Page 60 of The Billionaire's Royal Crown

The apartment seemed in order. Her stomach fluttered as she worried that the tiny bit of information they’d dragged from the maintenance worker wouldn’t be enough to help Victoria’s case.

She sighed as she approached a built-in bookcase lacking many books at all. Instead, it was sparsely furnished withselect knickknacks. “Not much of a reader, was she?” Elena murmured to Caroline.

“It does not appear so. What is it you hope to find, Your Highness?”

Elena heaved a sigh, shaking her head as she let her hands slap her sides. “I don’t know. I thought I’d stumble upon something that would crack this wide open. Foolish, really.”

“I think it’s quite brave, Your Highness. You take action when action should be taken.”

“But what was the point of all of this if I can’t–”

“Can’t what?” Caroline prodded.

Elena’s forehead crinkled as she leaned closer to the single stack of three books on the shelf. One of the spines had a hole in it. “What is this?”

“Looks like the only books she owns. Out of curiosity, what are they?” Caroline asked.

Maddie sauntered closer. “Did you find something?”

“Yes, I think so,” Elena reached for the books before she pulled her hand away. “Wait. Fingerprints. I need a–”

Caroline waved a handkerchief at her.

“Handkerchief,” Elena finished with a nod. “Thank you, Caroline.”

Carefully, Elena used the handkerchief to slide the books closer to the edge of the shelf. She studied them before she flipped the cover on the top book open.

Her lips parted she peered at the interior of the “book.” It contained no pages. Instead, a solitary object sat inside.

“What is it, Your Highness?” Caroline asked.

Elena reached inside with the handkerchief and withdrew a small silver object. “A video camera.”

She twisted to eye the living room where the outline lay. “One that seems to have been aimed at the scene of the crime.”

With a knitted brow, she stared at it again. “Could thishave captured the murderer and prove Mrs. Kingsley’s innocence?”

Elena’s lips twisted into a slight smile, hoping they’d found the clue they needed to help give the police another suspect.

Before she could suggest they leave, though, a voice interrupted them.

“Hey, just what do you think you’re doing in there?”

Elena’s stomach dropped, and her heart pounded against their ribs. They’d been caught at the scene of a murder. Would they be able to explain their way out of this?

CHAPTER 16

NATE

Nate’s stomach twisted into a tight knot as he stared at Elena’s cousin. The last time he’d had a run-in with her, she’d tried to embarrass him by having pictures taken of them kissing. To say he didn’t trust her was an understatement.

Nate hesitated, his distrust for Isabelle roiling inside him. “I’m calling Elena.” He retrieved his phone from his pocket. As he dialed, he couldn’t shake the memory of Isabelle’s previous manipulations. Was this another trap, or had she genuinely changed?

She clicked her tongue at him, crossing her arms as she waited. “Fine. Go ahead.”

He pressed the call icon next to her name and stalked a few steps away, shooting a suspicious look over his shoulder at Isabelle. The phone trilled a few times before Elena’s voicemail greeting played in his ear.

He cursed under his breath as he waited for the beep, hisvoice tense. “Hey, Ellie, I, uh… I had a question for you. Nothing terrible, just…call me back when you get this. Thanks.”

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