Page 95 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

What had upset her? He wondered if she’d seen the news article about their fight. Perhaps the paper had reminded her.

Nate swallowed hard as his stomach twisted. He’d have to explain to her later that they normally didn’t behave so badly.

He sipped his coffee, sliding his eyes to her as she pushed her eggs around with her fork.

She flicked her gaze back toward his father. “What’s that you’re reading, Mr. Kingsley?”

Charles perused the page before he flipped to the next. “Just the daily news. There’s an interesting piece here about–”

His sentence remained unfinished before Elena sprang from her seat and approached. “Let me see. I love interesting news!”

Nate wrinkled his nose at the quickness with which she raced toward his father. She snatched the paper from his father’s hands, leaving him stunned.

“Just a minute, I wasn’t finished with that.”

“Oh, dear,” Elena said with a frown as she crumbled the paper in her hands. “There is a typo here. Tsk tsk. The quality is so terrible these days.”

“Quite all right, I don’t mind.” Charles reached for the paper.

Nate screwed up his face as Elena shifted away from hisfather. “I do. It’s a travesty. As an editor, I cannot abide it. I must do something about it.”

“Perhaps a call to the editor–”

“Better!” Elena said with a raised chin. “I know where this belongs.”

“Ellie!” Nate called as she tore out of the room.

“Where is she going with my paper?”

“I have no idea, Dad,” Nate said as he followed behind her along with the rest of his family.

He found Elena in the living room. She held the fireplace lighter to the paper before she chucked it inside and dusted her hands. “There we are. All taken care of. It’s burnt, just as it should be.”

Charles stared at the burning newspaper. “Did you just burn my newspaper.”

Elena stared at him, wide-eyed before her features turned penitent. “It appears I did, sir. My apologies though I do tend to get a bit overzealous about these types of things. I’m so sorry, but best you shouldn’t be subject to that sort of carelessness.”

“Honey,” Nate said as he approached her, “are you feeling okay?”

“I am feeling much better now that I have destroyed that sorry excuse for a newspaper.”

Charles shot an incredulous glance toward Victoria, shaking his head.

She laid a hand on his arm as she smiled at him. “You know, I think we should probably get going. We may have a lot of dresses to try.”

Charles adjusted his jacket as he stretched his neck. “Yes, I think you’d better.”

Nate led Elena to his mother and sister. “Have fun,” he said before he pecked her on the cheek.

“Thank you. And I am terribly sorry aboutthe paper, Mr. Kingsley. Though I’m certain the financial section is the truly interesting bit, and I haven’t destroyed that.”

“Right. Well, I guess I’ll finish my coffee and read that. Have fun.”

“Thanks, Charles,” Victoria said as she wrapped an arm around Elena and led her from the room.

Nate stared after her as she disappeared with his mother and sister.

“Well, that was bizarre,” Charles said.

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