bothering him. I hugged him. He took my hand and, after a few seconds, finally smiled at me.
Evangelina drifted off to sleep. Annia wanted to talk, so she climbed into bed with us. As soon as I realized she was crying, I invited her to hug me too.
Killian noticed and said:
"I get it. I feel the same way. But this wedding… it's necessary. The competition between our empires has cost us billions. Besides, you could have turned out to be an arrogant bitch, but you're just a regular bitch. That's something."
Annia laughed, making a funny little snorting sound that was so contagious we all ended up laughing.
Killian turned toward us and had a tender moment with her. He stroked her face, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then rested his hand on one of my breasts. Annia returned the gesture by stroking his arm and saying "thank you," then placed her hand over my other breast. I said, laughing:
"I didn't think I'd end up in the middle of this arranged marriage so literally."
She replied, looking at him:
"You know, Killian? For me, this would have been impossible without Carmilla. Swear to me that she'll always be with you so we can get through this marriage. Because if you don't—if you don't promise—I won't be able to stand it. I'll go upstairs and scream that I love Evangelina and run away with her, or we'll fake our deaths and end up in the Pacific. With Carmilla, there's a deal. Without her… no."
Killian smiled, even though he could tell Annia was serious. He responded with a question, as if I weren't even there, as if their hands weren't both on my chest:
"And what about Lucius? Are you forgetting that Carmilla still hasn't decided? For all we know, she'll run into his arms, and that's the end of our story."
Evangelina, who had been listening from the other bed, bolted upright as if struck by lightning and marched over to us. She knelt by the side of the bed and grabbed my hand.
"No, no, no, no. None of this Lucius nonsense. Decide right now, Carmilla. Give me the peace of mind that I'll at least have your company while these two parade around as the perfect couple. Decide right now: is it Killian and us, or Lucius?"
Annia chimed in:
"Come on, gorgeous. Just say it… Killian or Lucius?"