"NOOOOOOOOO!!!"
The remote hit the wall with a loud crack, pieces flying across the white tiles as Lila Grant screamed from the couch. Her hands clutched her hair as she stared at the now-blank screen. Within seconds, her best friend Tasha rushed in from the kitchen, apron still tied around her waist.
Tasha: What in the world, Lila? What happened?
Lila didn't answer. She simply sat there, breathing heavily, staring at the broken remote like it had personally betrayed her. Tasha bent, picked up the pieces, then grabbed the backup remote on the table and clicked the TV back on.
The news anchor's voice filled the room.
"Prescott family will be hosting a private meeting with the royal family of velandria sparking rumors of a powerful marriage alliance. Billionaire Prince Kelvin Prescott is expected to meet his future bride at the palace estate."
Tasha turned to look at her friend, now curled up with a pillow, face buried.
Tasha: Ahhh. So that's what this is about.
Lila: This cannot happen, Why…..Why am I never the first choice, why?? What does this women have that I don't?? Is it my fault I didn't come from an affluent family?
Tasha: Lila…..
Lila: I'm sick and tired of everything! , I've been there from the very beginning, I've loved him…even when he doesn't reciprocate,I…..i….
Tasha: You have to take it easy Lila….
Lila: How can I stand a chance against a princess…A PRINCESS!!!
Tasha: Ugh! Don't do that to yourself, You have to stop.
Lila: First was a Model, an icon and now a princess, when is it ever going to be my turn Tasha?
Tasha: Maybe he's not the one for you!
Lila: What are you saying? How can you even say such?
Tasha: Lila You've hidden yourself from the world for a man that doesn't even notice you. That's unfair….there are so many men out there dying to just go on a date with you but you're too blinded by love. Common, you have to go live your life Lila
Lila: Ugh, nonsense! You don't understand Tasha…..
Tasha: I DO!!!….ive watched him drain you for years now, You have to move on…put yourself out there and maybe he'll notice you.
Lila: You think so?
Tasha: Yes!!, Go on dates, don't be too available, explore, be less available and I promise you he'll miss you after all he's fond of you anyway!
Lila: How can I not be available when I'm literally his Personal Assistant?
Tasha: Maybe you should start by not caring about such things…Be non-Chalant baby, get drunk, lay with men…but don't get pregnant..I mean
Lila: It's not as easy as it seems
Tasha: Then start small
Lila: But…. what if he gets married to…No...That can't happen, I have to do something about it!
Lila mumbled something into the pillow. Tasha sat beside her.
Tasha: Girl, breathe. It's just a meet and greet. They haven't even said her name. If you're so bent on claiming him then You still have time to shoot your shot.
Lila: What shot, Tasha? This is Kelvin we're talking about. He's… Kelvin.
Tasha: Exactly. You're smart, you're fine, and you have history. You just need one chance.
Lila bit her lip, torn between hope and heartbreak.
Tasha: You always said he'd circle back. Maybe this is just the start of the real game.
.......
Meanwhile…
A few blocks away, a small café buzzed with soft music and warm steam from the coffee machines. Sophie, dressed simply in jeans and a cardigan, stood at the counter waiting for her tea.
Her childhood friend, Nina, worked the counter and had just handed her a cup.
Nina: You still working the temp job?
Sophie nodded.
Sophia: Just until something full-time comes. Can't afford to sit around anymore.
Behind her, two other girls leaned against a table chatting…..Jade, all glam in designer heels, and Mel. Sophie had run into them earlier, and they all decided to catch up.As they sat down, the TV on the wall played low.
........
Sophie, Mel, Nina, and Jade weren't born into the same world but life brought them together. They were different in every way, yet somehow, they fit like pieces of a puzzle.
Sophie was the quiet, hardworking one. She worked a 9–5 at a company where she handled admin tasks and reports, barely making enough to cover rent, but she never complained. She was the glue that held everyone together, the one who always listened, always showed up, even when her own world was falling apart. Her smile didn't cost much, but it meant everything.
Nina, on the other hand, was the loud one. She worked at a small but busy restaurant as a waitress, always dashing between tables with a bright grin and endless stories about rude customers and hilarious kitchen drama. Nina had the energy of three people and the mouth of someone who never filtered anything. She was bold, real, and fiercely loyal.
Mel was the creative spark. She worked as a makeup artist and part-time content creator, constantly chasing gigs, editing videos, or testing out new looks. Her room was always a mess of brushes, palettes, and ring lights, but her ideas were golden. Mel saw beauty where others saw flaws. She made people feel seen, even when she didn't feel that way herself.
And then there was Jade. The wild card. Born rich, raised with everything money could buy except peace. She didn't live with the girls, but she visited often. Jade had a penthouse, a luxury car, and connections that opened doors, but her heart? It was as messy as theirs. She was bold, flirty, and unpredictable. But under all that glam, Jade was just a girl who wanted to be loved for her, not her last name. She kept her secrets well….including the one night that still haunted her.
They didn't have it all figured out. They had bad days, unpaid bills, and broken hearts. But they had each other. And sometimes, that was enough.
.......
Mel: Life's hard, man, Bills, jobs, dreams going nowhere…
Sophie; I'm just happy to have heat this month,
~ Sophie added with a chuckle.
Then Jade's eyes snapped to the TV. Her cup froze halfway to her mouth.
Jade: Wait… what?
The others looked at her. Jade stood slowly, her eyes wide.
Jade: I… I know that face.
Sophie: What face?
Jade walked closer to the TV where Kelvin's photo flashed across the screen.
"Kelvin Prescott, the anchor repeated. "Set to meet his potential bride."
Jade placed her hand on her chest.
Jade: Oh my God. That's him.
Mel: Him who?
Jade: That's the guy I had a one-night stand with just few days ago,
~ Jade whispered, a bit breathless. "I didn't even know his name. I just… I remember his eyes. His voice. The way he walked…his dominance…
Sophie and Nina exchanged surprised looks.
Sophie: Jade are you okay? What are you mumbling?
Nina: Are you alright? Need a drink?
Jade let out a small laugh.
Jade: I always knew there was something about him and now just look at that….Turns out he's a billionaire prince.
Mel: You gonna say something or what?….JADE!!!
Jade: Oh!! Sorry.
Sophie: You have something to say don't you?
Mel: Common spill
Jade: Ugh fineeee…Come together
~ the 4 friends come together to a closed circle to hear what Jade has to say
Jade: well on this faithful day….
Nina: Okayyy
Jade: I... i….
Just then, Jade's phone rang sharply.
Nina & Mel: Oh C'mmon!!! That's unfair, you have to spill
Jade: It's my dad. He doesn't like when I keep him waiting, ~ she said, grabbing her purse.
Sophie: You're not going to finish the story?
Jade: I'll tell you next time, Let's just say… if he's getting married, I'm gonna need a moment.
~ And with that, she swept out of the café, heels clicking against the floor, leaving the others in stunned silence.
Mel: I can't believe that she just did us like that.
Nina: I wonder what story she has with such a prestigious man now
Sophie: You know Jade…she's...She.
Nina: She raises my Bp at this point.
Mel: Sophie we should go
Nina: Without me?
Sophie: uhm Yeah? are we being paid also? ~ she says in a teasing tone
Nina: C'mmon just wait for Ten, pleaseeeeee!!
Mel: You have five!!
Nina: Yes!!!, be right back.
......
Stop… stop, Zaria.
Kael's voice was low, firm, but Zaria ignored it. She stepped closer, fingers brushing the edge of his tunic. Her eyes stormy with fire, pain and desperation locked onto his. In one fluid motion, she slipped off the delicate robe hanging from her shoulders, revealing the soft silk beneath, fingers trembling as they reached for the tie at her waist.
Her hands moved to untie the last knot.
But before she could finish, Kael stepped forward in a blur, grabbing the ends of her robe with one hand and catching her wrist with the other.
Kael: Don't. ~ he said, his tone firm and pained.
Kael: Zaria… don't do this.
She looked up at him, eyes shimmering, her voice barely a whisper.
Zaria: Why not? You want me. I see it in your eyes. You look at me like I'm yours. So why not take me?
Kael's jaw clenched. He was close enough to smell her perfume, to feel her warmth, but he held her robe tightly, gently wrapping it back around her shoulders.
Kael: Because I love you he said and if I take you like this… they'll kill me. They'll kill us.
Zaria's shoulders shook as she exhaled sharply, tears forming. She clung to his shirt for a moment, burying her face in his chest.
Zaria: I don't want to marry him, Kael….
Kael: I know, ~ he whispered, resting his chin lightly against her hair.
Kael: But we don't win this by breaking. We win by outsmarting them.
They stood there in silence for a moment…he, holding her robe shut; she, holding onto the only man who made her feel seen. Kael wasn't just anyone to Zaria.He wasn't just the man assigned to train and protect her.
He was the first person who ever truly listened. The first man who didn't treat her like a princess to be tamed or a tool for politics. He didn't bow too deeply or speak only to please her. He challenged her, laughed with her, and most importantly he saw her.
Their bond started with quiet glances and small moments during training when he would fix her stance, brush a strand of hair from her eyes, or push her limits with just a smirk. She hated how he made her better, how he refused to go easy on her, even on days when her heart felt heavy. But that hatred turned into admiration… then warmth… then something she couldn't name at first.
Kael was her calm. When the palace got too loud, when duty felt like a prison, Kael's presence was the one place she could breathe. He didn't say much, but when he did, it mattered. His quiet loyalty, his strength, his rare smile, it all made her heart skip. It wasn't sudden. It wasn't dramatic. It was slow, like a flame growing stronger each day until she realized….she had fallen in love.
Deeply. Irrevocably.
He became her secret safe space in a world filled with expectations. But he was also forbidden. She knew it. He reminded her with every careful step back, every time he turned his eyes away when they burned too long. He never said the words, but she could feel it in the way he touched her gently, in the way he stayed even when he could have asked to be reassigned.
Zaria loved Kael with a kind of desperation only a caged bird could understand. And now… they were taking her away. Forcing her into a marriage that felt like betrayal. Not to a stranger, but to herself.
........
Zaria: You know what they're about to do to me. If you just… if you just touch me, they won't want me anymore. They won't marry me off like I'm some business trade.
Kael: Zaria…
Zaria: They'll kill me before they let me marry that man, So let them. Just… just take me, Kael. Right here. Right now.
She leaned in, lips just inches from his. Her hands trembled as they clung to his shirt. He closed his eyes, stepped back.
Kael: If I defile you, they won't just cancel the wedding, They'll have my head. Literally.
Zaria: They won't!!….i won't let them.
Zaria: Let's run away Kael…let's go somewhere no one knows us and start a new life
Kael: Listen to yourself Zaria, are you even hearing yourself ??
Zaria. I'm not deaf.
Kael: This is not in the movies Zee, we can't just run away…..
Zaria: I don't care…
Kael: Yes, you do,You care too much.
Zaria: Lay with me Kael…I know you want me
The room went still. They stared at each other, everything unsaid between them pulsing in the silence.
And then—
"Zaria."
The voice was sharp, cold, and unmistakable.
Zaria spun around.
Standing at the door was Queen Isolde, her arms folded, her face unreadable.
Kael instantly stepped back, his head bowed.
Alondra: What exactly am I looking at? ~ the Queen asked, eyes flicking between her daughter and the man she already suspected.
Zaria stood her ground.
Zaria: Nothing! ~ she said adjusting her gament
Alondra: Doesn't look like nothing.
Kael : We were just talking.
Alondra: Is this how you talk to your trainee, Kael? Inches from her face? With her nearly sitting in your lap? Clothes not properly worn?
~ He said nothing.
She turned to Zaria.
Alondra: Your training ends today. Your wedding is tomorrow, and you need to begin your beauty treatments. Skin, hair, body. All of it. Starting now.
Zaria: No
Alondra: Yes!…..You will do what's required of you, Zaria. And I don't want to see you alone with this man again. If you value him, you will keep your distance.
Zaria's lip trembled, but she said nothing.
The Queen turned back to Kael.
Alondra: You're dismissed. You're no longer needed.
Kael gave a quiet bow and walked out without a word.
Zaria clenched her fists as tears welled in her eyes.
Alondra: And Zaria, ~ the Queen added as she turned to leave, "you better still be intact when you walk down that aisle. Don't test me."
And with that, she was gone, leaving Zaria standing in the silence, her heart screaming louder than her voice ever could.
......…..
The room was dimly lit. A round table sat in the center of the room where Martin Prescott, the king's twin brother leaned forward with a glass of dark wine in hand.Unlike his twin brother, the current patriarch of the Prescott Empire…..Martin was known for his cold and cunning ways, the man who spoke little but planned everything.
Seated beside him was his daughter Isla, legs crossed, a cigarette burning slowly between her fingers, eyes focused on the map and documents spread across the table. Her sharp tongue and reputation preceded her, but tonight, she said little. She was calculating.
Across from them, her younger brother Ethan lounged lazily in his seat, wearing a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He looked disinterested, but he was listening. He always listened.
There was also Lucian, the heir to Martin's empire, the Ideal son.
Their conversation had been quiet, precise, full of dates, shipping routes, forged contracts, and influence shifting hands. The details of their plan were never said too loudly. They didn't need to be. Each one knew their role.
Martin leaned back in his chair after a long pause and smiled.
Martin: When this plays out… the empire won't see it coming.
Isla: Kelvin's reign is too clean. Time to dirty it up.
The door creaked open. A young maid stepped in quietly with a jug of water.
Lucian: took long enough.
The maid bowed her head. "Apologies, Your Grace."
She proceeded to fill the young heir's cup and then approached to refill Isla's glass, but just as she turned, the jug tipped.
Splash.
A gasp.
Cool water drenched Isla's designer gown, soaking her chest and lap, the icy liquid sending her backward in shock.
Isla: You idiot! ~Isla shrieked, leaping up from her chair. "This is silk, limited edition! Do you even know how much this costs?!
The maid froze for a second, then bowed repeatedly. "I'm sorry, my princess. I-I didn't mean to…..my hand slipped….please forgive me."
Martin: It's fine. Accidents happen.
Isla: No, Father, it's not fine! ~ Isla snapped, grabbing napkins to dab herself. "She needs to be—
Martin: I said it's fine, ~ Martin said again, sharper this time.
The maid bowed once more and turned swiftly, exiting through the servant hallway with her head still lowered.
Isla huffed, dropping into her chair with a scowl.
Isla: Ugh. Ruined.
Martin: You can change, We have bigger concerns.
Isla: Fine. Where were we?
With a deep breath, Isla composed herself, brushing her wet hair back and muttering curses under her breath. The meeting resumed, quiet again, until the last plan was drawn. Martin tapped the center of the document.
Martin: That's where we make the first move. We wait, watch, and strike when it's most unexpected.
Isla: And if they sniff us out?
Lucian: We disappear ~ standing to stretch.
Martin: Let's prepare the final pieces. We're closer than they think.
Lucian: Who's that maid?
Ethan: What? You wanna lay with her?
Lucian: There's something off about her…
Martin: What are you thinking….
Lucian: Nothing! Maybe I'm over thinking things.
~ The tension melted into quiet laughter.
......…
Meanwhile, not far from the estate, the maid from earlier slipped through a hidden gate and headed straight to a car parked nearby into a parked black SUV waiting beneath a cluster of trees. The engine was on. The driver didn't speak.
She opened the back door and climbed in.
Waiting inside was Donovan Prescott, sunglasses perched on his forehead, legs crossed casually like he hadn't just been waiting in the dark for classified information.
Donovan: Well?
The maid nodded. "They've set it in motion."
Donovan smirked.
Donovan: Good. Father's twin never knows when to quit.
He grabbed his phone and dialed.
Donovan: Kelvin? It's happening. Time to act.
A pause.
Donovan: Yeah… tell Adrien to suit up. And get Blaise too. We move tonight.
......…
Meanwhile, back at Martin's estate, unknown to them all, Isla's brother had followed the maid as he felt something was off about her. He was hiding in the vast forest out of sight…..hands in his pockets, lips curling into a quiet smile.
Lucian: I guess it's time I joined the game…..