Derek's POV
That dream creeped me out more than I wanted to admit, even to myself. But for the first time, I decided to brush it off… it was just a dream, nothing more. My mind was still foggy and disoriented when Tatiana came in. I hadn't expected her to kiss me so suddenly and passionately, but as usual, I returned the favor with everything I had in me. I'm still kinda clueless about all the drama that must have taken place in the hospital while I was unconscious, but I guess it's nothing too serious for now. The images from the dream kept flashing in my head — the mysterious voice, the flickering lights, the strange sense of destiny and rebirth. It felt far too real to dismiss completely, but I pushed the thoughts aside for the moment. There were more pressing matters waiting for us.
I was also not comfortable in the car on the way back home. The tension between us was rising steadily and slowly swallowing me whole. The silence felt heavy and loaded with unspoken words until she finally broke it.
"Emm, so what gave you the guts to play that heroic act back then? I have a strong feeling you are up to some mischief."
That was more than enough to shatter the silence. I chuckled softly, the sound easing some of the pressure in my chest.
"You got me right there. But it's not mischief. I just wanted to be your knight in shining armor, even if it meant sleeping through half a year."
She gave a brief, beautiful smile that lit up her face. "So much effort, just to sleep for five whole months."
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but I held my tongue and smiled back. The view outside the car window hadn't changed much, but I noticed we were now deep in Britain. The scenery felt both strangely familiar and foreign at the same time. Tall modern buildings stood side by side with historic architecture, passing by in a colorful blur and reminding me just how much time I had lost while unconscious. Five months was a long time to be away from the world, from her, and from all our heavy responsibilities.
"So who is keeping the Grecian throne right now?" I asked, my voice low and thoughtful.
She simply showed me a picture on her phone, and I nodded slowly, my mind racing. Her mom was still alive… now that sounded extremely fishy and suspicious. Questions swirled endlessly in my head. Was she involved in everything that had happened? Could she be trusted at all, or was she just another enemy cleverly hiding in plain sight? I decided to keep my growing suspicions to myself for the time being, but I made a silent mental note to investigate the matter thoroughly later when the time was right.
The scents in the air were refreshing and invigorating when we finally arrived, to say the very least. My garden hadn't changed much physically, but the memories it brought rushing back were powerful and vividly alive. The flowers bloomed in bright, vibrant colors, their sweet fragrance mixing beautifully with the fresh breeze. No more pain or darkness, just the sweet, triumphant feeling of having made it through against all odds. I don't know exactly why I felt so strangely relaxed in that moment, because deep down I knew without a doubt that our enemies would soon strike again. They were patient, cunning, and always watching from the darkness. I steadied my breathing and chose to listen carefully with every sense I had. Beep… beep… beep. There were bugs hidden everywhere. All our conversations were being monitored closely. I closed my eyes and focused even harder. There were spies lurking around us, watching our every single move with sharp, eagle-like eyes. We had claimed our thrones, but they clearly had no intention of letting us keep them for long. Power was the most dangerous game of all, and we were standing right in the deadly center of it.
I let out a dry, knowing laugh and gently pulled Tiana closer to my side. "Follow me," I whispered softly, my hand lingering on her waist a little longer than necessary, enjoying the warmth of her presence.
We walked into a nearby boutique and bought a completely new set of clothes to replace our old ones. Our royal escorts stayed right behind us the entire time, their silent presence both reassuring and a constant reminder of the dangers surrounding us. I started drawing invisible images and signals in the air with my finger, sending secret messages only she could understand, and she immediately got the cue without missing a beat. We returned to the palace acting as if absolutely nothing was wrong. We chatted casually about everyday things, laughed at small jokes, and talked about light, harmless memories, but we carefully avoided touching any serious work or plans until we could come up with a solid, foolproof strategy together. Normally, in dangerous situations like this, we would have fired everyone involved and recruited fresh new people from scratch, but in our particular case that would have been an extremely bad and risky move. It would have alerted our hidden enemies far too soon. We had to stay one careful step ahead at all times, never falling behind in this deadly game of shadows.
But soon enough, I got completely bored of playing the long pretend game. The constant acting was mentally draining, and the uncertainty was starting to eat away at my patience. We had to eliminate all threats by any means necessary… but the big question remained: how exactly? We still didn't have a clear, workable plan. Don't get me wrong — I easily get bored with waiting. It took me only two short days to get completely tired of the whole charade. I stood restlessly in our private chamber, waiting for her to join me. The room felt larger and emptier than usual, the silence echoing my restless thoughts. She arrived earlier than I had expected, her presence instantly lighting up the entire space and calming my nerves.
"We've been idle for far too long," I said as soon as she walked in, my voice firm yet gentle. "We need to figure out who our real friends or foes are in this palace. I know it seems like nobody can truly be trusted as a friend here. Should we go out and hand-pick some reliable people from all walks of life as new associates? That approach feels too slow and dangerously risky right now. Let's use these backstabbers to our advantage instead. They want power so badly… we give them a taste of power — if they can handle it without breaking. Let them believe they are winning for now, while we quietly pull all the strings from behind the scenes. I don't trust your mom at all; she may very well be the real mastermind behind everything. Her survival and reappearance feel far too convenient and perfectly timed."
Thankfully, all that secret sign language practice I had done years ago was finally paying off in the most beautiful and useful way. It allowed us to communicate important messages without speaking a single word, right under the noses of the hidden spies and recording devices. We held important peace talks with Iran in a month's time, cleverly using the opportunity to strengthen old alliances while deliberately appearing a bit vulnerable on the surface. We fired our previous chief adviser without hesitation and hired a new one — Becky. That's her name. How could I ever forget such an enchanting and intelligent person? She had a sharp mind and an even sharper wit that could cut through tension like a knife. My wife had taught me a very important rule long ago: sometimes you have to act completely possessed and over-the-top to win the fight. Of course… I was an S-ranking actor when I truly needed to be. I threw myself fully into the role with dramatic energy, making bold gestures and saying things that seemed reckless on the surface but were all carefully calculated parts of our bigger strategy.
Finally, some real… beautiful action was about to begin. The thrill of the dangerous game, the constant underlying tension, and the closeness it forced between Tiana and me — it all excited me in ways I couldn't fully put into words.
Tiana has never been more jealous… hahaha!!!!! Her reactions whenever Becky was around were absolutely priceless, and I couldn't resist teasing her gently about it in private. It added a fun, fiery spark to our already intense and passionate relationship.
As we prepared quietly for the challenging days lying ahead, I felt a powerful renewed sense of purpose and determination. The dream, the ancient voice, the title — it all pointed toward something much greater than ourselves. Our history was deeply intertwined, and together we would shape our future exactly as we wanted, no matter what obstacles or betrayals came our way. The enemies might still be lurking in the darkness, plotting their next move, but with her standing strong by my side, I felt truly unstoppable. The road ahead was uncertain and filled with hidden plots and potential betrayals, but our love and our shared destiny would guide us safely through every storm. Every shared glance, every secret touch, and every whispered plan only strengthened the unbreakable bond between us