Page 12 of The Billionaire's Royal Crown

He imagined typing the message to Elena.Hey sweetie, Stephen hates me and won’t be my best man and also said he’s going to put a stop to the wedding. Hope the planning is going better on your end.

He heaved a sigh, powering off his display. He couldn’t send that.

With the phone in his hand, he rose from his seat and grabbed his jacket, slinging it over a shoulder as he headed for the door.

After a short elevator ride, he pushed through the doors into the crisp air outside. He couldn’t stay in the office after his fight with Stephen. He needed to put some distance between them.

He made his way to the familiar park, each step drawn to the fountain that had borne witness to the early days of their courtship. The waters murmured softly, a gentle soundtrack to the countless moments they had shared beside its spray.

Before long, his feet were moving again, driving him toward the carousel they’d ridden on their first date. Memories of their first kiss floated through his mind, curving his lips into a smile.

The strains of the calliope reached his ears along with the laughter of the people riding it. He paid for a ticket and climbed onto one of the horses for the next ride.

The cool breeze whisked past him as he sailed around in circles, the memory of Elena’s laughter as they’d ridden it together echoed in his mind. He desperately missed her.

They’d been apart for a few weeks after their engagement. He’d returned home to work on several projects at GenoTech, and she’d returned to her royal duties. Despite speaking every day, he missed the warmth of her smile and the feel of her soft lips against his.

When the ride came to a stop, he climbed off of the platform and fired off a text before he hurried back to the office. Instead of heading upstairs, he went straight to his car. He aimed for his house on the outskirts of the city, pulling into the driveway thirty minutes later.

As he pushed through the door into the foyer, his mother froze, one eyebrow arching. “Everything okay?”

“Perfect,” Nate said with a wide grin.

She smiled at his enthusiasm. “Something I should know?”

“I’m going to Eldoria,” he answered as he mounted the stairs.

“We’re all going, Nate. Next weekend. For your engagement announcement. Oh, can you ask Ellie about her mother’s dress color? I want to compliment not match or clash.”

"I will ask her when I see her, as I'm heading to Eldoria today."

His mother slid her eyes sideways, her eyebrows pinched. “Did something happen?”

“Yes,” Nate said with a nod, the smile never leaving his face.

Victoria returned the expression, though confusion flitted in her eyes. “Mind sharing?”

“I want to see Ellie. I miss her. And I can’t wait another few days. I had a fight with Stephen–“

“Ohh,” Victoria said, lifting her chin. “That’s what this is all about?”

“I’m not running from my problems, Mom. It’s just…after the fight, I found myself at the park, drawn to the carousel. While I was riding it, I was flooded with all our best moments, all the reasons I fell in love with her. It made me realize just how much I need to see her face again.

“I want to see her. I want to spend some time with her before we announce the engagement and things get complicated with wedding planning and caterers and colors and flowers and all of that stuff.”

Victoria’s smile broadened. “Ah, young love.”

“Anyway, I’ll see you all in a few days, but until then, I’m going to go surprise her.” He hopped up a step before he twisted. “And, yes, I will ask about your dress.”

“Thank you. Hey, before you go,” Victoria said as sheclimbed the stairs behind him, “can we at least talk about the fight with Stephen?”

Nate rolled his eyes as he reached the top and threaded through the halls to his room. “Do we have to?”

“I’d like to know. I’m sorry things haven’t gotten better between you two, but he’s–“

“Hurting, yeah, I know,” Nate said as he pushed into his room. “Still doesn’t help.”

“What happened?” Victoria leaned against the door to his room as he grabbed a cell phone charger and tossed it onto the bed.

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