Page 25 of Royally Scr*wed

My grandfather had an affair with an American woman and had a child. A child that he abandoned for years until Anderson’s mother died.

The information has haunted me for the past two days, since the whole world found out. Including Anderson’s daughter – my dear friend Henrietta – who was out of the country on business.

Anderson Levi Wellington-Rexford.

Now an orphan. Like me.

Except, Anderson Levi murderedmygrandfather. His father.

DNA doesn’t lie. Not only did Anderson’s DNA test confirm that he’s a Rexford, but it matched blood splatters found in my grandfather’s office. Between that and Wade’s official statement now that he was finally feeling well enough to give to Ozzy and the police, Anderson Levi willneverget the chance to ‘claim’ the crown.

Once he found out that the evidence was stacked against him, Anderson confessed. In great detail. The smug bastard was proud of it too. He also went on to confess that he orchestrated the attack on me and Charlie on our wedding dayandwas behind the death of my parents.

The man who led a sector of our national security agency is a cold-blooded killer.

“My only regret, is that dearPapaas you call him, died. I never planned to kill him, but I suppose that’s what karma will do to you. If only the asshole would have listened,” Anderson sneers from behind metal bars where he’s shackled and chained. “I wanted him to suffer and confess to the world thatIwas his first-born son.”

“You really believe you would have gotten away with this? And gotten the crown?” I stare at him in disbelief.

“I have my ways.”

“Not anymore. The people of Herefirth may have sympathized with you if you handled things properly. As it stands, they have zero respect for you. You’re being sentenced to death for compassing the murder of a monarch and treason.”

If it were up to me, I’d have him tied up in the middle of town and let the people rip him limb for limb.

“Death? As I recall Herefirth abolished the death penalty years ago, you naïvePrince.”

“That’s King Julius, or Your Majesty to you. And it seems our former tech advisor for NDS isn’t as up with the times as he thinks he is. You see, treason is in fact one of the only remaining acts that automatically result in the death penalty,” I remind him. “In fact, the law states‘anyone who compasses the murder of a monarch, participates in an act of treason or knowingly fails to report knowledge of such acts shall be swiftly punished only by death.’”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I refer to you asking,” Anderson scoffs, ignoring most of what I’ve just said.

I signal to his guards that I’m finished with our visit. “That’s just as well considering hell is exactly where you’ll be going.”

Ozzy and I leave the damp dungeon where Anderson is imprisoned but we don’t make it far before Ozzy stops and shakes his head.

“I wish you would have let me have a few minutes alone with the son of the bitch.”

“That is beyond your job description, Oscar. I need you to remain on my service. Plus, I really hate to bruise your fragile ego but, I’m not sure how much damage you can do with one arm in a sling.”

“Trigger finger still works just fine,” he grumbles.

The anger that Ozzy is carrying is beyond justified. His parents were killed in the same attack that took my parents. My grandfather was a mentor to him over the years and he saw the absolute worst in me as a result of such tragedy.

“Use that trigger finger to do some recon instead and make damn sure that NSD hasn’t been compromised.”

Ozzy snorts. “You think I haven’t already begun running over the entire roster with a fine-tooth comb? Anderson is one of very, very few who would even dare to revolt against your family.”

“Speaking of which, where are we on Sebastian’s whereabouts?” I question.

“Herefirth military is closing in on the last pinged location from Anderson’s conversation with him. I’m confident they’ll have him in custody later today,” Ozzy says with confidence.

“They damn well better. Three days on the run is too fucking long.”

None of us will rest until everyone involved has been dealt with.

“Tell me about it, Your Majesty,” Ozzy replies, holding open the car door for me.

Now that I’ve said my piece to Anderson, there’s one more person I need to talk to about all of this.

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