Page 101 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

She raised her chin, rolling her shoulders back. “Nothing. I will not give in to your petty games. If you attend, you will regret it.”

“Sometimes the game is about more than just winning. It’s about setting the board for your next move.” Julian smirked at her as he grabbed the invitation back from her and headed for the door. “I suppose I shall make my decision later, and leave you in suspense. Good day, dear cousin.”

The door slammed behind him as he stepped into the hall. The loud bang sent a shockwave through her that echoed the unease within her. Would she make it through the event unscathed or would Julian create the trouble she’d been avoiding?

CHAPTER 22

NATE

Nate’s stomach twisted into a tighter knot as he fiddled with the cufflink on his shirt. A curse escaped him before he tossed the accessory onto his dresser and wiped at a bead of sweat forming on his brow.

With trembling hands, he pulled the ring box from the drawer, opened it, and stared at the emerald ring inside. Most of his nerves stemmed from the upcoming proposal he planned at the end of the evening.

He desperately wanted her to say yes, but with the moment looming just a few short hours away, he wondered if she might turn him down. The idea gutted him.

The news he’d received earlier this morning hadn’t helped any, either. Hours before the event, Prince Julian had informed him that he would not accept the invitation to the gala. Likely his brother, Stephen’s prodding had been too much, and they’d lost the deal entirely.

He snapped the ring box shut, tightening his grip on it.He hoped the loss of the royal backer wasn’t an omen of bad things to come.

A knock at his door drew his attention away from his own thoughts.

He crossed to it and pulled it open, finding his mother on the other side. “You’re not ready?”

“The damned cufflink won’t fasten.”

She stepped inside, her eyebrows raised as she swiped it from his dresser and neatly used it to close his sleeve.

He rolled his eyes, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

“Was it the cufflink or your nerves?”

“The cufflink…and my nerves.”

His mother gave him a soft smile. “It’s going to be fine, Nate. She’s going to love it.”

He made a feeble attempt at tying his bowtie before shooting his mother a pleading glance. “Help.”

She chuckled as she tied it and straightened it. “Do you need me to help you put your jacket on, too? Or tie your shoes.”

“Very funny, Mom. I just…my hands are a little shaky.”

She eased him into an armchair and took the seat next to him. “Nate, everything is going to be perfect for this. And she’s going to realize that.”

He blew out a long, shaky breath as he rubbed his sweaty palms against his pant legs. “I just…keep wondering if she’s going to say no.”

“Why? She’s told you how she feels, right?”

He nodded, his eyes trained on the floor in front of him. “Yes. But that doesn’t mean she’s ready to jump into marriage.”

“Do you want to wait? Give things a little more time to develop?”

“No,” he answered. “I can barely stand the waiting now.”

His mother offered him a warm smile. “I think it’s normal to be nervous.”

“I wasn’t nervous with Chloe. Does that mean something?”

His mother offered a harsh chuckle. “You were certain she was going to say yes because she orchestrated the entire thing.”

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