Page 100 of My Five Daddies

I stop mid-stride and look to my left. Surprise rushes through me as Julian smiles at me, his arms crossed over hischest.

“Excuse me?” I askhim.

He walks up to me and the stewards that were flanking him hang back. “The girl. Was that her? The newwife?”

I take a sharp breath. “Word travels fast,” Isay.

“There are no secrets here, Nolan,” he says. “You should know that. But I guess you haven’t been at court in a longtime.”

“Some things I never forget,” I say tohim.

He stops in front of me and I appraise him. I haven’t seen my cousin in years. He’s a bit shorter than me, a bit wider, but we have a family resemblance in our faces. He could almost be a brother, except he’s a piece of shit, and I despisehim.

“Be careful,” he says to me. “You’re out of your leaguenow.”

I smirk at him, anger rising in me. “Don’t forget who I am, Julian. You’re just a jumped up cousin, but I’m still theprince.”

“Maybe. But you’ve been gone, Nolan, and I suspect you don’t have what it takes anymore. No, I’m not worried. This marriage thing is just astunt.”

I laugh softly. “If you’re not worried, why are you standing there trying to intimidate me? I would think such tactics were belowyou.”

He stumbles a second and I catch a glimpse of the rage behind his façade. But he quickly gathers that up and shakes hishead.

“Watch yourself, prince,” he says. “You’re not long for thiscastle.”

I just laugh and walk away from him, seething with rage. I’m not going to give him the satisfaction of getting into a petty little insult war with him in thecorridors.

That run-in couldn’t have been a coincidence. The castle is huge, and Julian is staying far away from Andrew’s office. No, Julian knew that I was signing the papers right then, which means I have a leak in my ownstaff.

Julian is right about something. I’ve been away from court for too long. I’ve grown too trusting. I’m not nearly paranoid enough. I should have fired that steward immediately and gotten someone that I trusted from Andrew. Obviously he’s been leaking information to Julian this whole time. It doesn’t matter, though. Julian couldn’t stop this, and it’s not like what I’m doing is asecret.

Soon, everyone is going to know. The prince is back, and he’s definitely aplayer.

I’m playing the court’s game and I’m going to fuckingwin.

10

Hazel

It takesme maybe twenty minutes to pack up my tiny little room. I won’t even pretend that I’m going to miss it. The owners of the hostel have been really nice to me, since they know my situation, but their place isn’t exactly what I’d callnice.

Besides, I’m going to live in the castle now. That idea scares the hell out of me, but I’m moving forward, one step at a time, and I won’t lookback.

I can’t, anyway. I signed that contract and now I’m officially the Wife Consort, or whatever the heck that means. I have freedoms, but I also have responsibilities, and my life is going to be very, very different from nowon.

As soon as I get outside of the hostel, there’s a castle steward standing there with a blackcar.

“Your bags, miss,” he says tome.

I hesitate. I assumed I was going to walk. “Thanks,” I say finally. “Are you, uh, here forme?”

He nods, but doesn’t smile. Stewards are always so dour. “Yes, miss. I’ll be your steward. My name isThomas.

“Uh, nice to meet you, Thomas. I’mHazel.”

He nods. “Yes, miss. I know your name.” He takes my bag, puts it in the trunk, and opens the back door for me. Once I’m inside, he goes around and gets in the driver’sseat.

Thomas is the image of efficiency. He’s stouter than most Polovian men, round in the middle with thinning dark hair and a serious face. I don’t know what it means to have a steward, although I know what the stewards generally do. They’re like personal assistants for the most important people in the palace, and they work closely with the royals to make sure that their days runsmoothly.

---