Page 72 of Matched with the Grumpy Secret Prince

A photo of a royal family.

A coronation.

And right there, standing beside the new king, is Graham.

My stomach drops, and I feel lightheaded.

Mia swallows, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Sophie… he’s a prince!”

I lock eyes with Mia, Graham’s confession still echoing in every beat of my heart, and with a tremor of incredulity, I whisper, “I know.”

GRAHAM

The moment I leave Sophie, the weight in my chest feels heavier than before.

I had thought telling Sophie the truth would ease some of it—maybe even bring me some relief. But all it did was confirm what I already knew.

I might have lost her.

She needs time. She needs space. I get it. For real, I probably deserve it. But that doesn’t make it any easier to walk away.

I drive through Bardstown with my fingers clenched around the steering wheel, my jaw tight, my thoughts circling repeatedly.

I should have told her sooner.

I should have trusted her enough to let her in.

I should have done so many things differently.

My eyes flick to the clock on the dashboard—still early. I barely slept last night after returning from Alveria, and now, with everything happening, my body is running on fumes.

I need coffee.

I turn onto Main Street, pulling into the small parking lot of Bardstown Brew, the only café in town I actually like. The place is quiet most mornings, the kind of spot where no one bothers you, where you can just sit in peace and think.

Which is exactly what I need right now.

But the moment I step inside, I know something is off.

The soft chime of the door barely fades before I feel it—the shift in the air.

The hush.

The weight of too many eyes turning toward me at once.

At first, I think I’m imagining it. But then I catch the way the barista freezes mid-pour, the way the woman by the window stops stirring her tea, the way two older men in the corner whisper to each other while looking directly at me.

And then, it clicks.

No.

No, no, no.

I pull my phone out, and there it is.

The first notification flashes across my screen. Then another. And another.

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