Page 62 of The Wanted Prince

“Today.” I brushed past him, my heart pounding hard. “You’ll come forward today, or I’ll do it for you.”

CHAPTER 23

ALESSANDRO

Icould tell from their faces the news wasn’t good. Dom wouldn’t look at me and Carlo’s stance was tight, and both of them tensed when I asked what they’d found. Carlo straightened his tie. Dom looked away.

“It’s not what we’d hoped,” he said.

“Well, what did you find?”

Carlo glanced past me, at the guards on my door. Soon, they’d escort us to the audience chamber, where Father’s investigators would present their results. We’d hoped to have our own results to contradict theirs, but the way my brothers were frowning, I knew that wasn’t happening.

“It all leads back to you,” said Dom. “Except one detail.”

I jumped on that. “What detail?”

“Your hair,” said Carlo. “You’d changed your clothes on the tape, from what you wore to the ball. But our guy noticed you’d changed your hair too. You had it gelled back when you took the amulet, but at the ball, you were wearing it loose.”

I winced at how easily he said when you took the amulet. Could it be he was starting to think I had done it?

“He thought the hair thing was weird,” said Dom. “The clothes make sense, as the black suit stands out less, but why gel your hair?”

“DNA,” Carlo said. “At least, that’s what I’d do. If you wear enough gel, you won’t lose any hair.”

I shook my head. “But I work here. It would be stranger, not finding a hair or two.”

“What about Maria?” Dom nodded at my phone. I tapped on the screen, but no new texts. No calls.

“She drew a blank too.”

Carlo checked his watch. He stood up straighter. “If things don’t go your way today, try not to panic. We’re going to keep digging. We’ll get to the truth.”

I believed them, I did, but I felt my heart sink. What if they kept digging, but the truth stayed buried? If every clue they turned up pointed to me? Sooner or later, they’d start to doubt me. I’d hear from them less and less, then not at all. Or they might pardon me, but it would always hang between us, that doubt in their eyes when they thought I wasn’t looking.

“Chin up,” said Carlo. “It could go your way. Insufficient evidence — that’s a thing, right?”

Dom shrugged. “In court, it is, but this isn’t a trial yet. They might or might not have enough to convict, but enough to indict you? I’d say they do.”

I swallowed. My chest hurt. In the space of an hour or so, I stood to lose everything, my royal titles, my family. My claim to the throne. I’d go from Prince Alessandro to… who would I be? A man with no country, no father, no job.

“Come on,” said Carlo. “Let’s just get through this.” He took my arm, but I shook him off. I couldn’t afford to look weak, or even look worried. I tilted my chin up, thrust my shoulders back. Marched through the palace like I already owned it. Father was waiting in the audience chamber, and I tried to lock eyes with him. But he turned away from me, his lips a hard line.

“Take him up,” he said, addressing my guards. They herded me up the steps to the prisoner’s dock, a relic from when this room had been a real courtroom. I tried to stay cool as all heads turned my way, but I felt a flush rising hot in my cheeks. I’d never sat in the dock before, and it felt awful, high and exposed. Like the stocks, in the old days. If Father ruled against me, would his court throw tomatoes?

“Let’s get on with this,” he said. “I’d like to hear—” He broke off abruptly at a distant commotion. “Shut the doors, would you? And see to that racket.”

Two of the guards headed off down the hall. Another pair shut the heavy wood doors. The sound they made slamming made me think of jail, and a shudder ran through me. I clenched my jaw. Father still hadn’t looked at me, not even once. Now, he frowned past me, at the witness stand.

“This should be quick,” he said, and motioned to his lead investigator. “I’ll hear your results, then I’ll make my ruling.”

The investigator stood and went to the stand. Father swore him in, and I nearly laughed. None of this was funny, but it was ludicrous. All this fuss, all this chaos, over a worthless brass necklace. Over a symbol of all I stood to lose — the trust of my family. Their love and respect. Had Father forgotten what the amulet meant? Or did he truly think I had? My eyes stung, and I blinked.

“Before we begin—” Father’s lips twisted. “What is that noise?”

Outside, someone shouted. Shoes squeaked on the floor. Nosy guests, maybe, here for a peek. But how had they made their way this far inside? The royal quarters were private. Unless…

The big doors flew open. A guard hurried in.

---