Page 98 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

“I don’t disagree. The sequins are a bit…much,” Elena answered. She puckered her lips at her reflection, relieved that the woman had voiced what she had been thinking. She had been reluctant to mention the dress’s more garish feature.

She almost laughed when she considered her parents’ reaction if they’d spotted her wearing this. Royals didn’t wear this many sequins.

The woman rubbed her chin, her eyes squinting at Elena before she raised her finger in the air. “You know, we got a new dress in recently. It just may do the trick.”

She disappeared into the back, returning with a black garment bag. She hung it on the nearby hanger and unzipped it, pulling the dress from within.

Folds of deep emerald silk crepe spilled from inside the bag. The color, a near perfect match to her eyes stood out in all the right ways.

“Oh, yes,” Victoria said with a nod. “Let’s see it on.”

Elena lifted the skirt of her current dress and returned to the dressing room along with the new option. The soft material caressed her skin as she slipped into the emerald dress. The color enveloped her in a wave of nostalgia, reminding her of the lush hills outside of her country estate. The fabric hugged her silhouette.

The corners of her lips turned up as she spotted it in the mirror, falling in love with the A-line silhouette, the modest V-neck, and the long sleeves as she spotted it in the small mirror in the dressing room.

She stepped out in front of the three-way mirror. Maddie leapt from her seat, a grin on her face. “Oh, wow, Ellie! I love that.”

“I like it, too,” Victoria said. “What do you think of it?”

“This one,” Elena said with a nod. “It’s lovely, both the style and the color.”

“Very elegant and chic,” the sales associate said. “You look like a princess.”

“Yeah, you do!” Maddie said with a laugh.

Heat rose in Elena’s cheeks. “Oh, I don’t know about that,” she said with a nervous chuckle.

“I think so. You’ll certainly be Nate’s princess that night,” Victoria said with a grin. “He won’t be able to take his eyes off you in this dress. Now, we’ll just need shoes.”

“Oh, really, I’m certain I–”

Victoria held up a hand as she slid her eyes toward the associate. “Shoes.”

She approached Elena and whisked her hair upward. “I’m thinking a nice updo or maybe half up with soft curls. And I have a lovely emerald pendant you could borrow.”

“Oh, Mrs. Kingsley, that’s too much.”

“I insist. It’ll fit perfectly with this neckline.”

“Take it, Ellie, you need to look perfect that night,” Maddie said.

Elena furrowed her brow as she shifted her gaze to the girl in the mirror.

“It’s a big event for us,” Maddie said with a shrug.

Elena nodded in understanding. “Well, I think this dress will make it easy no matter how it’s accessorized.”

The woman returned with severaloptions for shoes. After she selected a pair, Elena’s work was finished. She relaxed back in the chair Victoria had occupied, sucking in a deep breath. Nate’s family had been so helpful and accommodating, it would make telling them about her lie all the more difficult.

As Victoria emerged in her black evening gown, eyeing it before she gave her final approval, Elena shifted in her seat. Nate had kept his identity from her for quite a similar reason. She desperately hoped that he’d understand once she revealed her identity.

At least it would all be over soon.

Elena grinned at Maddie’s pink dress. “This year, I stuck with the pink.”

“Well, it’s quite lovely,” Elena agreed.

They wrapped up their shopping, and Victoria suggested they drop Elena at her apartment.

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