Chapter 292: Means to An End

A few minutes later...

Anton lay behind her underneath the sheets of his wide bed. He had one arm across her waist with his body half pressed into her back.

It looked like they were both still heaving breaths.

Then Audrey slipped out from under his arm, pulling the sheets with her as she stood. The fabric followed her body as she wrapped it loosely around herself and walked away from the bed.

"Hey!" Anton called out, a bit frustrated he just left him naked.

Audrey glanced back at him with a smile, then kept walking straight to the wine shelf.

Anton dragged a hand down his face. He pushed himself up slightly, then turned to the side, found his fur jacket, and pulled it over his lower half.

His eyes followed her, then sharpened. "Hey—hey, don’t open that one," he said. "That bottle cost me a fortune."

Audrey had already taken and uncorked it without hesitation.

The soft pop echoed in the room, leaving Anton with sigh.

She poured into two glasses, then turned back and handed him one before moving to the couch, where she sat and crossed one leg over the other.

Anton took the glass, staring at her for a second before taking a drink.

Then he exhaled. "Audrey... this is getting tiring. I know my dick can’t be that good that you came all this way for it."

Audrey didn’t even look at him. "I don’t remember you finding it tiring when you were fucking me a few minutes ago."

Anton scoffed lightly. "Yeah. Well... post nut clarity is a thing."

She sighed, finally glancing at him. "Can you not just relax for one second, Anton?"

"No." His tone was blunt as he sat forward. "You said you were done with us three years ago, never answered any of my calls ."

His voice climbed without him stopping it. "I left the fucking country, Audrey. Cleared my head and moved on."

"Then a few days ago, it’s all over the place you’re carrying the prince’s child...And now you’re here after all that, in my bed....What’s your game?"

Audrey smiled and said mockingly, "So much for moving on."

That made Anton shoot back, "Don’t play with me!"

Her smile didn’t drop as she leaned back slightly into the couch. "You know why I’m here, Anton."

Anton frowned, looked both confused and irritated. "What the fuck are you on about?" he said. "No, I don’t."

Audrey watched him for a second, then took a slow sip of her drink. "What do you think I’m talking about?" she replied. "It’s always been the same goal of mine, Anton."

There was a brief pause as his expression shifted into widening eyes.

"You’re still on about that?" He laughed a dry laugh and added, "Of course, how could anything be more important?"

"I don’t have time for this," he said. "That stopped being my concern a long time ago."

Audrey sighed. "Do you really want to know why I ended things back then?"

He shook his head. "I’m not sure I care."

But she replied anyways, "It’s because I cared too much about you."

Anton looked genuinely thrown. "You say the most illogical shit...How does that even make sense? You care, so you leave?"

Audrey rubbed her palm briefly over her face, exhaling.

"I don’t let people get close to me," she said. "You know that. But you—" she paused, then looked at him again, "you made me feel vulnerable."

"And that kind of vulnerability doesn’t fit into what I’m trying to do. It creates a weakness, something people can exploit."

"What fuckin weakness? I am a grand caster, same as you," Anton let out a scoff. "Then again, you say all this, but you went and got yourself knocked up by the prince."

There was silence as Audrey’s gaze dropped. For a moment she said nothing, then... "That child isn’t his."

She lifted her head and met his eyes. "It’s yours."

His eyes widened in shock at first then he burst into laughter that made him teary. He dragged a hand over his face, shaking his head as if trying to physically push the idea away.

"Out of everything you could’ve said..." He looked back at her, still smiling in disbelief.

But Audrey had a stern look. "I’m serious, Anton."

The smile dropped from his face. "No, you’re talking bullshit."

He shook his head again and pushed off the bed, not caring that his cover had fallen off.

"Unless people get pregnant from fifteen minutes of sex, that’s complete fucking bullshit."

Audrey’s expression didn’t change. "You’ve forgotten what domain I have control over."

That made him stop and turned to her with narrowed eyes.

She held his gaze. "My control over time lets me slow down a process, speed them up or bring it to a halt."

Anton suddenly had this uneasy look on his face. "No... no, you’re not serious...You’re trying to tell me—"

"I halted it," she cut in. "Three years ago, and it’s remained that way since."

Anton stared at her in disbelief and after a few seconds of silence, he said, "I don’t believe you, this is just another one of your manipulations."

"It isn’t." Her voice was steady. "You can confirm it yourself. Find a caster and use whatever method you want, I’ll cooperate."

Then she stood up. The sheet slipped slightly as she moved closer, stopping just a step in front of him. "I’m not lying."

"You’re telling me," he said slowly, "that whatever’s in you... is mine. And not the prince who’s been with you all this time?"

"Anton," she said in a soft tone, "you know me. You know I would stop at nothing to get what I want, and that’s where the prince comes in."

She paused before adding, "He is, and has always been, a means to an end."

He studied her face. "Does he know that the child is not his?"

She didn’t answer immediately.

"Answer me."

"No," she said finally. "He believes it’s his."

Anton let out another short, disbelieving laugh, shaking his head. "What kind of woman are you?"

Audrey stepped in closer and reached up, cupping his cheek and guiding his face toward hers. "I know I’m not the best one."

"You’re definitely not," he replied.

She smiled. "But I can’t do this without you, Anton."

He took her hand off his face. "Don’t think I’ll just buy what you’re saying without confirming it myself."

"Like I said," she began, "I’ll cooperate with whatever method you intend to use." She smiled. "But I want to know if you’ll stand by me."

Anton stared at her for a moment. Then suddenly, he pulled her in.

Their mouths met in a brief kiss, and when they pulled apart slightly, she let out a breath against his lips, kissed him again, then pushed him back onto the bed.

The sheet slipped from her as she climbed over him, settling into a straddled position. She leaned forward and kissed him again; while one hand found his hardness and guided it right back in.

And the conversation, for now....stopped.