Page 62 of The Billionaire's Royal Crown

“Yeah. Well, I’m not going to complain about not going home. I really don’t want to, as bad as that sounds. Have you heard from Mom or Dad, by the way?”

“Nothing. I should call them before I head off with Isabelle.”

“Isabelle?” Stephen choked out as Nate fished his phone from his pocket.

“Yeah. She’s been working with Elena on this,” Nate answered as he scrolled through his contact list.

“Nate, bro, have you forgotten that this chick tried to make sure you never got a shot at putting a ring on Ellie’s finger?”

Nate flicked his gaze up from his screen. “No, I haven’t. But, apparently, that’s all water under the bridge now.”

“Yeah, right. Same with Chloe and her undying love for me. She was whispering in your ear about how much she loved you, and then telling me the same thing. All lies.”

“Yeah, I get it. It’s hard to trust someone once they’veshown you that they can’t be trusted, but I have to try. I have to do this for Ellie.”

“Just watch your back, Nate.”

Nate bobbed his head as he pressed the call button next to his father’s name, toggling it onto speakerphone.

“Nate,” his father’s gruff voice answered a few rings later. “I heard about the mix-up. Are you on your way back?”

“Hi, Dad, no, something’s come up here. We’re going to stay and see if we can help.”

His father hesitated.

“Listen, I’m just calling to see if there are any updates on Mom’s case. Stephen and I are both on, so if you could give us an update, we’d appreciate it.”

The older man sighed, pausing again before he responded. “Well, it’s not looking great, boys. According to the police, your mother was the last one seen entering that building before Chloe’s murder. It’s circumstantial, but it’s only a matter of time before they come back to us with charges.”

Nate’s stomach twisted into a tight knot. He second-guessed his decision to stay here. His mother needed his support. She could be facing a murder charge soon. “Oh, no. Maybe we should come back.”

“Well, nothing’s happened yet. And remember your mother doesn’t want you here dealing with the press.”

Nate licked his lips, worry coursing through him. “Yeah, I know, but…Dad…she could be arrested. She needs us there to support her. How is it going to look if both of her sons, the two involved with the victim, aren’t standing behind her?”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Charles answered. “If you need to come back, I’ll make sure I call you. Until then, I think it’s best that you stay away. The last thingwe need is something taken out of context that makes this situation worse.”

“Anything hitting the press already?” Stephen asked.

“No. Thankfully, the police have been fairly tight-lipped. They don’t want to end up with egg on their faces if this isn’t true. They won’t leak this unless they’ve arrested her.”

“But you think that’s only a matter of time,” Nate repeated, his fingers tightening around his phone.

“Cliff thinks today. We’ll see. Oh, speaking of, he’s here now. I’ve got to go. We’re trying to build up a strategy so we can hit back as soon as they file charges.”

“Yeah, that’s important. Okay, well, please keep us informed. And tell Mom we love her and support her,” Nate answered.

“I will. Thanks, Nate.”

The call ended and silence stretched between them before Nate finally raised his gaze to his brother’s. “Wow,” was all he could manage.

“Yeah,” Stephen said as he shuffled to his armchair and collapsed into it. “Sounds like a real mess over there. I feel so selfish right now.”

“Well, you heard Dad. They don’t want us there in case we mess something up.”

“Which we will. Mom and Dad held life together for almost six decades, and you and me can’t handle three.”

Nate huffed out a laugh. “Yeah. I feel like a complete failure. And then we totally ran away...”

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