Chapter 16. He’s Claiming Me

*Maddox*

Sitting across the small table on the balcony near the dining room from Zabrina, I try to be polite, but it’s difficult. She will not stop talking, and I couldn’t care less about what she has to say.

“So then, I told Daddy that I really wanted the shoes in silver and gold. Because you never know what color will look best, you know?”

I nod. No, I don’t know. And I don’t care. I really, really don’t give a flying fuck.

“So he bought them, even though they cost ten thousand dollars for each pair. But then… it’s just money.” She giggles and takes a drink of her champagne. “You know what I mean, of course?”

I smile. I do know what she means, but then, I also try not to waste money. I have an entire kingdom to think of, not just myself.

Picking up my knife, I slice through my steak, watching the pink juice spill all over my plate. For a moment, I contemplate what it would look like to run the knife across her jugular, watching a different kind