Page 61 of Dark Reign

Of me.

My lids slammed shut as I forced myself to accept that there was no distinction. The woman I danced with on the terrace and the one who’d brought down this scourge upon my family were one in the same. The brief moment of attraction I felt for her was not only one-sided, it was likely part of some elaborate plan.

One I intended to get to the bottom of soon.

“You’ve got two minutes,” I stated firmly, making sure my statement was received as a command and not a request.

This time, when I walked away and began my descent down the stairs, I didn’t stop. Corina had to learn her place here sooner or later, and being soft on her wouldn’t get it done. Even if I did secretly enjoy her feistiness. There was a delicate balance of order and respect that had to be maintained, so I’d do my part to enforce the rules.

Corina made it clear she intended to give me hell.

I hoped she understood I was more than willing to give it right back.

***

The entire building was abuzz. Members of my father’s staff rushed in and out of rooms. Some hauling files, others cradling electronic devices, most barking orders at one another as they all worked in sync, focused on one task.

Damage control.

From the moment I found myself locked inside my father’s sixth-floor office, I knew all hell was about to break loose. To lessen the blow, I phoned his assistant, William, early to give him a heads up about my plan to officially claim Corina.

He agreed to be the bearer of bad news, but didn’t hesitate to warn me of my father’s foul mood. I’d made a mess of things and everyone on staff knew it.

My father entered the room, towing William and Jenna in his shadow. His spiteful gaze passed over me and he stared a moment, his expression only mirroring his fury. With one swipe of his hand, a stack of papers soared from his desk. Jenna stiffened at her post beside the door while William—completely used to these sorts of outbursts—didn’t move a muscle.

I was nowhere near calm enough to stand in one place, so instead wore a path from one end of the room to the other. My father was a hard man, but he was fair. As his only son, I prided myself in being agoodson. Still, without a doubt, I knew he’d never been more disappointed in me than he was at this very moment.

“A Doll?” The question was asked from between gritted teeth. “You’re one year away from holding the most powerful seat in the entire Dynasty, andthisis the stunt you pull?”

I scrambled for a defense and blurted the best I could find. “What I’ve done isn’t illegal.”

Hearing me rationalize my stupidity only angered him more.

“Do you think that’s what concerns me?” he asked. “Trust me, son, you’ve put far greater things at risk than your freedom,” he added before running down the list. “The ready-made trust our people were willing to just hand you on a silver platter? Gone. The endorsements reps would have been beating down your door to offer? Kiss them all goodbye. No one wants a sympathizer posing as the face of their brand. And, in one night, you’ve taken the likelihood of you finding a suitable wife down to a handful of women willing to share her husband with some filthy, human girl.”

His hands tightened into fists when the frustration got to be too much.

“So, yes, you’re right,” he went on. “What you’ve done is perfectly legal, but somehow you missed the notion that what’s lawful is not always wise. And furthermore, as a future king, you should have set yourself to a higher standard.”

Disappointment hung heavy in the room and it was an unfamiliar feeling, one I could have gone my entire life without experiencing.

“I just … I don’t understand what you were thinking” he concluded, searching for an explanation.

These circumstances—even though I’d covered myselflegally—were bad.

For me, and for my family.

My father’s entire reign, he managed to get by without scandal, without tarnishing our name. In one night, before even taking my rightful place as his successor, I’d already done both.

All for a girl who lied to my face, and had more secrets than alibis.

“You realize they’re having a field day with this, don’t you?” my father’s voice boomed. As he paced, as heyelled,he scanned the screens mounted on the far wall—all nine tuned in to different news stations, all nine focused on one topic.

Me.

“There’s still time to get out in front of this, Your Highness,” Jenna chimed in, passing a glance my way as she addressed my father. She scrolled the tablet in her hand before continuing. “Right now, the media is only making guesses, mostly because there are so many conflicting accounts of what happened. With the sentinels’ sworn oath to protect the dynasty above all else, there aren’t any official statements for reporters to sink their teeth into, only speculation.”

My guess was, it hadn’t taken the public long to become fascinated with us, Corina and I. Evenbeforeseeing us leave together, before realizing she was human. With so many lenses pointed our way while we conversed in the ballroom, while I all but melted at her feet, the cameras hadn’t missed a thing.

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