Page 13 of The Royally Broke Billionaire
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The sharp rap on the door to her office startled Tess during her hug with Piper. She jumped, alarming Liam, who immediately scrunched up his chubby face and began crying giant crocodile tears. After handing the upset baby off to his mother, Tess went to the door to see what the intrusion was about.
Geoffrey was standing on the other side of her office door nervously wringing his hands. The staid butler was normally the perfect example of decorum, so for him to interrupt her during an important meeting, something major must have occurred.
The butler launched into his explanation before the queen had a chance to ask him what was going on. “I’m sorry to bother you, Your Highness, but your brothers are here.”
“My brothers?... Here?... Now?” The pitch of the queen’s voice rose with each question as she tried to process this surprising news.
“Yes, ma’am. Trey and Trevor are in the foyer with their new wives, and they are threatening to storm through the palace in search of you, if you don’t come down at once. Ellie and Millie are trying to calm them down, but they are in such snits, even their brides aren’t able to appease them.”
Geoffrey looked as frazzled as Tess felt by this surprising turn of events. She couldn’t imagine what her billionaire brothers were doing here. As much as she didn’t appreciate being summoned to them, she needed to go see what they wanted before they held true to their word and barged through the castle like Neanderthals.
Turning back to Piper, Tess noticed that the woman already had her baby calmed down. Making a silent wish that she would be as natural of a mother as this woman was, she said a quick goodbye and followed Geoffrey to the foyer.
The butler hadn’t been kidding when he indicated that her siblings were fired up. As soon as they caught sight of her, they started rapid-firing questions in her direction.
Tess wasn’t sure which questions came from Trey and which came from Trevor as they both spoke at once… “Who is this woman? Are you sure the baby is Sebastian’s? What will this mean for the throne? Will your children be shoved back in line after the king’s firstborn son? Are you going to divorce him? Has Sebastian apologized? Where will the baby live? Will you have to raise this woman’s child?”
Tess’s wide eyes volleyed back and forth between her brothers as she tried to make sense of all of their questions. It wasn’t until they both said in tandem, “I’m going to kill Sebastian,” that she finally jumped into the conversation.
“No! You’re not. This isn’t his fault.” When Tess saw the exasperated look cross both of her siblings’ faces, she jumped in to explain before they could draw the wrong conclusion about her willingness to forgive her husband’s transgression.
“He didn’t cheat on me,” she assured them. “This happened long before he even met me.”
“Was she his prior girlfriend? Does he still have feelings for her?” These questions came from her brand-new sisters-in-law, Ellie and Millie.
“No and no.” She answered both of the beautiful blondes with a smile. “It was a one-night stand that meant nothing to either one of them.”
Trevor made a deep, gurgling sound in his throat at that news, and Trey said, “I really am going to kill him.”
Tess wasn’t sure why a meaningless fling would upset her brothers more than a heartfelt romance, but that certainly seemed to be the case. She shook her head as she watched both of the other men in her life seethe. The angry energy practically crackled off of them in waves.
Of course, Sebastian chose that moment to return from a meeting in town. The giant doors swung open for his entrance, and Tess practically had to hold her brothers back to keep them from physically attacking her husband.
“How dare you!” Trey shouted as Tess stepped in front of him, attempting to calm his flaring temper.
For his part, Sebastian looked sheepish, but unsurprised by the verbal attack. “I see you’ve heard about Liam.”
“Is that the king-to-be’s name?” Trevor practically spat the words.
Tess had to hand it to her brothers. They were nothing, if not vehemently loyal, like vicious bulldogs.
“Stop it––both of you.” She angled her best queenly stare at her older brothers. “This is for me to decide how to handle… not you. And I have decided to forgive my husband.” At their disgruntled glares, she justified her mercy. “It isn’t exactly fair to blame him for something that happened before he even met me.”
“But the consequences of those actions are affecting you now, and will continue to affect your children’s children’s lives for generations to come.” Trey’s nostrils flared as he spoke, making it obvious that he was still very angry with the king.
Tess hadn’t thought about it that far down the line, but she lifted her chin in Trey’s direction, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge how right he was.
Ellie put her hand on Trey’s arm, in a vain attempt to calm the agitated man. When he turned to look at her, she pointed down the hallway.
All eyes followed in the direction she indicated. Piper was standing awkwardly in the hallway, near the foyer, holding Liam. The boisterous group was blocking the staircase that led up to Piper’s bedroom, so she seemed at a loss for where she should go.
Tess wasn’t sure how much of their conversation the woman had heard, but it was obvious by her awkward, hunched-shoulder stance that she had at least some idea of what was happening. In a vain attempt to diffuse the situation, Tess called out to her. “Piper, please bring Liam here to meet his unc––.”
“Don’t even finish that word,” Trey warned her sternly. “That child is not in any way related to us.”
Tess nodded her understanding, feeling properly chastised by her oldest brother. Even as queen of an entire island, her powerful billionaire brother was still easily able to put her in her place.
