Page 85 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

“Look, I just came by to tell you that things aren’t going to be comfortable for you around here. You may want to tell your little girlfriend to stay away. Because Chloe and I are together, and she’s going to be around.” Stephen snorted a laugh. “Of course, Ellie will probably run screaming once you start drinking again.”

“Not going to happen, Stephen. Those days are behind me.”

“We’ll see. Consider yourself warned.” Stephen spun on his heel and strode toward the door.

“Stephen…” Nate called after him.

His brother twisted to eye him over his shoulder.

“Consideryourselfwarned. Chloe is not a nice woman.”

Without a word, Stephen yanked the door open and stepped into the hall, slamming it behind him.

Nate stared at it for a moment, the images of finding his brother with his fiancée resurfacing. Though now, that horrible moment seemed like a blessing in disguise. Without it, he’d never have met Elena.

But his heart twisted for his brother. As he sank into his armchair again, his eyes focused on the dark elm tree gently swaying in the breeze outside, he recalled a simpler time where the biggest problem between them had been who got the red pieces in checkers.

And while they’d always been competitive, Chloe had driven a wedge between them that he wasn’t certain would ever fully disappear.

Thankfully, with Elena in the picture, though, the woman no longer made him want to dive to the bottom of a bottle.

With a sigh, he tore his gaze from the dark night, changed, and slipped into bed. The promise of his date with Elena the next evening danced in his mind, soothing his thoughts as he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

Work sped past him the next day. The concert in the park along with seeing her for breakfast, the first step toward his engagement surprise kept his mind occupied.

As the evening approached, he found himself in his usual happy mood at the thought of spending time with Elena.

He pulled on his blazer and adjusted his collar before he smiled at his reflection. In just a few days, she’d be his fiancée. His heart buzzed with excitement as he grabbed his phone, finding a message from her awaiting him.I may be a few minutes late. I hope that’s not a problem. I’m finishing up some work.

He typed his response before he grabbedhis keys.Oh, it’s a huge problem. I’ll miss you for those few minutes. I hope I survive.

As he climbed behind the wheel of his car, he snorted a laugh at her response.You poor dear. I certainly hope you’ll survive.Otherwise, I would be quite broken-hearted.

He made the short trip into town, parking in his reserved spot in the GenoTech garage before he trekked through the streets to the park. The south lawn had been transformed for the musical event.

He found their seats and settled into his, his gaze falling to her empty chair as he wondered how late she’d be. As the sun dipped below the horizon, the music began. Halfway through the first number, a winded Elena plopped into the seat next to him.

“Hello,” she whispered as he kissed her cheek.

“Hi,” he answered, sliding an arm around her. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you,” she answered. “Sorry to be late.” She sucked in another deep breath as though trying to steady herself.

“You didn’t have to run,” he said. “I survived, see?”

“I see. I’m so glad. But I did hurry as I did not want to see you fall to pieces.” She grinned at him. He smiled back, his eyes narrowing a bit. Different lipstick, that was it. She was wearing different lipstick.

His mother would be proud of him for noticing that detail. She always insisted it mattered. Different shades for different events.

He wondered why she’d chosen to change it up for a simple concert in the park, though as she squeezed his hand, he decided it didn’t matter. Instead, he relaxed into the evening, sliding an arm around her as the second number roared to life.

She leaned closer to him as the music played on foranother fifteen minutes before she stiffened after a glance at her watch. “Excuse me for a moment, I’ll be right back.”

He furrowed his brows, wondering if everything was okay. The broad grin she gave him suggested it was.

“Okay,” he said with a nod.

She hurried down the makeshift aisle between the sets of chairs and disappeared from his sight. He shifted in his seat, eyeing the stage again as another set of musicians took the stage. He listened to their entire set before Elena slipped back into the chair next to him with a soft smile.

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