Christmas brought her back each year, only because her sisters begged her to join them. She spoke to each of them daily on the phone, texting and emailing too; but seeing them was much better. They would spend one terrible -for Tessa- night in Victor's castle, and as soon as brunch finished, they would leave.

Having magic and a long life ensured that Victor was very wealthy in the human realm as well as Other World. He had wise financial managers in both worlds. As much as he hated coming into contact with humans, having a foothold in each of the two worlds was unavoidable. Her mother had been a young bank teller who'd caught his eye. The years he'd spent with Hannah were the only years he took frequent and regular trips into the human realm, or so she'd been told.

He constantly offered Tessa cars and money and she always refused. If the man had taken a personal interest in her as a child, even for a moment, it would be different. He'd been trying to buy his way into her heart since she'd come into her full abilities on her eighteenth birthday. She could do some scarily powerful stuff. Knowing that her father only cared about her because of her talent bothered her. She hated the sight of the man. Taking his gifts would be hypocritical, most assuredly. She accepted one gift from him each year -buying out all the rooms at a chic ski resort in Aspen for a week- and that was a gift to all six of them.

She refused every wrapped box from him under the tree. It infuriated the triplets, because they adored Victor; in their eyes he could do no wrong. If they didn't love her they would most likely disown her. It surprised her a little that she always saw so many gifts under the tree from her father. After years of refusing them, she wondered if he'd gotten wise to her feelings and just had empty boxes wrapped for show. The idea made her a bit curious, but not curious enough to let down her guard and accept anything from the man.