Page 35 of His Hidden Royal Heirs

He could talk about love all he wanted, but she had nothing to offer him. No way to protect a man like him. How could he love what essentially was a useless object to him?

For the first time, she pictured those children. Cristhian ordering them the way her father had ordered her. She would stand up for them, of course, like her mother never had.

But in this new visualization, with actual children, with Cristhian, she almost thought she understood why her mother caved.

Because what was worse? The caving to avoid the explosion, or the explosions themselves? If she fought Cristhian in front of their children, was that really any better for them? She had never witnessed her mother put up a fight, and she’d always thought she wanted to.

But now...with her in the mother role, she wasn’t so sure. That wouldn’t feel safe to two little children. Angry parents, conflicting parents.

So how did she make this right?

She pulled out her phone with shaky hands.

Beau. I need help...

CHAPTER TWELVE

CRISTHIANKEPTEXPECTINGthe fury to fade, but it didn’t. It just...flipped. Because as angry as he was at the woman Zia was, the real, enduring anger was at himself.

He’d mishandled everything that day with the doctor. And then spent the next two days allowing her to ignore and avoid him while he arranged all the plans that he knew were right.

He didn’t need her to agree to know they were right, and he was hardly going to scrape and beg to get her to see his way of things. Married parents, living together under the same roof: this was what his children deserved, and nothing could change that.

That was why he had used considerable money and influence to get all the roads from airport to castle cleared. That was why he’d flown in staff from his home base estate in Spain. That was why Zia’s family was on their way to the cottage and would arrive at any moment.

Tomorrow, they were going to have a royal wedding. No matterwhoapproved. Even his bride.

Once that was out of the way, a paternity test situated, they would bring in the lawyers. Everything would be carefully andlegallyoutlined. So that neither the king nor his own so-called “family” would have a say in his children’s lives.

They would be protected at all costs.

He had given this a lot of thought. More than Zia, clearly. Sure, she had escaped her father for a few months, but then King Rendall had hiredCristhianto find her, and while Cristhian might be the best and the most discreet about that sort of thing, there was likely someone else King Rendall could hirewho would eventually track her down. And then what? Did she haveanyplans besides running away?

He thought of his parents and convinced himself he didn’t know why they were on the forefront of his mind lately. It was simply because he was in the process of becoming a parent himself.

It wasn’t about love. It wasn’t about their own runaway attempt that had ended so horribly.

Because what Zia didn’t understand was that running away would never be the answer. Being under his protection was the only way forward, and there was no point wasting any more time trying to win her over.

Cristhian didn’t know why this felt different from his usual decisions. Why he woke up every morning with a strange tension inside him, fingers curled into fists, as if he was constantly fighting in his sleep.

He didn’t know why whirling feelings and second thoughts plagued him when he had not allowed something so pointless since he’d been a teenager.

There were no second thoughts here. Control would keep everyone safe and sound.

He’d put his plan into action, so now everyone would see it through. And no one would end up dying on the side of the road.

He pushed that thought away mercilessly. Because this was not about his parents. It was about his present.

He was standing in his office, looking out one of the large windows with a view of the rolling hills of his estate. All covered in a picturesque white, while flurries started again. A snow globe, a postcard, a fairy tale. But even when everything looked beautiful from the outside, it was still messy, uncertain life on the inside.

Which was why Cristhian had to put his stamp of control on what was happening.

When he was informed that the small royal motorcade had pulled up to the cottage, he left his office and went to greet his guests. The minister had been delayed a little, but Cristhian had been assured he would arrive later today.

Cristhian had decided to let Zia continue to hide in her room. She did not know that her parents were coming, he didn’t think. Unless she’d had communication with her sister. Possible, but Cristhian did not concern himself with informing her of his plans.

She would be part of them whether she liked it or not, so there was no point having a conversation that would no doubt only end in more conflict.

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