Page 112 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

He pulled his phone out again and toggled it on, hoping to find a message from Elena, but his notifications remained empty.

“Nothing?” Victoria asked.

He shook his head as he stared at the screen, praying a message would pop onto it. “Nothing.”

“Son, it sounded like they had several things to sort through together. She may be busy.”

His heart wrenched at the words as questions poured into his mind. When were they leaving? Was she already on a plane? Would she disappear completely from his life?

“Why don’t we try to get some sleep and discuss what wecan do in the morning? Maybe you’ll even have heard from her by then?” Charles asked as he rose and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Get some sleep? Are you kidding me?”

“I know this is hard, but, Nate, there’s nothing we can do tonight. In the morning, I’ll call around and see if we can get a hold of someone. But sometimes the best thing to do is let tempers cool. Even when it’s hard.” Charles squeezed his arm as he offered a consoling glance.

Nate swallowed hard as he stared down at the phone, noticeably absent of messages. His father was right. What could he do? He had no idea where she was, and he was certain it would be impossible to get to her even if he did. He’d have to wait it out.

“All right,” he said, his voice gravelly.

“We’ll figure it out,” Victoria answered as she rose and pulled him into a hug. “Okay? This isn’t over. Just give it some time.”

Nate nodded before he left the room behind, his steps heavy and awkward. He closed himself in his room, the shock still coursing through him. He stared at his bed before he shook his head and collapsed in the chair.

With his tie loosened and his jacket discarded, he stared down at his phone again, this time toggling into his browser. A quick search of Princess Elena of Eldoria twisted his gut into a knot.

Image after image of her, poised, regal, smiling, filled his screen and sliced at his heart. He browsed a few articles about the royal family, pausing on a picture of her with her cousins. He recognized Prince Julian. No wonder the man had been so interested. He’d been a royal spy.

He scrolled further down the search list, finding a video. He pressed play, his heart wrenching as she sat primly across from the interviewer. “And I hear youhave a favorite spot, Your Highness, and it is somewhat unique. Tell us about it?”

Her smile beamed. He’d seen that smile so many times. And he already missed it.

“Yes, I do,” she answered. “My carousel. I love it. I could ride it for hours. The music, the horses, the simple motion. It’s all so relaxing.”

The interviewer laughed and went on to ask her about riding real horses before the video ended. He pressed the phone to his chest as he leaned back in the chair, emptiness filling him. Would he ever hear her voice again or would he merely be reduced to watching her from afar like everyone else in the world?

His eyes started to close but before he drifted off, his phone chimed. A pang of hope sped through him as he bobbled it in a desperate attempt to see the message.

His eyebrows furrowed as he spotted an unknown number, but the corners of his lips turned up as he saw the name.Nathan–This is Caroline, Elena’s ladies’ maid. She is unable to contact you at the moment, but she wants you to know she is thinking of you, she is very sorry, and she hopes to have the opportunity to explain everything. Personally, I would ask you to hold out hope. HRH can be very persuasive when she feels strongly about something.

He stared at the words before he pressed the phone against his chest again. Would Caroline prove correct? Or was she giving him false hope? He hoped soon to find out.

He drifted off to sleep as he pondered the question.

A loud banging startled him awake the next morning. For a second, he awoke happy before it all came flooding back to him. He quickly checked his phone to make certain the message from Caroline had not been a dream. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found it on his screen as he rubbed at his stiff neck, the product of his night in his armchair.

“Nate!” Maddie shouted.

He crossed to his door and pulled it open. “Hey, I’m okay,” he informed her.

“Are you still in your tux?” She wrinkled her nose at him.

“Yes. I fell asleep in it, okay? Thank you, wardrobe police.”

“Well, hurry up and change into something normal. Someone is here to see you.”

He scrunched his features as he tried to make sense of her words. “Ellie?”

She shook her head. “No, but almost as good. Now, change, hurry up. I’ll wait for you in the hall.”

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