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

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The appearance of Suzy on Duke's doorstep made me angry and anxious.

Luckily, Duke defused the situation quickly before my insecurities took over, but I wished to rip that shameless woman into pieces. I told her that Drago is my boyfriend and that we don't need her wretched cookies, but the woman was persistent.

Closing the door into that woman's face was a pleasurable experience.

I was touched by Duke's confession in the hallway. He said all the right things, like always.

I was afraid of being lost in the whirlwind of emotions I'm unable to control, yet he told me that he is lost without me and that made me remember the peace and belonging I feel when I'm in his embrace.

Yes, I am full of insecurities, and I have no idea what I'm doing, but I know that when I'm together with Duke, things feel right. He makes everything feel right.

Doesn't that mean how when I am with him I find myself?

Carried away by the moment and emotions, I ended up kissing him.

This kiss was different than previous ones. Not because I kissed him first, but because he let me be in charge without trying to overpower me.

I surrendered to the pull that guided the movements of my lips and it was wonderful.

And then he had to rub it in.

"You kissed me. On. The. Lips."

His smug smirk irritated me. Smartass.

There is no way I will admit to it. "It was just a taste."

His eyes flashed in outrage, and he protested sternly. I never knew that an angry man can be so cute.

I took advantage of a brief pause Duke made and gave him another quick kiss before dashing into the kitchen.

His confused expression was adorable.

Placing groceries in their place with Duke was fun and natural. We moved through the kitchen in sync, without bumping into each other, like we did it countless times before.

It didn't take us long to fill up the fridge and the pantry.

I was looking at the variety of things he got. Seeing all the raw ingredients, there was only one conclusion, "You know how to cook?"

He smiled smugly and I rolled my eyes.

"Why did I even bother asking? Everything you do is perfect. I'm sure you can get a job at one of the Michelin restaurants without an interview."

Duke laughed at my words. "I don't know if I'm that good, but I can prepare things that won't give you food poisoning."

Liar. I knew that he is undermining his skills. He never boasted, but he always came on top. That's my Duke.

"Would my girlfriend like that I cook dinner for us tonight?"

I paused at his question. Would I? Yes, very much. But there was one thing I wanted more.

"Your girlfriend would like to know more about you.", I responded. "It's Friday evening and I don't have any plans other than to be with you. Show me what you normally do on a Friday evening and allow me to be part of that experience."

Duke pursed his lips. I thought that he will joke with it, but he responded seriously.

"I don't think you would be interested in watching me go through financial reports, but there are other things we could do. As for dinner, Friday is the evening for Greek food. They deliver."

I nodded in understanding and watched him as he placed a call. Based on the friendly interaction, the person on the other side of the call recognized him. It seems that he is a regular customer.

"Done.", Duke announced after ending the call. "Food will be here in about half an hour. After we eat, we can sit on the balcony or watch a movie or whatever you want."

I was not sure if I wanted to hear the answer, but I had to ask, "It's Friday evening. Don't you go out and have fun?"

Duke looked at me like I asked something silly. "My fun is with the Business Insider magazine and predicting trends on the stock market. Do you think I would lie to you?"

From the information Mona collected, I knew that Duke was not going to parties and nightclubs, but that didn't mean he was not attending some private gatherings.

"What about you?", Duke asked me. "What do you normally do on a Friday evening?"

I shrugged. "I don't have a full-time job, so Friday evening is like any other evening. I would study or do something in the lab at home. That's at my father's property in Genoa."

"Genoa…", Duke responded absentmindedly.

"I hope that you can come and visit. I would love to show you around."

I didn't ask Aldus if Duke can come and visit, but I guessed that he wouldn't mind having a guest.

My nerves got jittery at the thought of Duke sleeping in my room. Aldus would know about it, and I would be super-embarrassed to look at him in the morning, but sleeping apart from Duke was not an option.

I noticed that Duke's expression turned serious, and it took me a moment to remember his story of how he fled Italy about a decade ago.

"Uhm… I'm sorry. I forgot that you shouldn't come to Italy."

Duke shook his head. "It's fine. I was thinking of going back and seeing the estate after everything. It's more than ten years how I left and I don't plan to stay away forever. But maybe not now. When I go to Italy, I would love to see your home."

Duke's smile didn't reach his eyes which told me that he is still not ready to talk about it.

I wondered, how many times Duke concealed his troubles behind a smile, and I didn't notice it?

The thought of him suffering right in front of me while I was sulking about my parents was tormenting.

I pulled him to sit on the sofa and I curled up on his lap, wrapped my arms around him, and put my head on his shoulder.

He embraced me right away and I was glad to see that his gaze softened.

"There is no rush, Duke", I said softly. "Gradually, I will show you everything I'm up to and I hope you will be proud of me."

Duke kissed my forehead. "I am already proud of you. You came a long way and you achieved what you wanted."

I hummed in agreement. I came a long way, and I achieved freedom from my parents.

The only thing I lost were three years that I could spend with Duke, but if not for that unfortunate event in Venice, I wouldn't meet Aldus, Krob, or Calista, and I wouldn't learn about the fascinating world we live in. If I was not with Aldus and Lazarus, what would happen with Zoe, Luca, and Ash?

If I didn't die, I wouldn't know how malicious Ruby, Willow, and Adele are, or how far Magda will go to get what she wants and that she was targeting me.

I remember being angry after waking up in Aldus's lab, but now I believe that my death was the best thing that happened to me.

I came back stronger than ever, and Duke is part of my life now.

In exchange for what I've got, three years is not much.

My world is perfect.

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