Chapter 170: Phone Attack

The young woman, barely emerging from sleep, was assaulted by her phone. The screen was flashing frantically: an incoming call was in progress. Too exhausted to answer, she simply stared at it, waiting to see who was desperately trying to reach her.

The alarm clock sitting on Argy's bedside table showed just after five in the morning.

Which was the equivalent of several days spent in the Otherworld.

The problem?

She had only slept four hours in total. She needed at least that much more to reach anything resembling a decent quota. That was why every fiber of her body was begging for mercy.

Resigned, Blanche slowly sat up, moving away from Argy, who grunted in his sleep.

Too cute.

Her phone now displayed nearly thirteen missed calls and six messages. Her best friend, her best friend's boyfriend, his brother, her grandfather, her demonic father... and even a message from the Vampire King.

She started with the latter.

A simple link.

Asher had done a good job. She had become the favorite subject of the entire Otherworld press specializing in nocturnal species.

She finally answered when her best friend called for what must have been the hundredth time.

"Blanche?" Évanescence whispered between sobs.

"Yes?" the young woman replied without lowering her voice, certain that the sleepyhead beside her wouldn't wake up.

"Is it true... everything they're saying?"

Blanche drew a deep breath before confirming.

"The internal damage was too extensive after the accident. They saved what they could. And besides... it's not like I ever wanted children anyway," she lied. "Don't worry. I'm fine."

"Oh, Blanche..." Évanescence sobbed. "I'm so sorry!"

This time, a tear slipped down Blanche's cheek.

She was responsible for it.

She was the one who had caused the accident in order to turn back time and save the boy sleeping peacefully behind her.

Or at least, that's what she believed.

She allowed herself that single tear.

Because she would much rather see Argy breathing and alive than cling to the hypothetical hope of a future child.

And considering the mortality rate among his species...

"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. Besides, I've never really wanted children. You know my mother... imagine the disaster if I turned out like her? No, thank you."

That made Eva laugh...

Before making her cry again.

"And if it means I don't have to put up with an egotistical Drakion like yours, then everything's fine!"

"Not cool," the person in question grumbled from the other end of the line.

Thanks to his supernatural abilities, he had followed the entire conversation.

Blanche had no idea that Mr. Drakion would be by her side tonight.

"I'm just trying to look on the bright side," Blanche replied.

"Try harder," he grumbled.

His presence reassured both women.

Blanche could trust him to look after her best friend, and that alone put her mind at ease.

"I couldn't get hold of Dad..." Eva added more quietly.

No surprise there.

Blanche understood immediately.

Eva had stayed out too.

The thought made her smile.

Neither young woman had been home on a Friday night.

Times were changing.

"Don't worry. He's probably sleeping like a log with his phone on silent. You know him... he'll call me when he wakes up."

"You're right..." Eva muttered, exhausted but reassured.

"Can you believe it? It's the first time he's been alone on a Friday night. He'll never let us sleep over somewhere else again," Blanche joked.

Eva laughed again before yawning.

"Go sleep with your Prince Charming while you can. I still have a paternalistic grandfather to call back."

"Oh, crap... good luck!"

"Good night."

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Your boyfriend has blue hair, right? So... who's the guy who showed up at school?"

Blanche glanced at Argy, still asleep, his features peaceful.

"Benjamin. Your dad's best friend's son. We talked... I like him. He's had a difficult life and... I don't know. I just want to help him."

Silence.

"Blanche... don't replace me, okay?"

"Never," she replied without hesitation. "I love you."

"I love you too."

She hung up, feeling a little lighter.

Eva would be okay.

She had to be.

Her sleep debt, on the other hand, continued to grow.

She sent a brief, efficient message to Asmodeus, another to Sebastian, then called her grandfather back.

That one, she wouldn't be able to avoid.

After all, it concerned his empire.

A Drakion woman unable to reproduce couldn't inherit it.

"Blanche! Are you aware?" he exclaimed, surprisingly alert.

She immediately understood that he hadn't slept a wink all night—even though he was one of the Gala's guests of honor.

"Yes, Grandfather. I figured it would eventually leak, especially after the whole story about the missing Drakion princess. With the Gala... the timing is terrible."

"The medical report... is it true?"

"Yes. It's all true. Mr. Ardachir confirmed it. It's irreversible. No magic can repair the damage."

Silence.

"Did you get a second opinion?"

"There's no point."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart."

The pain in his voice echoed her own, but Blanche remained brave.

"Me too. Can I let you go? I'm not home... I could really use a drink or two and a few hours of sleep."

Mostly, she wanted to give him time to think.

And she really didn't want to hear that he was forced to strip her of her new title immediately.

"I understand. I'll see you tonight. I'll send Jax."

He hung up.

She already knew the day was going to be endless.

Not to mention the sword of Damocles hanging over her head.

She didn't even know whether she'd be able to attend the Gala.

Time was running out.

She tried to fall back asleep.

To no avail.

So, armed with Kiyan's credentials, she ventured onto the Dark Web.

Articles.

Posts.

Debates.

They were all talking about her.

Most of them were negative.

But one username she knew very well caught her attention: someone defending her with remarkable determination.

Roberto?

Impossible.

He was human.

How could he possibly know about the supernatural world?

She didn't have time to think about it any further.

Argy woke up, and she decided it would be better to explain everything to him before he found out another way.

"Wait, what?! You didn't do that! And why did Ash help you?"

"Let's just say I know one of his secrets..."

"You blackmailed a baby pixie?! Mom, seriously!"

"I wasn't really going to..."

Argy's phone rang.

He held up the screen with a grimace.

Blanche did the same when she saw the name displayed on her own phone.

"Good luck. I'm going to take a shower."

She left him to his miserable fate.

There was no way she was listening to Kiyan complain yet again this week.