Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 141385 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141385 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 707(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 471(@300wpm)
Her throat bobs as she swallows, and she looks down at our hands. “You’re right. I don’t want to believe it, but realistically, I know you’re right. I’ve never seen him like that before.”
“I’m worried. They could do anything to you and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
Her shoulders tense. “They wouldn’t. I mean, not now everyone knows about us. Maybe.”
“Hattie. If there’s even a sliver of a doubt in your mind…”
She peers up, meets my gaze, and hesitates. I can see it in her eyes—she can’t say for certain. She doesn’t know.
“Stay here. Please.” I reach over and rest my hand against her cheek. “Move into the palace right away, instead of waiting like we were planning. I don’t trust them.”
“I…” Her uncertainty is written all over her face, and she looks down again.
She doesn’t want to believe it.
I’m not going to convince her this way. Even though she saw him lift his hand, she isn’t ready to accept that he might hurt her.
Rosalyn? Sure. Jasmine? She already has proof of that.
But William? Her dad? No, she can’t believe that, and I understand why. Nobody would. Nobody would want to. It’s unfathomable to think your parent would hurt you.
“Okay, let me rephrase that.” I raise our clasped hands and kiss her knuckles. “I want you to move into the palace. Even temporarily while emotions are so high and what we’ve just done is so raw to them.”
“I know what you’re doing,” she mutters. “You’re just changing tactics to convince me.”
“Is there anything you don’t notice?”
“My father’s true dislike for me, I suppose.” She sighs and looks up, pushing her hair from her eyes. “You’re right. It’s not a good idea, but is it really all right for me to move into the palace? Where would I live?”
I blink at her. What on Earth is she talking about? “Here. With me. In my apartment.”
She presses her lips together. “Before we get married? The media will have a field day with that.”
“Don’t worry about it. I already bowed to you tonight—the headlines tomorrow will all be how besotted the crown prince is with his fiancée. This’ll just help sell the story.”
“Finn—”
“It’ll be fine. I promise.” I cup her face and lean in, brushing my nose against hers. “Just say yes, let me protect you, and I’ll take care of the rest.”
“I’m not exactly used to being looked after.”
“I know it’s hard for you.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “But it’s something you’re going to have to get used to eventually, so try for me.”
She blows out a breath, one that stutters on its way past her lips. “All right. I’ll try. I’ll stay.” She pulls back slightly, a storm spinning in her green eyes. “If anyone asks me why I’m already living here, though, I will tell them it’s because you’re absolutely obsessed with me and will die if you’re apart from me for longer than one hour.”
I grin. “Why not? It’s the truth.”
“You—”
I pull her towards me and clamp my arms around her body, trapping her in place, and kiss her. She resists for all of a second before relaxing and sinking against me.
Warmth spreads through me at the comfort she must feel in my arms for her to relax so thoroughly.
Maybe, hopefully, this means she’s starting to trust me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – FINN
“It won’t be amicable,” Alec says, a hint of warning in his tone.
I swap my phone from one ear to the other and glance back at a napping Hattie in the bed. “I didn’t think it would be,” I reply, keeping my voice low so I don’t wake her. “What happened last night?”
“At the banquet or after?”
“Both.”
The phone line crackles as he blows out a breath. “Jasmine kept trying to leave, and Rosalyn kept her there for as long as they could. I hovered as close as I was able to without making it obvious I was listening in, but they were both furious. Rosalyn mentioned something about not letting her get away with it, so there will be some form of retaliation.”
“We expected something like that. What about Jasmine?”
“She asked her how the hell she managed to keep it secret given the investigator her mother had following Harriet, but Rosalyn hushed her up pretty quickly. After that, it was mostly Jasmine complaining about being humiliated and demanding to leave. As for the investigator, he’s already been briefed and knows what to say. I’d imagine she’s already made contact.”
“What about William?”
“You’d have to speak to Oscar, but I think it was much of the same. Given he went to find Harriet and left early, I’d wager he gave in to their demands to leave.”
“Yeah, that’s why he found her. We suggested he leave when Mum and I joined them.” I run my hand through my hair and perch on the windowsill, keeping my gaze fixed on Hattie’s sleeping form. “Did Marina find anything out?”