BLOOD SECRETS

CHAPTER 5

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Most of my life, especially during the summers, was spent at Blue Blood Island in the villa my mother architectured.

Mom had people tear down some of the existing infrastructure and built a new palace in its place. Dad told me there used to be underground tunnels, but they collapsed years ago. They slowly started rebuilding them.

My parents never admitted it, but I had a good feeling that those tunnels held sentimental value.

The new villa on Blue Blood Island housed three families, even though it could accommodate hundreds of people and we'd still have leftover space.

The Loranis, the Asto Al Nahyans, and the Du Sang Dragomirs.

On the first day all three families ever moved in to the fully decorated villa, Mom told me I could explore my wing. In the next few hours, I discovered secret passages everywhere that wove between the walls and led to different places.

That night, as I stood on my balcony, I noticed a tinted, large circular window from the outside of the villa. The window was way too big to go unnoticed yet I haven't seen it anywhere in my room.

"What if... there's a hidden room between the walls?" I murmured.

Excited and filled with adrenaline, I dove back into my suite, walked through a few rooms until I reached my bedroom. I looked around for any possible secret door.

My eyes landed to the bookshelves tucked in the corner.

"The bookshelf? No, Mom wouldn't design something so obvious." I looked closer and saw the book Little Women. A slow smile curved my lips. "But Dad would."

I tugged on the Little Women, which was very significant to my parents' relationship, and surely, the bookshelf actually swung open. I stared into the doorway.

I said to myself, "This is so romantic it's disgusting."

But all of that was forgotten when I walked into the most beautiful, enchanting library I've ever seen in my entire life.

The lowly-dimmed library had shelves that spanned several meters high until they touched the arched ceiling that was painted with mythological figures. Rugs, candles, cushions, and lanterns sprawled the room.

There were even a set kf spiral stairs that led to an indoor, second-floor balcony. As I climbed up to the top, I encountered the reading nook of my dreams. It was tucked beside the large circular window I saw when I was on the balcony.

Unfortunately, I wasn't alone.

Prince Asto Al Nahyan stood there with his back facing me. He silently watched the constellations and the moon through the window.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded in outrage. "This is my library."

Prince turned. "Actually, I discovered this first."