"My point is, if you chose them for our garden, it shows they carry some good. I know I am right."
Shaking her head with a small, amused laugh, Katiandra tilted her head to the side, a sign that she was conceding the argument. Doing so, she took the flowers from Lorelei's hands in an attempt to give them to Sloan, who was standing not far away.
"You are right, honey. But today, you already got thousands of them. I prefer..." Katiandra's voice trailed off as Lorelei's eyes met hers.
the air in the room seemed to thicken as they eyes anchored each others, charged with an almost palpable tension.
Lorelei's gaze was a gentle warning to not take it too far, a soft plea to tone down Katiandra's defenses. And then, in a movement that seemed almost surreal, even for the older woman who had wondered lately if they could be publicly together by letting stranger know.
Lorelei tiptoed, her lips brushing against Katiandra's in a soft, but gentle kiss. That was immediately deepened by katiandra hand behind her head.
Michaela felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her. She couldn't look away, transfixed by the intimate moment unfolding before her. Her heart racing, her mind reeling, Michaela felt like she was drowning in a sea of despair. The pain was almost physical, a searing ache that threatened to consume her.
As she watched, frozen in horror, Lorelei's kiss seemed to melt Katiandra's defenses, her expression softening, her eyes closing in rapture. The moment was intensely private, a glimpse into a world that Michaela was not a part of. And yet, she could not look away, the others seemed to be used to it, her eyes glued to the scene unfolding before her she waited for the torture to stop.
The kiss seemed to last an eternity, the tension in the room building to a almost unbearable crescendo. And then, as suddenly as it had begun, it was over.
Lorelei pulled back, her eyes sparkling with amusement, her smile a gentle, loving curve of her lips. Katiandra's eyes opened, her gaze locking onto Lorelei's, a soft, adoring smile spreading across her face.
Looking towards their guest, Lorelei smiled thankfully, her eyes locking onto Michaela's. In her gaze, Michaela could see that Lorelei was sorry for what was happening, but could not voice it literally by loyalty to her partner, the Italian knew that what she was doing count as taking her defence.
Though the professor was completely oblivious to the pain wildly spreading through Michaela's entire being, like millions of knives being jabbed into her.
She only had herself to reprimand; never had Lorelei's behavior led her on. She had always been friendly, with no ambiguities, using every opportunity to show Michaela that it could only be friendship.
Now that Michaela had the reason why, she could only swallow hard. Queen Katiandra was the definition of an out-of-league MILF, with an extended promise that she will be aging well.
Trying her best to mask her pain, Michaela focused on Lorelei's smile, responding to it as she could.
She knew this was equal to Lorelei she knew to be doing her best to ensure Michaela wasn't offended by Katiandra's words, though "partner" was a weak word to describe their relationship. Now, the designer knew the source of all Lorelei's wealth, and it was almost frightening.
"Thanks, Michaela. It's a great gift; I love flowers. How about you join us? We're having breakfast." Not knowing what to answer to that invitation, her voice completely out of use by what had just happened in front of her, the Italian designer looked helplessly at Alicia, who jumped in, placing her hand around her shoulders.
"No, Lori. We'll have one out. I won't be out long, though. You're coming, Michaela?"
Nodding with no words, still with a smile she knew not the form it had to all looking at her face, Michaela could only shake a timid hand in the air to say goodbye, since Katiandra had secured a hand around Lorelei's hips, holding her in place at her side. .
Not prepared for her mother's cavernous behavior, Alicia smiled warmly at her family before walking the traumatized woman out of the room. Out in the driveway, she had to help Michaela into her own car, taking the keys from her trembling hands.
Nodding at Norman, who had witnessed the entire scene along with the rest of the security team from the CCTV, the princess entered the driver's side of Michaela's sleek Lamborghini.
It wasn't long before they were speeding out of the large property, two cars in front and two others following closely behind.
Michaela's mind was still reeling, the image of Lorelei and Katiandra's kiss seared into her brain like a branding iron. "I..." she whispered, still replaying the kiss in her mind. She felt powerless on all sides, unable to even imagine a world where she could compete with the woman she had just met.
"It's okay, Michaela," Alicia said softly, her eyes locked on the road ahead. "I won't tell you I warned you too much times. Just so you understand clearly what's going on now. By your own doing, you entered the lion's den. If you know what's good for you, stay away from my mother. She's not a fool. The next time you meet her, walk backward or take another road, but do not stay around her."
Nodding mechanically, Michaela leaned her head against the window, feeling numb, physically and spiritually absent, like she was hanging in a space she had no control over.
Sighing heavily, Alicia shook her head, now that she had seen it with her own eyes, she knew with certainty that her mother, renowned for being a shark, was not a myth. The gaze Katiandra had lingered on the designer before they left was all but friendly.
Alicia drove silently, she couldn't help but steal glances at Michaela, who was still reeling from the encounter with her mother. The designer's eyes were vacant, her face pale, and her body language screamed of despair. Alicia's heart went out to her, and she felt a pang of guilt for not being able to protect her from her mother's wrath.
"I'm so sorry, Michaela," Alicia said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I know my mother can be... intense." She hesitated, searching for the right words.
"But I want you to know that she's not always like this. She's just... passionate about the people she cares about." Alicia's eyes locked onto Michaela's, and she could see the pain and confusion reflected back at her.
Michaela slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting Alicia's.
"I... I don't understand," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Why did she have to be so cruel?" Alicia's heart ached as she watched Michaela struggle to comprehend the complexity of her mother's personality.
she whispered, her voice cracking. Alicia's expression was sympathetic, but she remained silent, refusing to undermine her mother's actions.
Michaela's eyes welled up with tears as she replayed the encounter with Katiandra in her mind. She couldn't understand why the queen had been so vicious, so deliberate in her cruelty. "Why?" she whispered again, her voice barely audible.
Alicia's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white with tension. She knew that her mother's actions had been a deliberate attempt to assert her dominance, and she couldn't bring herself to criticize Katiandra's behavior.