Page 14 of The Prince

And she was scared. She had let Daniel see more inside her heart than anyone else. What if he didn’t like what he saw? He obviously wasn’t pleased with her arguments to support the park. Torn between desperately trying to be pretty enough to win him over and letting him see beyond her looks to the person no one else knew, she started to shake and she knew the panic attack was hitting right before she curled into the fetal position and squeezed her eyes as tight as they would go.

Chapter 9

Daniel slammed his fist down on the table after Melodia hung up.

“Whoa, brother.” Lucan stood in the doorway.

Thad joined Lucan in the doorway. And then other tall heads of hair stood behind them.

“What is this? Party in my office?”

Each of his brothers filed into the space. They took the oversized chairs each office was furnished with. Nico sat on the edge of his desk and Lucan leaned against the wall in the corner. Six men in one office made the space seem suddenly small. But Daniel felt a measure of comfort in their presence. “I’m not sure who called a meeting…”

Nico flicked a glance in Lucan’s direction. Daniel shook his head. That man, as head of their family’s security and the country’s minister of defense knew more than he should.

The King, his eldest brother, cleared his throat. “Daniel. The ministers are unconvinced. I’m just giving you a heads-up here. If they don’t back the park initiative, I can’t come out and deprive the country of the huge influx of wealth that would come as a result of the new tourism attraction.”

“You know the beauty of the island attracts people far more than a single resort ever could. We have to draw the line somewhere.”

Nico nodded his head. “Acknowledged, and Jo is behind you one hundred percent, but people who come here still need somewhere to sleep.” He dipped his head. “And of course we have other hotels, quaint bed and breakfasts and a strip of beach with other resorts.”

Thad twirled a pen around his fingers. “We need to bring Melodia back. Can she come for a visit?”

Daniel bristled. Did they think him incapable? Did they agree with Melodia that he wasn’t handling the project well enough? “She’s making a video in the next couple of days from where she is.” He shifted in his seat. “I’ll be sending her the press kit with several potential scripts.”

“You will? Her arguments were fine on her own, I thought.” Thad raised his eyebrows. “Have you incorporated her thoughts and direction with this? They were enamored with her and her thoughts just as much as with yours.”

Daniel was more a do-it-yourself type guy. Trying to coordinate her vision with his vision when she left for Italy before they could even talk had not occurred to him. “I’m sure she can vocalize her own vision whenever she wants.” But he paused, considering how often she had an opportunity to do so.

“I think we should fly her back, even if just for two days.” Nico stood. “Text your assistant to arrange it. And while she’s here, we will do a major press effort.” He pointed at Thad. “Can you arrange all the press to be here?” He looked to Trane, the second eldest. “Can you get your wife on this?” Seraphina had already won multiple press awards for her pieces that worked to protect their ocean waters.

Trane lifted the corner of his mouth. “She’s already on it. In fact, no promises she doesn’t throw us all under the bus if we don’t preserve that park.”

They laughed. But they knew he was serious. The Duke, Trane, the second in line to the throne, had already been blasted in the press by his own girlfriend before they were married. She was full of opinions and determined to make the world a better place by her journalism even if she had to publish difficult truths.

Then Thad’s phone rang. He talked for a minute, his face frowning deeper the longer he listened. When he finished, he pocketed his phone. “Two news stories up that are slamming our indecision. One is “Rebuild Torren.” That seems to be the mantra of those supporting a new resort. They’re looking for better clean up after the hurricane.”

Daniel started to worry further. “This is getting out of hand.” Then his phone rang. It was the national park services director.

“Daniel. We’ve had some vandalism.” Daniel’s heart sank as the man explained how someone had spray painted, “Rebuild Torren” on the cliff face at Cliff Bluff Park. Already the park team was out with power washers but someone had taken a picture and the image was blasted all over the internet.

Daniel turned to Nico. “It’s worse. I think you are all correct. We should bring back Melodia.” He snorted. “If she’ll come.”

“Done.” Nico tapped a few things into his phone. “They’ll contact her and set up the flight.” The King stood. “You’ve done great work, Daniel. But there is something about a team. You know what father always used to say.”

He nodded. “The king is one thing, but the crown isn’t just the king. It’s the king and the queen.” Daniel missed their father.

Thad stayed behind when all the others left. “What’s going on with your hottie friend?”

“Don’t call her that.”

He held up his hands. “Sorry, but she is.”

“She hates it. Doesn’t even want to be beautiful. I’m not sure what she wants from me. But she is angry more often than pleased.”

“From what I can tell, she is all over you with her eyes.”

Daniel felt a glimmer of hope. But he wasn’t sure he could handle being close to her, not when he wasn’t sure if she would smile or frown. The anger bothered him. The discord. “Well, hopefully she’ll come. We have to do something differently.”

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