Page 23 of Once Upon a Royal Billionaire

And suddenly he felt like he had when they were kids trying to outsmart his security detail and get away without anyone knowing where they went.

He raced after her, coming up behind and grabbing her hand as he ran at her side. “We can do this!”

They scrambled over sharp edges, falling rock slipping beneath their feet, until the very top of the ridge was in view.

The copter blades were directly behind them. Rhett knew if he turned around, he would see the frowning face of his head of security, so he didn’t turn.

They were both gasping for air, but they used their hands and feet to scramble the last ten feet, then five feet. Then, at last, they stood teetering on the very highest ridge of Nepo.

The sky was dark, but he knew the sun hid behind the storm clouds as it made its way down past the horizon. Rhett grabbed Emily’s hand and held it high, both of their chests heaving for air. “Victory!”

She shouted to the wind. Her hair whipped around her, her face glorious in achievement, and he knew in that moment if the two of them worked together, they could accomplish anything.

“King Santoro. We’re going to need you to wait for a secure pick up.” The security team’s loudspeaker blared at them.

But they ignored the copter for a moment more.

“Look at everything,” Emily said. “So small.”

“That’s important.”

“I know.”

Then the wind picked up as the helicopter moved closer, the pilot motioning for them to descend to a lower location. Reluctantly, they each took another look and then carefully moved back down the trail. The bird hovered next to them, and the doors opened. Military men held out their hands and pulled them in. The doors shut, and the helicopter moved away from the ridge.

For a moment, everyone was quiet. Then Kenworthy, his PR man, handed him a set of earphones. “We have a situation.”

“Can we talk about it later?”

“It depends on how you want to handle Emily.”

“Can we get her a set of earphones too?”

Emily was handed her own pair, and then Kenworthy said, “The press knows you’ve been up here, alone. They’re already speculating on a renewal of old feelings.”

“I don’t see the problem.” Emily shrugged. “Let them speculate. It will go away. These things always do.”

“While I respect your opinion, Miss Harrington, I feel that if we come out with a statement now, it will cut all speculation and allow us to move forward with more important things.”

Rhett felt Emily bristle even though she wasn’t sitting near him.

“So, Emily, I’m going to need you to say—”

“Excuse me, Kenworthy, but perhaps you don’t remember. I don’t need your words. I can speak for myself.”

Rhett bit back his groan. And that was another aspect of their relationship he’d sort of forgotten. She was vehemently opposed to Kenworthy or anyone on his staff feeding her words—controlling the message, as they liked to call it.

“Please, Your Highness, if we are all on the same page with our statements to the press, we can alleviate the public’s concern that you are actively considering…”

“You overstep, Kenworthy. In many ways.”

Emily smiled weakly at him and then turned away.

“We’ll let the press think what they want to think. No comments will be made except for the ever-useful phrase, ‘no comment.’ ” He knew Kenworthy had more to say, and he was certain he’d hear more of it later, but for now, the conversation was at an end.

They rode the rest of the way in silence, and when Emily was dropped off at a separate location and shuttled into her own royal limo, he let her go. Watching her car drive away as the helicopter rose up into the sky, he had no way of knowing where they stood, no better than he had when they’d started their climb up the mountain.

8

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