about what you need!”
Again with the shocked reaction. “You’re calling me selfish?”
“And that’s a surprise? You are selfish.” I couldn’t possibly be the first person to point this out.
This time he leaned in over the counter. “If I’m so bloody awful, then why in the world would you want to be with me?” His face twisted in a sneer. “You like how I am. You get off on being the ‘reasonable one,’ the leash that keeps Prince Malcolm in line.”
Of all the… “If I’m a dog walker, you know what that makes you?” I was truly sinking to new levels.
Before Malcolm could respond, there was a quick knock on the door followed by Trevor striding into the room. “Your Highness, Ms. Williams, everything all right?”
It would have been impossible for him to miss the tension in the room, and a glance at Malcolm’s mussed hair and wrinkled shirt told me I probably looked a mess as well.
It was time to excuse myself. Trevor already knew what I had to share. Malcolm would fill him in on the rest. “I’ll go find Samantha and do some more brainstorming on story ideas.”
Trevor nodded, but Malcolm ignored me. I slipped my feet back into my flats and quietly gathered my things. Then I made my way out the door, closing it behind me with a vague feeling of finality in my gut.
Back in the dining room, which we’d dubbed Command Central, everyone had their thumbs or ears to their phones. They were all working tirelessly to secure Malcolm’s future and that of crown and country.
“How’s it going?” I asked Lara, a member of the legal team who was helping mitigate the damage.
She assured me things were chugging along and we talked about a few possibilities regarding lawsuits we could file against the members of the press. Just as I was walking away to speak with Ruby and perhaps lighten my spirits, Lara stopped me.
“Oh, Alice, not that it’s of any importance at the moment, but when you get a chance, can you tell Prince Malcolm I took care of the Triumph contract.”
I shook my head, distracted by all that lay ahead. “Sure, but I thought that was sorted last week?”
Her expression turned puzzled. “No. I’d set it aside temporarily at the queen’s request, but Prince Malcolm left me a message two days ago to forget it. He’s no longer interested in pursuing it.”
The blood drained from my head and I felt faint, but I managed to respond, “Uh, sure. I’ll tell him.” I had to grip the back of a gilded dining chair to steady myself.
You are in control. You’re fine. Breathe.
I must have heard wrong. Surely Malcolm wouldn’t have lied to me or so casually abandoned his part of our agreement. But the more I thought about it, the more my stomach swirled with bile. Malcolm was so used to the world bending to his will. It really was all about him and what he wanted, wasn’t it? He had me wrapped around his finger, so there was no longer any incentive for him to follow through.
Anger fought with nausea as I closed my eyes and breathed, eventually calming myself enough to walk from the room, down the hall, out to the courtyard, and finally past the palace gates.
I was taking the first plane back to North Carolina and my job at Triumph. I’d break the news to Grier and do whatever it took to find a new sponsor and save the campaign. Once again, I’d fix what Malcolm had broken, but it would be the last time.
I’d left him the first time because my feelings were preventing me from being effective at my job—well, that and it hurt too much being around him. I’d have done well to remember both of those reasons and stayed away. Because since I’d been back, I’d let my actions be guided by what was right for Malcolm and me, not what was right for the crown. That was on me. But I was laying the blame squarely on Malcolm for the hole in my chest where my heart used to be.
Chapter 20
Malcolm
“I don’t understand.” I looked at Trevor, sure he must have suddenly developed a sense of humor—and a bad one at that.
But he wasn’t laughing. In fact, his jaw was so tight it hardly moved as he continued, “I find it almost impossible to believe myself, but it’s true.”
“Andrew? But he took an oath to protect the crown,” I replied, pointing out the obvious.
Trevor