A Queen Returns

Chapter6

Dimitri took me back to my parents’ house, and the moment I stepped inside, everything hit me all over again. The living room looked the same, but it felt completely different now—empty in a way I couldn’t explain. My mind drifted back to the day of my party. I could almost see my parents smiling, proud of me, excited about something I still couldn’t fully place.

Dimitri noticed I hadn’t moved from the entryway. He stepped closer, his voice softer than usual. “We don’t have to stay here long. The police are still figuring things out. We can leave whenever you want.”

I finally looked at him and saw the sadness in his eyes. It made my chest tighten.

“Dimitri, it’s okay,” I said quietly. “I know you’re just trying to help. I’m not angry at you. I just… need a moment. I never thought I’d have to bury my parents at eighteen. What am I supposed to do without them?”

My voice broke, and before I could stop it, I was crying.

Dimitri didn’t hesitate. He pulled me into his arms and held me tightly. “I know this is hard,” he murmured. “But I’m here. You’re not alone, Victoria. You’ll never be alone.”

After a moment, he pulled back just enough to look at me. “Go pack your things. I’ll take care of everything else here. We’ll go to the funeral tomorrow. The lawyer will probably want to speak with you afterward about your parents’ will, so just focus on packing for now, okay?”

I didn’t argue. I just needed to get away from the memories pressing in on me from every direction.

The house felt too quiet as I walked upstairs.

My room had already been cleaned and organized. I paused in the doorway, realizing Dimitri must have arranged for everything to be taken care of before bringing me back. Suitcases were stacked neatly in the corner—ones I didn’t even own. He must have brought them.

I sat down heavily on my bed.

I can’t stay here… but I can’t leave either.

Every corner of this house held a memory I didn’t want to relive. And the thought of whoever did this possibly coming back made my stomach twist. Maybe leaving with Dimitri was safer. Maybe starting over was the only option.

I opened the large blue suitcase and set it on the bed. Then I moved to my closet, starting with the hanging clothes. One by one, I transferred them into the suitcase. It filled faster than I expected, and I regretted not folding anything to save space.

Once it was full, I grabbed masking tape and a marker, labeling it “Closet Clothes” before setting it aside.

I repeated the process with my shoes, bathroom items, and anything else I could think of. By the time I finished, my room felt emptier than before.

But I still couldn’t bring myself to go into my parents’ room.

I stood there for a long moment before forcing myself downstairs.

The house was already half-transformed. Furniture had been moved, flowers were arranged in the living room, and trays of catered food sat in the kitchen. Everything looked prepared—like someone had already started saying goodbye for me.

I walked toward the back door, my hand trembling as I reached for the handle.

Warm hands covered mine.

I turned to see Dimitri beside me. “Let me get that for you, Vic.”

I stepped back, letting him open the door.

Outside, the backyard looked completely different. Clean. Restored. Almost like nothing had ever happened there at all.

My chest tightened. “What did you do with everything in the house?”

Dimitri followed my gaze toward the driveway and nodded.

A large moving truck was parked there.

“I didn’t want you to have to handle more than your room and bathroom,” he said gently. “So I had movers from my company pack everything else. They handled your parents’ room, too. They’re finishing up your things now.”

He hesitated slightly. “You can decide what you want to keep at my place and what you want to store later. I hope I didn’t overstep. I just wanted to make this easier for you.”

His sincerity was clear in his voice.

I stepped forward and hugged him tightly. The same strange warmth and tingling feeling returned, but I ignored it. He smelled different too—musk, something earthy, and something I couldn’t quite name.

He gently pulled back. “Do you want to stay a little longer, or should we get something to eat?”

I glanced once more at the backyard before shaking my head. “Let’s eat. We’ll come back tomorrow for the funeral.”

We headed back inside.

Before I stepped out the front door, I paused again. “Is the truck staying here?”

Dimitri smiled slightly. “No. I’m sending it to my place. It’ll be waiting for you.”

I nodded and followed him outside.

He opened the passenger door of his truck for me, and I climbed in. A moment later, he got in and started the engine.

I didn’t ask where we were going, but he drove anyway.

“Where are we eating?” I finally asked.

“It’s a surprise,” he said with a small smile.

I turned toward the window.

We had been driving for a few minutes when I noticed it—a car behind us, turning every time we turned.

“Dimitri,” I said slowly. “I think we’re being followed. That car has been behind us since we left the house.”

His jaw tightened immediately. He adjusted the rearview mirror, staring behind us.

“Hold on, Vic.”

He sped up. So did the car.

Dimitri made a sharp turn, then another, weaving through streets before pulling into an alley. He shut the truck off quickly.

We waited.

The car drove right past.

Dimitri turned the engine back on, reversed out, and sped away—but now we were heading back toward the hotel.

“Dimitri… I thought we were getting food?” I asked.

No answer.

“Dimitri?”

He blinked hard, as if snapping out of something. “Sorry. I’m focusing on the road. We’re going back to the hotel. We’ll order in. I don’t trust anything right now.”

My stomach tightened. “So we were being followed?”

“Looks like it,” he said firmly. Then he reached over and took my hand. “Hey. Breathe, okay? I’ve got you. Nothing is going to happen to you. Just relax.”

His grip was steady, grounding me.

But something inside me felt off anyway.

As I leaned back into the seat, exhaustion hit me out of nowhere—heavy, sudden, unnatural.

I wasn’t even tired.

And yet, my eyes started closing anyway.