Page 16 of The Reluctant Wife

My phone vibrates with an incoming call. I glance at the caller ID and wince. Then decline it. Within seconds, another incoming message pops up on my screen

Gavin: Aura, why are you not answering my calls? Are you avoiding me?

Ugh!I can almost hear his whiny voice in my ears. I suppose, at some point, I need to take his calls. But not now. I flick a glance in Ryot’s direction, then hurriedly slide my phone back into my shoulder bag.

“Everything okay?” Ryot asks.

“Of course.” I accept a bottle of water from him and nod my thanks. I drink from it before capping it and placing it aside. "Is it normal for you to ride in the same car as the person you’re protecting?”

He hesitates. "Only because of the recent threat. If something were to happen, I have more of a chance to protect you in such close quarters."

I nod slowly. "And inside there, did you actually expect a possible threat in a classroom filled with children?"

"It’s when you least expect it that they strike. I wouldn’t put anything past them."

There’s a finality to his words, a hard edge which sends a jolt of fear up my spine. The bite in his tone warns me this is not like the other times when I’ve been threatened.Oh, for crying out loud, how bad can the threat be?

"This note I received; can I see it?" I’m sure he’s going to turn down my request like my father and his team have done in the past.

Instead, he looks at me with surprise. “You haven’t seen it?”

“My father and his courtiers prefer not to show me the threats I receive. They felt I should be protected. They insisted it would only make me worry more.” I don’t bother masking the frustration I feel about it.

His forehead furrows. “And what doyouthink?”

I blink. He’s the first one to ask me that question. My father and his team prefer to talk down to me. My brothers stand up for me, but I’d rather not go to them with every single challenge I face. I prefer to fight my own battles, as much as possible.Perhaps, he can help me with this one?I’m not going to turn down help in this regard. “I think I should be allowed to judge for myself the level of danger I'm in.”

“I agree. Understanding the severity of the threat you’re under will help you understand why I need to implement certain security protocols.” He pulls out his phone, swipes the screen, and hands it to me. I survey the picture open on the screen. It’s a printout which simply states.

Princess Aurelia, you will die

A shiver runs down my spine. Seeing the threat in black and white ties my guts up in knots. Whoever wrote the note is serious. This is not someone who craves notoriety or who hopes to be tracked down and captured to gain a few seconds of fame. This…comes from someone who means business. Who won't stop until they complete their mission.

My throat dries. My heart begins to race. I draw in a breath, manage to find some composure, then hand the phone back to Ryot. “Where was it found?”

"On the pillow of your hotel room bed."

"What?" I gasp and snap my gaze to his. "You’re joking."

The expression on his face tells me he isn’t. "One of the housekeeping staff who came in to make up the room found it and raised the alarm."

"Shit." I sink back into my seat, then notice the strange expression on his features. "What? You thought because I’m a Princess I don’t swear?"

His expression closes. "It is a surprise… Yes."

"Talk about stereotypes." I snatch my bottle of water and drain it before setting it aside. "No wonder my father seemed more upset than usual." I glance out the window. Unspoken is the fact that someone found their way past the existing security to leave that note on my bed. If I’d been in the room at that time—I shiver and lock my fingers in my lap.

“I’m sorry if I disturbed you by showing you the note." Ryot’s voice is gentle.

"Bullshit. You’re not sorry. In fact, you hoped showing me that note would make me fall in line with your protective measures."

I turn to look at him in time to catch the flash of something in his eyes. It confirms to me that I hit the bullseye.

"You’re right." He holds my gaze. "In this, I don’t agree with your father. It’s best for you to see the threat so you can gauge for yourself the seriousness of it."

I turn away again. He’s right. Seeing that note brings home the gravity of the situation. My father's priority has always been protecting me, and apparently, that means protecting me from worrying too. I understand his intentions, but if someone had shown me one of these threats, I would have taken them more seriously.

"You don’t mind going against my father when he’s the one paying your salary?"

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