Page 22 of The Billionaire's Royal Crown

“No. I want it to be a surprise. I bought her a carousel and everything. Don’t spoil it.” He wagged a finger at her.

“I won’t.” She stepped into her room and dumped her bag on the floor. “Come get me when it’s time to go.”

“I will.”

Nate sucked in a sharp breath as her door clicked closed, and he spun on a heel to search for his mother. Instead of combing the house, though, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed his father’s number.

“Nate,” the man answered a moment later. “I just talked to your mother. I’m going to have Stephen out of here within the hour. This is all trumped up and bogus.”

“I have no doubt it is, but Mom’s really upset.”

“Well, with any luck, we’ll have these charges dropped in less than a week.”

“So, he’ll be out soon?”

“Yeah. Even without the conflicting statements Chloe keeps giving the police, we’ll have him out of here. Mom says you’re taking the jet?”

“Yeah. To Eldoria. I need to see Ellie. But I was going to wait for Stephen. Mom’s really worried he’s going to dosomething else stupid, so I figured maybe a little time away could help him.”

“That’s a very kind offer, Nate. Especially after what happened with you two this morning. Stephen told me.”

Nate sucked in a breath as he bobbed his head, descending the stairs while he propped the phone on his shoulder. “Yeah, just…brother stuff. We all say things we don’t mean when we’re hurt.”

“You’re a good brother, Nate. Tell Mom we’ll be home within the hour.”

“I will. Bye, Dad.”

Nate ended the call and pushed through the closed doors into the living room. He found his mother perched on the edge of an armchair, her phone still clutched in her hand.

“Hey, Dad said he’ll have Stephen out in no time.”

“Yeah,” Victoria answered flatly.

“You don’t sound happy about that.”

“How much more is this woman going to cost this family?”

Nate eased onto the chair next to her, taking her hands in his. “Mom, we’re not going to let Chloe cost us anything else. Okay? I promise. I know…my stupid decisions after our break-up cost us a lot. And now Stephen’s aren’t going to be a walk in the park, but it ends here.”

Victoria blew out a shaky breath as she nodded. They waited in tense silence until a car finally pulled into the drive. A shaken Stephen stepped out of the car, followed by his father.

They shuffled into the house, appearing in the living room a moment later.

Victoria leapt from her seat and hurried to pull Stephen into her arms. “Oh, honey.”

Stephen wrapped his arms around his mother, his eyes squeezed shut.

Nate joined his dad at the drink cart. “What’s it look like, Dad?”

His father heaved a sigh as the ice cubes clinked against the glass before he smothered them with bourbon. “Not great. Even if we get these dismissed, she’s going to try to use it in the divorce case.”

Nate huffed out a breath as he shook his head. “She’s the gift that just keeps giving.”

His father twisted to face him. “You said you were heading to Eldoria?”

“Yeah. I was going to talk to Stephen about going. The jet’s ready, we can leave whenever he is.”

“Mind waiting until morning? I’d like to talk to Stephen, and I know your mom will, too.”

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