Page 32 of The Prince's Green Card Scheme

“Really?”

“Oh, yes,” Maria chuckles. “He used to be so irresponsible and reckless. It was because he felt as if he didn’t have enough attention. With the two brothers older than him, he was never going to be as important as he wanted. That’s just the way it is. But he could never understand that. He didn’t see why he shouldn’t get all the attention his brothers got, so the only way he could shout was with these wild, foolish acts.”

“That explains the marriage plan,” I grimace.

“It does,” she says, nodding. “Oh, the things he has done. But do not get scared by such rumors, though. If you look into the things he’s done, then yes, it may seem like you’ve married someone who’s not good to be a husband at all. Not all of it is true, but…”

“It’s kind of scary.”

She hums in acknowledgement. “It is. But since he has been back…” She shakes her head and shrugs like she can’t quite articulate what she wants to say. “I don’t know. It’s strange, but something has changed about him. Perhaps it’s meeting you. Perhaps you have done some good for him.”

“Oh, I doubt it,” I say, staring down at my hands. “I’ve only known him a few days really. We barely got to know each other at all before he left. All this? It was the very definition of a whirlwind romance.”

“Then maybe you can teach him some more things. Heaven knows he has enough to learn.”

All I can do is nod in response. Maria’s words don’t exactly fill me with confidence, but they make me feel better about being here. About the choices I’m making.

Even as she tells me more about some of the crazy scandals Paolo’s been involved in over the years, I can’t help but feel that the person I met was lightyears away from the wild young prince she’s describing.

Maybe it was all just an act that I fell for. But the Paolo I met was kind and responsible. He wasn’t just out to do something crazy for the sake of it. Well, not totally, anyway. He never made me feel disrespected.

And even though it’s becoming incredibly clear that he wanted something from me more than he cared about whatever relationship it was we had, now I know all the facts, it doesn’t feel like he was being irresponsible. Not desperately. He just wanted to get home.

More than ever, I don’t know what to think at all.

“Will you stay? With me. Please. I could do with the company.” My face flushes at the request. I’m not always great at asking for what I want, but the idea of staring at the wall for the rest of the day makes my stomach turn. “It’s okay if you’re busy. I just don’t think I want to be alone right now.”

“Of course,” says Maria, coming towards me. “It is what I’m here for. Let me tell you a little bit more about the country. About the family that you are all muddled up with.”

“Okay. I’d like that.”

She pulls up and sits on a small armchair next to the bed and lets the stories flow. She moves away from Paolo quickly, and starts telling me more of the sordid secrets of the royal family.

And as she starts narrating tales of history, of kings and queens from long ago and scandals they’ve endured, I finally start to feel a little more at peace.

Finally, this feels like somewhere I could maybe belong after all.

CHAPTER 16

PAOLO

To nobody’s surprise, less than five minutes after Maria has taken Chloe to her room, Miguel and Luca burst into my room without knocking or asking.

“Look who’s home,” Miguel sneers.

“Hello, Miggi,” I say disinterestedly, using the nickname that’s wound him up ever since we were young. “Hello, Luca.”

“Come downstairs,” Luca demands, folding his arms like an old man. “We have things to talk about.”

“Okay,” I say, rolling my eyes. I know I’m going to get absolutely no choice in this matter, so there’s no point in arguing.

Like a prisoner, they march me out of my room and downstairs to one of the drawing rooms at the back of the house. Nobody really uses this room, and my brothers know it. No doubt they’ve strategically picked this location so we won’t be disturbed.

I sit down in one of the seats around the table. Luca sits opposite me, and Miguel — of course — takes the head of the table. My eldest brother is exactly as arrogant as you would expect a crownprince to be. He knows everyone thinks he’s the most important person in all the land and acts like he is. He’s exactly the kind of person you think of when you think of a prince: snobbish, uptight, and looks at everyone else like they’re a peasant.

I might be wild, but I swore to myself a long time ago that I would never be as callous as he is.

Luca is a lot harder to describe. He’s one of those people who, if he didn’t speak, you would barely know he was in a room. He’s got an almost malleable personality, able to adapt to any situation and be the person who looks best in it. If he was evil, he’d be terrifyingly dangerous, but as he is, he’s always playing second fiddle to Miguel. I don’t think he’s ever going to be a threat to anyone.

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