Page 12 of Lily and the Billionaire Prince

Damon opened it with the same gleeful smirk he always wore when he saw her. That expression used to thrill her; she would get lost in his eyes, love being the object of his adoration and attention. Now, he repulsed her, and she saw every flaw. The crooked, waywardness of his smile. The deceit in his eyes.

“You got it?” He didn’t even say hello but instead, reached for the bag.

Lily drew it back, clutching it tightly. The bag’s weight pulled. “Hold on. Before I give you this, I want those emails deleted.”

Damon laughed. “Not happening.”

“You can’t keep holding them over my head. Let them go. Letmego. Delete them or I’ll tell the cops.” Sure, she’d already tried as much, but she hadn’t told the police about the evidence Damon had, only his abusive behavior. She had already messed things up with the celebrity’s agent and had agreed not to divulge any of it, and Damon knew it.

He yanked the bag from her hand, simultaneously jerking her close enough to smell his onion breath. “Careful now, or one might just go viral.”

Fear gripped her. With a panicked squeal, she stepped away, releasing the bag into his clutches.

“Pleasure doing business with you,” he said, laughing and slamming the door in her face.

Sheer hopelessness crashed over her. She felt so helpless. So powerless. Once back in the car, she scanned her social media feed with fear, finally closing every site with relief and praying he wouldn’t do something stupid.

6

Henrik dressed in his most casual clothes—board shorts with cargo pockets, and the green, tie-dye Clearwater Beach shirt he’d picked up at the airport gift shop when he and Louise had first arrived. He ran a squirt of gel through his freshly showered hair and checked his appearance.

A knock sounded, and for a moment, his chest seized at the thought that Lily had arrived. Until whoever it was tried the handle.

Typical Louise. Knock once and then enter. He almost laughed that she couldn’t do as much here.

Henrik allowed his old nursemaid in. Louise’s mouth was downturned in its usual fashion. “Where are you off to?” she asked.

“I’ve found someone to help me in my search.” He returned to the bathroom to brush his teeth, knowing Louise would follow.

“You hired help finding a wife?”

“I suppose you could say that.” He ran the toothbrush over his pearly whites.

“Where is this person taking you? Can he be trusted?”

Henrik spit and rinsed his mouth, wiping his chin with a towel before giving Louise his most annoying smirk. “Shecan be, yes.”

“She?” Louise’s dismay was stark. “Oh no. Henrik, what are you up to?”

“Finding a bride,” he said with innocence, passing the nursemaid and looking for his shoes. His suite hadn’t yet been cleaned by the hotel staff, and he supposed the room might not be until the next morning.

“Prideful boy,” Louise snapped. “Foolish man. What’s so wrong with doing as you’re told once in your life?”

Shoes found, Henrik slipped them on and then bent to kiss a fuming Louise on the cheek. “No one likes to do what they’re told,” he said.

Louise stood her ground. “Lady Eden knows how to run a kingdom, Henrik. She knows what managing a castle home with all of its staff entails and exactly what support you’ll need once you ascend. None of these women here in America have the slightest idea.”

“Exactly,” he said. “I don’t want a stuffy princess whose only appeal is her bloodline. I want a connection. If Lady Eden—or any other noblewoman—can be taught how to manage a castle and rule by my side, there’s nothing saying another woman, a common-born woman, couldn’t learn to do the same. I, at least, need someone whose company I can tolerate.”

“Eden always did rankle you,” Louise admitted after a drawn-out moment.

“Yes, she did. Still does, in fact,” he said, thinking of the autumn ball he’d endured in her company earlier that year. His parents and hers had both hoped something between them might happen for years now, but their personalities clashed harsher than pan lids slammed together, and the result was never pleasant. He couldn’t be around her without arguing about something. And not the fun kind of arguing. The annoying kind where he couldn’t wait until the evening was over so either of them could leave.

“Think if you tried, though,” Louise began.

Try getting along with Lady Eden? What did she think he’d done all these years?

“I’m sure about my course, Louise,” he said. “I’ll find the right girl. Why not wish me luck? All you’ve done since we left Einvar is try to get me to give up and go back home.”

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