Page 5 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

He rubbed at his chin, ready to bolt from the coffee shop for the nearest bar. He slid his eyes closed before he opened them again and read the message.How are you doing today? If you need to talk about Chloe, I’m here.

That name felt like a punch to the gut, reopening a wound he’d desperately tried to close.Chloe. He’d neverwanted to see that name again. Never wanted to hear it or think of it. He’d thought he’d hit rock bottom when his parents had set up the intervention, but he now felt like he could fall even further than waking up drunk in an alley.

He resisted the urge to type back that he was fine, which would likely trigger a call to assess how fine he really was, but he had no desire to answer truthfully. He didn’t even know what the truth was. He hated the woman. But how he was doing? Still torn up over what she had done and still reeling from the fallout of everything he’d done leading up to that to alienate his family. A family that had come together when he’d truly needed them.

He finally typed a response.Getting through the day.

No sooner had he sent it than a reply came back, pressing for details.How exactly?

He hated this. He hated being treated like a child, but he hadn’t earned much better. He typed a message as the line in the coffee shop moved up.I’m not drinking.

“Yet,” he muttered under his breath as he leaned to glance at how many people were still in front of him for a simple cup of coffee.

Five people waited to order. His shoulders slumped as he shifted his weight, his agitation growing. He needed a drink. Just one to take the edge off.

He shoved his phone into his pocket as it chimed with the latest message from his father and spun on his heel. As he took a step, he smashed into someone. Liquid spattered on the floor, splashing onto his shoes as a cry sounded.

His jaw unhinged as he lifted his eyes to the woman he’d nearly run over. She stared down at the smashed cup in her hand, a look of disbelief etched into her delicate features. She flicked a lock of dark hair away from the stain growing on her blouse.

A surge of frustration gave way to curiosity. Her dark hair contrasted sharply with her pale skin.

“Oh,” Nathan said as he tugged his lips back in a wince. “Oh my gosh, I am sorry. Oh, I’m really sorry.”

She fluttered her eyelashes as she glanced up at him, flicking her pinky at the spot. “It’s quite all right,” she said in a crisp British accent.

“Here, let me help,” he said as he grabbed a wad of napkins from the dispenser on the counter next to them.

She did the same but he pressed his against her first, swiping down the front of her shirt with the napkins.

“Oh, no, really, I’ve got it.” She waved a hand at him.

“No, no, I insist. I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you there. I just…I’m having a really bad day and–”

“No, really, I’ve got it,” she repeated.

He continued to dab at her blouse, soaking the thin brown napkins.

“Stop, stop,” she said with a shake of her head. “Please stop. You’re making it worse, you see?”

“Oh,” he answered, his features crinkling as he noted the now larger stain on the shirt. “I am, aren’t I?”

She let out a half-chuckle. “Yes, I don’t understand how you’re managing it, but you are actively making it worse.”

“I have a talent for that,” he said, a light laugh in his voice. “Actively making things worse, that is.”

She flicked her green eyes up to him, a slight smile on her doll-like lips. He’d never seen such beautiful eyes before. They were…captivating. “Well, best you stop dabbing at my blouse then.”

“Ah, yes,” he said with a nod as he wadded the napkins into a ball and tossed them in the garbage bin. “Well, let me pay for the cleaning at least.”

“No,” she said as she continued to wipe at the liquid. “That’snot necessary.”

“Please, it’s the least I can do.”

“It’s really not necessary,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Uh, please. I have to do something. I feel awful.” He held a finger in the air before he pulled his blazer off and slid it around her shoulders. “Here, take my jacket.”

She glanced at it before she flicked those sparkling emerald eyes back to his face. “It’s really quite all right. I don’t–”

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