Page 109 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

The true weight of the cost of her crown pressed down upon her. Love was not a luxury afforded a princess.

She pulled her head up, tears still shining in her eyes. Her features twisted with disdain as the car pulled away from the Kingsley mansion. “I will not. My heart will never move on from him. And I will never forgive you for this.”

CHAPTER 24

NATE

Nate’s mind reeled as he tried to process what was unfolding in front of his eyes. His girlfriend, sweet Ellie, the down-to-earth woman who had changed his life was a princess. It didn’t ring true, no matter how many times he repeated it to himself.

What did it mean for them? He had no idea, though he couldn’t fault her for the lie. He’d done the same. His mind regressed to the night he’d told her. She’d accepted it so easily. This must have been the reason why.

She’d understood why he’d done it. She had been doing the same. Her words from that night echoed across his brain.I have something to tell you, too.She’d never had the chance.

Would she have told him then had the ride not stopped?

It didn’t matter. What mattered was this situation needed to be dealt with. And if she’d only lied about her name, not about her feelings, they could resolve this easily.

He loved her. And he wanted a life with her.

It didn’t seem like it would be that easy, though. Elena sparred with her father, their conversation veiled but hinting at things he couldn’t fully understand.

There was a hint of another man, a fiancé Elena vehemently rejected.

He had to know the extent of their relationship. His features twisted with fear as he asked the question. “Are you dating him?”

“No,” Elena said with a shake of her head as she twisted to face him, tears shining in her eyes. “We have only met once when I was seven.”

Her father filled in the details. “Elena has been promised to him since birth. She knows that full-well. This relationship is unauthorized.”

He screwed up his face at the words. Were there still arranged marriages happening in the world?

“Unauthorized?” Victoria shot back as she stepped forward. “Does this sort of thing still happen?”

Her father set his authoritative gaze on Victoria. “I will not debate the specifics of my country’s protocols. Elena, remove that ring and let us go.”

“I will not,” she answered.

His heart lifted as she defended their relationship. She’d said she loved him. And it looked like she meant it enough to fight for him.

“Are you saying you have no intention of calling off this farce of a relationship and returning to Eldoria to fulfill your duty?”

She raised her chin. “I will not call it off. I love Nathan, and our relationship is real.”

She shot him a pleading gaze, a silent question asking if he still wished for their relationshipto continue. He answered by wrapping an arm around her and pulling her closer.

“Elena,” King Frederick said, his voice a warning. “I warn you not to test me.”

She interlaced her fingers through Nate’s. “This is not a whim, nor a game. Please, Father.”

“Neither is your duty to your country and your family.” The King’s words came across harsh and unfeeling to him. “You know the weight of the crown and the sacrifices it demands. I will not–cannot–allow you to forsake your responsibilities for a…momentary infatuation.”

“Momentary infatuation? That is not at all what this is. You have been listening to Julian far too much. He only means to sow trouble between us,” Elena pleaded.

“Julian is not a part of this,” the king shot back.

“Isn’t he? Is it not him who alerted you to my…unseemly behavior?” she asked.

King Frederick’s voice betrayed his irritation with the situation. “You are leaving me with little choice, Elena, though I had hoped to resolve this quietly for your sake and our family’s.”

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