Page 15 of The Billionaire's Royal Crown

“No, but I wouldn’t mind seeing him. Come on, Nate. I can be packed in twenty minutes.”

“I’m not taking you out of school to go to Eldoria. Just come with Mom and Dad for the weekend.”

“I don’t want to go with Mom and Dad. Come on, Nate. I need to get away.”

“What are you doing? Avoiding a test?”

“No,” Maddie answered as he pushed into his room. “I’m…”

“What?” he asked as he tugged his suitcase from his bed.

“Dan asked out Chelsea,” she said, pouting, “and I hate both of them now.”

“You’ll be okay.”

“You know, when you were being an idiot, we all pitched in to help you so you could be happy. You could return the favor.” She crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow at him, her expression challenging.

Nate furrowed his brow. “Was everyone in on the plane thing?”

“Yep. We all knew you were being an idiot.”

He rolled his eyes. “Okay, yes, I was, but…”

“But nothing. Help me out, Nate. Please…it’s only a few days.”

He heaved a sigh, checking the time on his phone. “Go pack. Fast, though, I wanted to leave at three.”

She bounced on her toes as she clapped. “We don’t have to leave at three on the dot. We have a private plane, duh.”

She raced from the room as he dragged his suitcase behind him into the hall.

Victoria hastened down the hall toward him. “Oh, good, I caught you.”

“Yeah, I was just about to leave, but…Maddie’s having a tough time at school, so she asked to come with me. I told her she could. I hope that’s okay.”

Victoria shook her head, her eyes clouding with concern. “I don’t think either of you will be going anywhere. We have a problem.”

Nate’s heart plummeted at the words. His surprise visit was on the verge of falling apart.

CHAPTER 5

ELENA

Elena paced the floor, a storm brewing in her heart. Each step was punctuated by a rapid drumming on her forearm, her thoughts racing as fast as her heart. With each chew of her lower lip, her worry deepened, mirroring the tumult of her mind.

Waiting for word about whether or not the tale her cousin told over cocktails was the truth or a fabrication wore on her.

“You’re going to bleed soon, Elena,” Alexander said, stepping into her path and tapping her chin with his finger.

She frowned at him, sliding her hands to her hips. “How can you be so cavalier about this?”

“I’m not being cavalier, but I’m not going to fall for Julian’s tales until we’ve proven they’re true.”

“They are true,” she shot back. “They are definitely true. Julian would not have brought up something that could be so easily dismissed.”

“I wouldn’t be so certain. What I can’t understand is why Eric went along with it.”

“I cannot understand it either.” Elena shook her head. “I do realize it may have stung when I changed my mind after privately agreeing to his offer, but what is his interest in marrying me?”

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