laughs. “Maybe she’s right, sometimes. Just imagine getting fully glammed-up, looking gorgeous and glowy with your baby bump on full display. Be proud of your pregnancy. You’ve been hiding away for so long, and that’s caused even more speculation and controversy. Why not just embrace your public image, and show everyone that you’re excited to be a mother?”
I suck in a breath, already nervous at the thought of going back in front of the cameras.
“Plus,” Mel adds, “nothing like a good revenge-breakup Instagram post to make a certain sulky prince jealous of how gorgeous you look.”
Then, my baby kicks again, and a smile spreads across my lips. “Maybe you’re right. A photoshoot could be a good idea. I like the idea of feeling beautiful again and showing people that I’m not ashamed of my pregnancy.”
“Of course I’m right,” Mel grins. “I’ll call Felicity. I already know she’ll be on board.”
28
Dante
The day after Margot leaves, I see photos of her getting on a plane, and photos of me looking completely crushed. Headlines scream about our breakup, about the baby, about Beckett, about Luca and Ivy’s wedding.
I toss my phone away, watching the screen splinter and crack as it hits the edge of the bedside table. Wonderful. Groaning, I walk to the balcony and stare out.
Once upon a time, this view made me calm. The sight of the blue waters, gently swaying palm trees, and clear blue skies made me feel like I was at peace.
Now, it just reminds me of Margot. How she’d sit out here in the morning to have a coffee. How she looked in the morning sun. How she smiled at me from the balcony, making me feel like the most important man in the world.
She’s only been in my life a short while, but I can barely remember life without her.
Theo has spent the past twenty-four hours in a panic. He’s upped security on the palace and grounded all planes in an out of Argyle. The shipping ports are still operational, but under intense security. News channels talk about Prince Beckett’s betrayal on a non-stop loop.
He won’t find Beckett, though. I know he won’t.
Our half-brother has spent the last two and a half months evading our searches—why would he be found now? He waltzed onto the private royal beach without a care in the world, knowing everything that we’ve been trying to keep hidden from the public.
He’s always had the upper hand.
From the moment he put a baby in Margot’s womb, he’s had the advantage.
Roaring, I grab one of the balcony chairs and kick it as hard as I can. It skitters across the tiles and hits the balustrade with a dull thud. I pant, wanting to fling the chair off the edge or smash it to a million pieces.
With a deep breath, I resist.
Did Beckett plan this all along? Did he somehow set things up so that I would go to Farcliff, knowing I wouldn’t be able to resist Margot?
Paranoia snakes through my skull, injecting venom into my thoughts. I grip the balustrade, staring out at the grounds below.
Luca and Ivy appear in the corners of my vision, walking hand-in-hand. They stop, and Luca bends down to kiss her lips. I watch as he sweeps his hands over her growing belly, resting his forehead against Ivy’s.
Bitterness sticks to the back my throat.
Was I so desperate to get what they have that I fell for Margot? Was this some conspiracy that Beckett has planned from the start?
Grunting, I turn away.
I can’t stand the sight of my brother’s love. Even Theo and Cara together make me sick.
I wish I could go back to the time when I didn’t care about finding a partner, back to a time when I was resigned to spending my days alone.
I wallow for a week, while everyone else rushes to try and find Beckett.
Margot doesn’t contact me, and I don’t contact her. I get a new phone, but it mostly stays untouched on my bedside table.
Then, a couple of photos start appearing everywhere I look. Every internet news website, every newspaper, every celebrity blog.
Margot stares back with a protective hand over her little, twenty-two week baby bump and a soft smile on her lips.
She looks fucking gorgeous, and my heart breaks all over again. Whenever I look at a screen, her beautiful face stares back at me.
She’s not wearing hair extensions, and her bump is exposed for the camera. She looks completely unapologetic, and I can’t help but feel like she did it