Page 68 of Redemption of a Prince

“And you’re still a blockhead.”

“Why? She cheated on me.”

“No. She didn’t. You broke up with her, remember?” Kari sat down across the desk from him.

“So? She never told me there was someone else during that time.”

“Why should she? You weren’t together. It wasn’t long after that before the focus went to the baby. Given her doctor’s estimates, it was perfectly reasonable for her to think you were the baby’s father. Do you even know how your mother knows you’re not?”

Zeke picked up the pen on his desk and fiddled with it. “No. She didn’t tell me. After Nicolette left the waiting room, doctors came in and told us Papa was still alive. We haven’t talked since then.”

“Then how can you be sure?”

“We talked about it ad nauseum years ago. We even talked about whether anyone needed to know, kind of like Gid said the other day. But it’s not right. Even if no one else ever knew, we would. Part of being king is doing the right thing even when no one’s watching.” He sighed. “It would have been easier on so many levels, but it wouldn’t have been right.”

“Point taken. But I do think you should talk to your mother, find out what she knows and how, then talk to Nikki. Apologize. Grovel if you need to. Listen to her side of the story, then ask her to marry you.” By the end of her speech, there was a twinkle in Kari’s eye.

But Zeke was having none of it. “No. In fact, I think it would be best if someone else headed up the Trilunium resort.”

Kari snorted. “You’re not in charge of the Trilunium resort, Acting Monarch. She’s staying.”

19

With her hands on the side of her head, Nikki stared at the paperwork she’d brought back from the meeting with the developers for the mountain. It had all made perfect sense when they were there, but now, the letters swum on the page.

Her office door slammed open, causing her to jump.

Nikki looked up to see Ezekiel glaring at her.

“What do you want?” She refused to wilt under his gaze, no matter how much she wanted to.

The door slammed closed, making Nikki glad there likely wasn’t anyone nearby at this time of day.

“Why did you tell Kari?” He didn’t sit down, but stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I didn’t tell her anything until after she figured it out on her own. I didn’t tell her the baby was adopted by your parents and raised as your sister.” She looked back down at the paper in front of her and made an innocuous note just to look like she was doing something productive.

“I think it’s time for you to move on. Kari and Gid can find someone else to run the resort project.”

She made another note, this one relevant, though she didn’t know how she managed to notice. “That’s not your decision to make.”

“I can influence the decision, and you know it.”

“Kari already told me, in no uncertain terms, that she wants me to stay on, and she would take care of it if you wanted her to fire me.” She flipped to the next page.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

The anger was tinged with pain, and when she looked up, it was written all over Ezekiel’s face.

She sighed. “I was going to tell you before the helicopter showed up, but we were interrupted.”

“Why didn’t you tell me years ago?” He finally sank down into one of the chairs.

“Because I truly thought you were her father. Honestly, I was afraid you would leave me, even though you were her father.”

“I wouldn’t have left you.” His hurt also sounded defensive.

“Really? If you found out I’d slept with someone else, you wouldn’t have left me?”

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