Page 17 of Once Upon a Royal Billionaire

As he watched the woman beside him and relived their memories on this very hike all those years ago, he knew nothing could replace these moments. If only he’d realized their importance all those years ago, when he’d let her slip away. He knew his busy lifestyle, his inability to prioritize time with her, had driven her away. But he committed to not make the same mistake again.

“Oh, wait.” Emily pulled out her phone. “Lily has to see this.”

“Would you like me to take your picture?”

“Yes, we should be taking more pictures, but do you mind if I FaceTime her for a moment?”

“Not at all. I’d love that.”

Emily’s phone connected after two rings. “Hello? Mom!” Lily’s excited voice made Rhett smile.

“Hi, baby girl! Look where I am!” She turned her phone in a wide sweep.

The squeals on the other end sounded so familiar to Rhett, like Emily from the old days. “That’s so pretty, Mama! Look at all those flowers.”

“Look at this one, right here.” Emily zoomed in closer on a small, blue bloom. “This one reminds me of your eyes.”

“Then your eyes, too. Right, Mama?”

“Absolutely, baby girl. Now I want you to meet one of my old friends.”

“Okay, who?”

Emily moved to Rhett’s side and showed his face to her daughter. “This is Rhett.”

“UncleRhett.” He puffed out his chest and gave a goofy smile that made Emily laugh.

“I have an Uncle Rhett?”

Emily smiled at him. “You do now. And guess what? He’s not just anyone. He’s a king.”

“What!” She giggled. “If my uncle’s a king, does that make me a princess?”

“Absolutely.” Rhett leaned in closer. “Princess Lily from now on.”

“Okaaay!” She giggled again. “Grandpa, I’m princess Lily now.”

Emily’s father peered into the phone, and Rhett felt his stomach turn. “Hello, Mr. Harrington.” Emily’s father hadn’t been overly pleased with Rhett’s lack of attention to his daughter, nor with his refusal to follow her to America and try to win her back.

“Oh, it’s His Royal Highness.”

“Uh, you can just call me Rhett.”

“Fitting, since I was the first and perhaps only person to ground you?”

Emily bit her thumb.

“Yes, precisely, gives you extra privileges.”

“Emily, are you there too?”

She peered in the camera at her father. “Hey, Dad.”

“Hey, something a bit strange happened. Jackson called, wanted to talk to Lily.”

Emily’s face went white, but she answered casually, “Oh, and did he?”

“For a moment. But I stayed on the line, and it seemed fine.”

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