Page 28 of The Princess and the Fraud

It didn’t matter, of course. It changed nothing about my deal with Aaron. But the curiosity still bit at me.

“Did Caroline…” Annalise trailed off, glancing at the girl beside her.

Caroline raised an eyebrow. “Did Caroline, what?”

“Did you… tell Lovey?”

Caroline went rigid in her seat. I glanced between them. “Tell me what?”

“I didn’t.” Caroline’s voice was definitely tense now, firm.

They exchanged a look with each other that I couldn’t read, waiting until they decided to confess it to me. Left out of whatever inside scoop they shared. The few sips of mimosa I’d had churned in my stomach.

“It’s nothing,” Caroline said, but still wouldn’t meet my eye. She tipped the remaining contents of her mimosa back. “It’s not that big of a deal?—”

“Aaaannalise!”

Caroline and Annalise were facing the direction of the entrance, and Caroline drew in a breath that sounded more like a groan. When I turned, I fought the urge to do the same.

Fiona Flannagan.

The twenty-seven-year-old in question wore a bright yellow sundress with a matching hat that hid most of her vibrant auburn hair, waving her slender hand in the air like a flag. One that signaled dangerous waters ahead.

“You invited her?” Caroline demanded as I slumped back in my seat, sounding betrayed.

Relief washed over me. At least she hadn’t known either. “Don’t be mad,” Annalise begged in a hushed voice. “How was I supposed to say no?—”

“Ah, you got the table near the window!” Fiona gushed when she arrived in front of us, grinning at the scenery of the golf course. “Such a beautiful view.”

Caroline looked around the restaurant. “Where’s our waitress? I need another glass.”

Fiona’s expression faltered when she turned to me. “Who’s this?”

“Lovey Hahn.” Annalise sighed. “Fiona, come on. You saw her on Saturday.”

“Saturday.” She nodded emphatically. “When you dumped your tray on Aaron! Jeez, what’s wrong with me? You look so different without the polo and the high ponytail, Lovey. I’m kind of surprised!”

To give her credit, I wasn’t sure we’d ever held a conversation before. Especially not out of my uniform. Back when I dated Grant, almost no one knew about us. We’d kept it a secret, and it hadn’t been that hard, since only a year after we’d made it official, he went off to college. So even though I’d gotten close with Caroline and Annalise because of the relationship, Fiona’s path never crossed with mine outside of the estate.

I gave her my signature Alderton-Du Ponte smile. “It’s good to see you again, Fiona.”That lie sounded realistic, right?

“Could you… move down one seat?”

“Move down?” I glanced at the empty chair beside me across from Caroline. “Why?—”

A new voice spoke behind me. “Right, you wouldn’t mind, would you, Lovisa?”

My eyes slipped shut on their own accord for a brief second.You’ve got to be kidding me.

Aaron Astor stood behind me in a loose-fitted cotton shirt, a light jacket thrown over it, finished with a pair of dark chinos. His gaze sparkled, along with his smirk. “Not at all,” I said with forced politeness. “Anything for the lovebirds.”

“Wow, the whole gang’s here.” Caroline’s voice held zero excitement. “Good to see you, too, Michael.”

I fell into the seat across from Caroline as Aaron pulled out the chair beside me, Fiona on his other side, and Michael sitting beside his wife. He gave Annalise a quick peck on the cheek. “Have we ordered yet?”

I found myself surrounded by people who had more money in their pockets than they knew what to do with—aside from disowned Aaron, but he still fell into that category. Sophisticated. Expensive. Worth far more than I had saved in my bank account.

Surrounded by people who would’ve looked at Mom’s dream house and laughed.

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