Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

​​

I saw Duke shrinking in front of me and I wondered if I was too harsh.

"Duke, I know that your intentions are good, but your words sparked hope in him. I am his guardian and I really wished that you spoke to me before you made promises to Ash."

"I know, I know…", Duke said with urgency and gave my hand a squeeze. "When I told him that, I thought that we are talking about something that is six months in the future or more, and not around the corner."

"So, what made him think that he can move to London tomorrow?"

Duke thought for a second before responding. "Last night I went to his room, and I warned him that he needs to get his priorities straight. I don't want him to come to London thinking that it will be fun and games. I expect him to focus on work and not cause trouble. Maybe Ash asking to rush things is a way to show he is serious about it."

It made sense. Maybe.

"How will Ash's internship work? How do I fit in all that?"

"I didn't offer him an internship with the idea of making it hard on you, Serina. My plan was to buy an apartment he could use, in my building, preferably on my floor. I would ensure that Ash gets to the company and back without issues and you will have full access to information on how he is doing. With me and Sergio nearby, we can keep an eye on Ash and ensure that he is safe."

An invisible lightbulb lit up above my head. Sergio!

He is a werewolf so he can be the elder werewolf to guide Ash through the dangers of London!

"Do you think that Sergio would watch over Ash?"

Duke smiled with relief obvious on his face. "Absolutely! Serge does whatever I tell him to do. Besides, he watched over me since I was fourteen. Ash is older, so it will be much easier."

- - -

[Author's POV]

At that time, in a lavish hotel suite in Nice…

Stark naked Sergio was on the bed with two equally naked ladies whose voluptuous bodies were sticking to him, one on each side.

The blonde beauty was still sleeping, and Sergio was approaching the redhead who licked her lips in anticipation of what's coming.

Sergio was ready to plunder her mouth with his tongue and much more, and then…

'ACHOO!'

He sneezed and the redhead grimaced while his spit dripped from her face.

Sergio swiftly took the edge of the bedsheet and wiped her off while wondering who is talking bad about him this early in the morning.

Sergio cursed under his breath when he realized that his bedsheet-wiping smudged her makeup, so he sent her to the bathroom to clean up.

Ah, the mood was ruined!

- - -

Author's note: this is from Seraphina's point of view

- - -

Back to the villa at the Côte d'Azur…

Before leaving the study, I called father to find out how long it will take to create necessary identification and travel documents for Ash.

If it's just a small trip, we could use our private jet and avoid official channels, but internship means that Ash will live there for some time, so he will need a valid identity.

Ash, Zoe, and Luca resided in an isolated environment and they don't have a birth certificate or any other document to confirm their existence. If they died, no one would know about them, not even as a part of statistics. That's a scary thought but on the other hand, creatures have different ideas on what's important compared to humans.

I know that I'm not human, but my mind still works like I am one. Maybe because I don't know what I am, so I'm clinging to the identity I grew up with. Aldus treats me well and calls me his daughter, but I know that I'm not a vampire.

I was not comfortable with sending Ash to London, but I told myself that he would go anyway in a few months, and other than being rushed, there was nothing wrong with it. Another benefit of him leaving now is that if he is separated from Zoe and Luca, my worry about the boys fighting again will evaporate.

Instead of fretting about those, I decided to find out what all is needed for Ash to start his internship.

Aldus said that all paperwork can be done within a few days.

"Only for Ash?", Aldus asked.

"Yeah. He wants to start the internship in Drago's company and for that, he will move to London."

"Oh? Is your boyfriend adopting your children?", I could hear the amusement in his voice.

"No. It's just internship." I huffed, happy that the call is not on speaker because Duke was sitting next to me.

"You and Drago will be more tangled with this."

I smiled at Aldus's words. "I'm aware of that." And I wouldn't want it any other way.

"Alright. I trust that you know what's best. I will get identification for Ash, and also for Zoe and Luca. They will need it eventually when Drago adopts all three of them and you start your happy family. Remember to visit your father occasionally. I will be lonely."

I rolled my eyes at Aldus's dramatic words. Ever since the event at the Giantshade Industries when Richard and Jonathan started openly expressing their interest in me, Aldus is over the top with teasing.

I ended my call with Aldus and noticed that Duke was looking at me with sparkles in his eyes.

"What?", I asked with an uneasy feeling that Duke heard everything Aldus and I spoke about. No way. That would be embarrassing.

"Nothing." He reached for his phone. "Since your father will take care of the documents, I will tell Sergio to look into buying one of the apartments on our floor. Other than mine and Sergio's, there are six other units. Someone will sell for the right price. I will also give him a heads up that we are getting a new intern, but the paperwork can start only after we get a copy of Ash's ID."

"Wait!", I put my hand over his, preventing him from making the call. "You said that Sergio is in Nice, right?"

"Yes?"

"How about we meet him?", I suggested. "It's less than one hour drive from here. You mentioned that Sergio could look after Ash and that's better to discuss in person."

"Will Ash join us?", Duke asked.

"No. In case Sergio is not willing and we need to negotiate, I don't want Ash to hear that. Ash can meet Sergio after Sergio agrees to this."

Duke smiled. "Alright." He was obviously delighted that it will be just the two of us.

My goal was, of course, to find a few minutes alone with Sergio so that I can address the point of Ash being a werewolf. I had a strong feeling that Sergio would refuse over the phone, and it would be a drag if I need to go to London to persuade him.

I could make it quick and intimidate Sergio with Aldus, but I wanted to ensure Sergio will be OK with the arrangement, otherwise, he might bully Ash when I'm not around.

---

If you are not reading this at 'W e b n o v e l . c o m', then the content you're reading is stolen! Please support the author by reading this novel from the original source.