#Chapter 123 – To Good to be True

Victor can’t keep the smile off his face as, a little bit later, he trudges through the snow back to his house.

It was just so unbelievably good, these past few hours, to spend time as a family, to sleep with Evelyn where she belonged, wrapped in his arms. Even the stupid mundane things, like doing dishes with the boys and helping them pick a cereal, made him feel complete in a way that he hadn’t known before that he was missing.

Thank god Amelia locked the boys in that cabinet, he thinks to himself, laughing at the terrible thought. But really, it saved him from making a horrible, horrible mistake.

But now? Everything was just…falling into place. Like his therapist had said – when things are all going in the same direction, suddenly everything is…easy.

When Victor enters his house, the rest of his family is sitting in his kitchen, eating the breakfast that the chef has cooked up for them. Bacon, poached eggs, sausage, buttered biscuits. He smiles at everyone there, unable to help himself. Undoubtedly, the food served in this house is better, but he wouldn’t have given up the cold bowl of cereal he had that morning for it. Not for a second.

“Good morning,” he says, closing the door behind him.

“Good morning, darling,” his mother says, coming forward and giving him a curious smile. “Everything all right down at Evelyn’s? I heard something about the heat being off.”

“Yes,” Victor says, running a hand through his hair. He still can’t believe that Alvin and Ian arranged it all as some kind of parent trap. Even more than that, he can’t believe that it worked. “But it’s better now.”

“Good,” she says, moving over to the coffee machine. “Do you want a cup?”

“Yes,” Victor says, ignoring the narrow looks that the rest of his family – Bridgette aside – give him for staying out all night. They’re the ones who called his power into question for not having a Luna by his side. Well, now he does. Or at least, he will very soon.

Taking the cup of coffee from his mother, Victor heads immediately to his office to get to work. As he enters, Beta Stephen follows him in.

“Stephen,” Victor says, smiling at his secretary as he settles into his chair. Stephen freezes before him, looking at him strangely. Victor frowns at him, confused, but then realizes that he’s probably never smiled at the man before. Victor clears his throat and arranges his face along more serious lines, folding his hands in front of him.

Then, he tries again. “Do you have a report, Beta?”

Stephen shakes his head, as if to clear it, and then responds. “Yes, sir. An…interesting message, from Annabeth Prath came through last night.” He hands him a grey file folder. “I think you’ll want to address this first.”

the folder from Stephen and nods his dismissal. Stephen leaves him alone while

last night, approx. 10:30, to tenure her resignation from the board of the Prath Institute and ask that her name be stricken from the title

little disturbed by this sudden change, Victor picks up his phone, dialing her

Kensington,” he says to the receptionist who answers the phone.

moments for Annabeth to come to

“What can

this morning, letting

aloof, as if she has merely deigned to talk to him and regrets taking this call, “that your politics

promise you, I have never once mislead you about my politics, about my investment

“Don’t bother to lie to me any further about your politics. I know exactly where you stand when it comes to families. I just can’t

“Annabeth, please –“

if

have caused this change. As far as I am aware, you and

Angelina Van Horten,” Annabeth says, her voice scathing. “I’m sure she

up. Victor lowers his phone and stares at the black screen in his

“Sir?”

the door to his office. “Yes?” He says, a little distracted but curious as to what the butler might

see that he has a packet in his hands. “I hope you will forgive me, but I have been doing some private reconnaissance in the past two

eyebrows together in

I quite like, and which I would

nods, encouraging him

I took it upon myself to hire a private investigator. To have her followed. Paid for from my

together on the desk. “This was unnecessary. I, of course, had my own Betas on the same project.

and having lived in the

packet on the desk

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