His Majesty's Devious Sins

The next morning, Lydia Claymore won the shareholder meeting by a landslide. She had completely seized control of the board of directors and the people that held the most shares of the company. It wasn't even a competition at this point. When photos of Lydia's close relations with the Queen were revealed, enough was said.

Lydia was standing in the center of the meeting, being congratulated by men and women double and triple her age. 

Lydia plastered on her best smile, professional and arrogant. She was self-assured of herself, each move made without hesitation. Her eyes flashed when she shook the hands of the people that were initially not on her side.

Soon, people began trickling out of the door, excited for tomorrow night's celebration dinner. It didn't take long before the Claymores were the only ones in the spacious room.

"How does it feel to use your closest friend, sister?" A voice said from behind Lydia. He spat out the last word as if it was venom on his tongue.

Lydia spun around and raised a brow at the sight of her younger brother. He was finally twenty years old, but still acted like a brat when he didn't get his way. She hated how much he physically resembled her. It would've been great if he looked exactly like their mother.

"Oh please, it's not my fault you don't have a trump card," Lydia said, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She ignored his deep glower, and the scowl of her mother.

"Lydia," Leonard Claymore snipped. "Those photos were a very underhanded move. I expected better from my daughter, honestly."

Lydia pressed her lips together. She turned to her father and raised a brow. This was coming from the man that was frequently seen with Crown Prince Kaline of Kastrem.

"Why waste a golden opportunity?"

"Besides, I won fair and square. It's not like I bribed the board of directors," Lydia said. "Those pictures were just an extra push in the right direction."

"You might as well have bribed the people," Leonard said with a slight sigh. Despite the fact that his daughter had won, he couldn't help but feel like her method wasn't the correct approach.

"Then I wonder what you think of your relationship with the late Prince," Lydia said. "If I remember correctly, you were captured in many photos with the late Prince as well."

Lydia felt her mother's hand on her lower back, warning her to not be so rude. She gritted her teeth, glancing irritatingly at her younger brother. "Don't think I don't know what you did," she told him.

"What did I do?" Linden countered, feigning ignorance and placing a hand upon his chest. He couldn't imagine what his older sister was thinking.

"I know you utilized father's help to have a secret meeting with the directors that opposed me," Lydia said. "I only used those photos because you tried to attack me first."

"Lydia!" Mr. Claymore sharply said, scowling at her words. He was usually patient with her uppercuts, but this one was far too much. It was implying he was playing too much favoritism. Though, he did support his son the most, whereas his wife supported their daughter the most.

"Used those photos? More like you used the Crown to your advantage," Linden argued.

Lydia held back another comment that could ignite an argument. "It's not using them if they directly support me," she said. "Besides, I don't have time for your tantrums. I have a banquet to plan, and a royal family to invite."

Without another glance at her brother, she turned on her heels and sauntered off, her shoes loudly clicking on the ground. 

"You were too harsh on her," Mrs. Claymore chided her husband with a slight frown. "She did her best today."

Mr. Claymore's gaze softly landed on his daughter. Her dark blond hair swayed with each step, confidence exuding from her taut shoulders. He had never met a more impressive presence than hers. 

"Someone has to be stern on her, or else that arrogance will get to her head," Leonard said. "Besides, I've always played the bad cop, and you the good cop. Nothing will change, even when her position in this company has."

- - - - -

Adeline was overlooking the ledgers of employee salaries when she received a phone call. She glanced up from the computer screen and towards the device. Upon seeing the name, she instantly picked up.

"Addy!" Lydia squealed, her voice filled with joy. "Guess what?!"

Adeline softly chuckled. Judging from her friend's excitement, she already knew about the great news. "The decision is probably making headlines by now. I'm not surprised you won over the majority of the directors."

"Boohoo," Lydia groaned. "I guessed my excitement must've been too obvious."

"It was," Adeline agreed, leaning back in her chair. She was overseeing the salaries to make sure there wasn't any discrepancy between the treasury and the wages. Although they hired private firms to do frequent audits, she wanted to personally make sure there was nothing amiss.

But everything was squeaky clean, and Adeline truly didn't know what to do in the castle. Elias managed everything efficiently, leaving no stones unturned.

"There is a banquet tomorrow, you must come!" Lydia exclaimed. "It feels like forever since I've last seen you."

Adeline raised a brow. "But we saw each other yesterday."

"Well, one day isn't enough!" Lydia said. "Besides, it's been a while since we've worn beautiful dresses and danced all night. It'll be fun."

Adeline was entranced by the idea. Dancing with Elias… She remembered the last time they danced was at their wedding. He was a great dancer, leading her with confidence, sweeping her off of her feet. The thought of him stepping close, spinning her in his arms… she instantly agreed.

"Alright, I will attend, but don't make a big deal out of it," Adeline said. She debated who to ask to prepare a dress. It had been so long since she dressed up all fancy and she missed the idea of it.

"Great! I'll add your names onto the VIP guest list, where there is utmost secrecy," Lydia gushed. 

"What are you smiling about, darling?"

Adeline's head snapped up and she quickly rose. Elias was standing at the edge of the desk, his sleeves rolled up to reveal his muscular forearms. She hung up the phone and grinned up at him.

"Lydia won over the board of directors. There is a banquet tomorrow, let's go!" Adeline said.

Elias stared at her shimmering eyes. They were the color of freshly mowed grass, the kind that flowers tried to outshine. He softly tucked her hair behind her ears, his finger stroking the sensitive skin.

"Would it make you happy to go, darling?" Elias mused, his voice low and attentive. She leaned into his touch, her hand coming over his. He felt a strange stir in his chest, and an overwhelming urge to mark her as his.

"Very," she emphasized.

"Then a dress will be prepared for you by tomorrow night," he said.

Adeline thought back to the sunset-pink dress he had gotten her a while back. 

"What is my pretty wife thinking about this time?" Elias cooed, sliding an arm around her, bringing their bodies together. Her hands rested upon his chest, before she ran them upwards, her fingers pressed against the hardness. She looped her hands behind his neck, standing on her tippy-toes.

"I'm wondering which pitiful designer you'll harass this time," Adeline said with a slight laugh. 

Elias smirked at the memory. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead, his lips lingering. He tightened his hold on her, supporting her weight so she didn't put pressure on her body.

"I'll buy out the grandest dress for you," Elias said. 

"No, I want a simple one," Adeline responded. "I don't want to outshine Lydia."

Elias scoffed. "You already outshine her without doing anything."

Adeline awkwardly chuckled. She was pretty sure there were many men who'd beg to differ. But, she didn't say anything else and instead, rested her head on his chest. He fully embraced her now, her arms settled on his lower back.

"Elias…" she murmured.

"Yes, darling?"

Adeline peered up at him, hesitation crossing her face. She bit her bottom lip and debated if it was a good time to ask him.

"What is it?" he pressed on, his voice humorous.

Elias wondered if she was intentionally seducing him. She had widened her eyes, and her mouth movements were tempting. 

"When will you accept the child?" she whispered.

Elias paused. "Soon," he muttered. "Soon."