Page 111 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

He frantically sent her a text message, his heart twisting as he studied the recent thread. They had been so carefree, and now their lives had been ripped to shreds.

“Honey,” Victoria said, her voice soft.

“No, Mom, no. I have to talk to her.”

She nodded with a consoling smile. “Okay. We’ll…see what we can do about making contact but desperately calling her phone or texting her probably isn’t going to work. Why don’t you come inside so we can talk about this.”

Nate stood frozen outside the front door, afraid to walk back into his house. It seemed like he was giving up. And he didn’t want to do that. He couldn’t do that.

“It’s okay, Nate. We’ll figure this out, okay?”

He blew out a shaky breath as he finally focused on his mother’s face and nodded. “Okay.”

She led him past the remnants of the party into the library, easing him onto the couch next to her as she rubbed his back. He barely noticed the rest of his family in the room as his mind went over and over what had just happened.

“Wow, tough break, bro,” Stephen said.

“Stephen, I think it may be best if you take Chloe home.” His mother’s tone was authoritative enough that no one would question it.

Stephen shrugged before he wrapped his arm around the blonde and led her from the room.

Nate clasped his hands, balancing his elbows on his knees as he rested his chin on his knuckles.

“Hey, Nate,” Maddie said with a weak smile as she perched on the coffee table in front of him. “I bet this is all going to work itself out.”

“Thanks,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Her grin broadened, her eyes playful. “It’s sort of cool that your girlfriend is a princess though.”

“Maddie,” Victoria said, her voice a soft warning.

“What? It is. Nate could be a prince.”

Victoria patted her arm as she offered her a smile. “I think it’s time you headed up to bed.”

She rolled her eyes. “I always get dismissed when there’s good stuff going on.” She shifted her gaze back to Nate. “I’m sure it’ll work out.”

“Thanks, Maddie,” he said, tears stinging his eyes as hesqueezed her hand.

She shuffled out of the room, leaving him alone with his parents.

“How are you holding up?” Charles asked as he eased onto the edge of an armchair.

“I don’t know,” he answered.

“I imagine you’re very upset–“

Nate leapt from his seat before his mother could finish. “Yes, but not with her. I understand why she did what she did. I don’t blame her. And I still love her. What I don’t understand is why she left.”

“It sounds like there are some other things at play here, Nate,” Victoria said.

“What? That weird, brokered marriage? I mean, what is that? Who promises their baby to someone?” He flung his arms out as he twisted to face his mother, the idea still incredulous to him.

Victoria flicked her eyebrows up. “I don’t know. I didn’t know that still happened.”

“Well, apparently it does.” He shook his head. “But why is she going along with it?”

“Honey, I’m not certain we’re going to find the answers to that. At least not tonight.”

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