Page 66 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

“Oh, how lovely. And do you think the lovely Ellie would join us? I would love to meet her.”

“Actually, I’m certain she’d love to meet you.”

The man’s eyes went wide. “Really? And why do you say that?”

Nate leaned closer to the man. “Well, between us, my girlfriend is an editor. And she’s also working on an article for the local paper about you being in town. So, I’m certain she’d love to ask you a few questions.”

“Oh-ho-ho, really? She’s writing an article for the local paper. How intriguing.” He rubbed his chin. “How very intriguing.”

“She is a very intriguing woman. I’m certain you’ll like her.”

“Oh, I’m certain we’ll be like old friends very quickly.” Julian let the words hang in the air before he rose and buttoned his jacket. “Well, I should be on my way. But I will be in touch after I read the prospectus.”

Nate rose and thrust his hand out. “Feel free to reach out any time. And here is my card with my contact information. Reach out anytime.”

The man studied it as he accepted it before he raised it in the air. “I will. Thank you so much. Good day.”

“Thanks for your time. Bye,” Nate said with a nod before the man strode away.

He sucked in a breath as he retrieved his briefcase. The meeting hadn’t gone as expected. He wondered if all of the royals were strange. Perhaps with the money and power they held, they were used to this.

Corporate meetings were often about power and leverage, but he assumed these people invested less for strategic moves and more for interest. He shifted his gaze to hedges rimming the patio, wondering if Ellie still hovered behind them.

He didn’t spot her. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and sent her a text.Hey, are you still hiding in the bushes?

He waited a few moments, staring down at his phone but no response came. Just as he started to slide the device into his pocket, it chimed. He toggled it on quickly, a smile spreading across his face as he spotted the message from Ellie.I am not. How did the meeting go?

With a check of his watch, he decided tocall it a day. As he strode from the patio to the sidewalk, he sent her another message.Weird.

His phone rang several minutes later as he strode back toward his office building. He swiped to accept Ellie’s call. “Hey, Ellie.”

“What do you mean weird? What happened?”

He laughed at her inquiry. “You’re not even going to say hello? You must really be looking for a scoop on this guy.”

“No, I just…I’m sorry, darling. Hello. Now, what was weird about the meeting?”

He laughed again. “I’ll tell you, but you can’t use any of it in your article.”

“Of course not. I’m just interested for your sake.”

“That’s sweet.” He sucked in a breath as he pulled his thoughts together. “Well, he has the prospectus. Most people ask questions about that, but he was more interested in my family. In you.”

“Me?” Her voice had an incredulous tone. “What about me?”

“He wanted to know how the family business would continue. Would I settle down soon…I told him I’d met a lovely woman. He asked a few things. Just polite conversation. But he did mention wanting to meet you.”

Silence filled the airwaves between them.

“Ellie? You still there?”

“I am, yes. Well, I do hope he invests, but even if he doesn’t, perhaps that’s for the best.”

“What do you mean?” he asked as he stepped into the garage and crossed to his car.

“Well, you know, you said the meeting was weird. Royals are…awkward, perhaps. Maybe high maintenance. Perhaps, it’s better to work with those used to your industry.”

He slid into his car. “I see your point. Hey, I’m about to head home. Text you when I get there?”

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