Page 2 of Lessons in Touch

“That’s the Devereaux way, I suppose,” Dad says, and winks. “Fancy cars, private jets. Just don’t forget your old mum and dad, right?”

“As if I could,” I say, and my thoughts drift to the life that’s waiting.

I’m going to study at the Wolfswood Institute—set up by my birth relatives as a condition for accessing the inheritance. It’s a private university where I’ll be taught everything connected to that world: finance, business, marketing, etiquette, and even the history of the Devereaux family.

“What if I don’t fit in? That Wolfswood sounds overwhelming,” I ask, looking at both of them.

Dad leans forward, the way he always does when I need him.

“You will, Rose. You’re brilliant—you always have been. They might have money, but you’ve got something better. You’ve got heart. And a sharp mind to go with it.”

I smile. His faith in me never wavers.

Mum looks at me with an expression full of warmth.

“You’ve never walked away from a challenge,” she says. “This is your birthright, Rose. And Wolfswood is how you step into it.”

I nod, picturing the shadowed halls of the institute’s library, where I’ll be learning the inner workings of theDevereaux empire—real estate, business management, logistics, and, above all, the scandals threaded through its history.

“Finance and marketing, I get, but etiquette? It’s like they expect me to become someone else.”

“Not someone else,” Dad says. “Just a fancier version of you. You’ll learn how to navigate their boardrooms, charm their clients, all while staying our Rose.”

I laugh. The thought of me in a conference room is both thrilling and scary.

“I hope so. The Devereaux history sounds intense—murders, betrayals, and all that. I can’t believe that’s what I’m walking into, let alone that I’ll be running their companies one day.”

Mum’s eyes soften, but I can see that deep inside she’s as worried as I am.

“It’s a lot, but you’re not alone. The lawyer said that you can always contact your… brothers. Victor and Henry. They will guide you if you need it. Remember that you are family, after all.”

My heart lifts at their names. The Devereaux siblings, who found me. “That’s true. Still, graduating from Wolfswood feels like a test. If I fail, I lose everything.”

“You won’t fail,” Dad says firmly. “You aced university, didn’t you? Wolfswood’s just another step, even if it’s a damn fancy one with private jets and all. And I promise you that, even if you don’t manage to graduate from this Institute thingy, you can always come back to us, Rosie, love. We will always be your parents, no matter what.”

“Okay, I’ll do my best. For us. But just imagining those lessons makes me feel like I’m being sent to another planet.”

“And you’ll shine on that planet, Rose. Wolfswood may be the beginning of a new path. But whatever happens, we’re always here for you.”

I hug them, and for a moment, the fear eases. In their arms, everything feels lighter. I’m ready to face what’s ahead—with an open heart and the love they’ve given me.

“Thank you for being with me through all of this. I love you both,” I say, wrapping them in one last hug.

A few moments later, a glossy black car pulls up in front of our building. It looks completely out of place on our modest street.

The driver, silent and sharply dressed, takes me to the airport. We pass the main terminal and keep going, further than I expected. At the far end of the tarmac, behind a security gate, a private jet is waiting.

I stare at it, stunned. I’ve never even been in business class.

And now this.

Inside the jet, everything gleams—cream leather seats, polished gold fixtures, the faint scent of something expensive and clean. A flight attendant greets me by name, smiling like I’m expected, like I belong.

Before takeoff, a table is set in front of me: a crystal flute of champagne, a silver dish of caviar resting on crushed ice, and thin, warm blinis arranged on fine porcelain.

The champagne is cold and dry, and the bubbles hit the back of my throat like something meant to wake me up. I’ve never tasted anything like it.

The plane lifts off, soft as breath, and the ground slips away.