Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
I turned back to her. “What are you trying to say?
She shrugged. “Nothing. Just observing.”
My mother never just did anything. But I didn’t want to go into it. Instead, I just moved to the stove and grabbed a pan. However, the second I touched it, I couldn’t help but wonder what in the hell he was trying to cook that caused an actual fire. He was completely panicking when I came down, too. I guess they didn’t teach culinary arts at prince school. Had he even cooked before?
And yet he was trying to make breakfast for me.
I paused.
Grimacing, I thought about how I had yelled in his face for it. It wasn’t completely my fault. I had a headache, and there were flames.
But I can be harsh sometimes.
Stop thinking. I shook the thoughts from my head and focused on the stove before I ended up starting a fire myself.
Was that how he ended up causing one?
“Ugh!” Fed up with myself, I turned off the stove, put the bacon into the fridge, and instead, grabbed a bowl of cereal.
“Yvonne and your sister really wasted no time,” she said randomly.
“Huh?” Bringing my bowl with me, I walked around the counter and back to her.
However, she put the phone down and turned on the television. It took her a second to flip through the channels before she got to DCN—a.k.a. Daily Celeb News...more like gossip, but apparently, that wasn’t what they thought of themselves. Crossing my feet under me as I sat back on the couch, I waited.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are getting breaking news that Augusta Wyntor, daughter of the late billionaire Marvin Wyntor, married her long-time boyfriend, Malik Washington, former NFL quarterback for Los Angeles Rams,” the host reported before the screen split. There was a picture of my sister, in a damn wedding dress, standing next to her husband, who I didn’t even know existed until yesterday.
My jaw dropped.
“Our sources are saying that the pair met at an Etheus company party last year. Washington’s father is a member of the Etheus Board of Directors, and Washington himself has been working with the company on their global Get Active campaign.”
“They had a wedding?” I whispered in shock, looking over at my mother. “How was it such a secret if there was a wedding?”
“I don’t think they did. I think this is just a photo shoot picture,” she said back, shaking herself. “A.k.a. a cover-up.”
I nodded my understanding. “I told Augusta I knew yesterday, and they released a photo to come out publicly. Bravo, little sis, bravo.”
“What do you mean you told her you knew?” she snapped back at me.
“Exactly what I said.”
“Odette.” She sighed heavily, hanging her head. “Why must you always be so honest?”
“What?”
“Now that they know you know, they will try harder to make sure they keep the money from you. They could accuse you of fraud or something if you get married now. They will try to dog you in the media if you do anything.”
“And we are back to the calculated games again,” I grumbled, picking up my spoon and eating.
“Please don’t tell me that you told her about Prince Galahad.” She almost sounded if she was begging.
“No, I didn’t.” I almost did. Had he not just arrived at my place last night, I would have most definitely said something.
“Good. Don’t. Just think about you. He’s taking a big risk coming here without telling anyone. If the press finds out, he will be hounded in two countries,” she stated, rising to her feet. “Honestly, Odette, don’t be so angry about the situation, and try to get to know him. He is putting forth effort.”
“Yeah, because he wants our money.”
“Who doesn’t?” she shot back. “Remember all the people who have pretended they just liked you, and they had no ulterior motives? If you give him a chance, you might realize how much you two have common.”
“What could I possibly have in common with a prince?” I muttered.
“Privilege,” she stated as she walked away.
I didn’t say anything, either, just continued to eat on her couch quietly. I tried to watch television, but nothing seemed to hold my attention more than the blue-green-eyed man in my mind. All the memories of the night before came back to me one by one. It had been a long time since I was able to just talk with a guy like that. And to top it off, he listened, even though I was a bit drunk and just complaining. A handsome guy who listened, was honest, wanted to make me breakfast, and happened to be a prince—my mom was right; women would be falling over themselves for that. Maybe that was why I was hurt and angry last night. I went back, thinking that sure, I’d just get married because it was definitely not the worst I could or had done. They said that how you feel and what you say when you’re drunk is the true you. The you when you are no longer bogged down by reality.