Page 75 of A Royal Disaster
Liam would be a good king. She knew it in her heart, but that didn’t lessen the pain of losing him. If anything, it was worse, because she knew the weight of his crown would chip away at him until he was a shadow of the man she’d grown to love.
The knowledge gutted her.
He deserved so much more than a cold political marriage and a life of service to his country. And if he’d chosen her, she would’ve fought like hell to ensure he got it, because although he’d lied to her, he’d held up his end of the deal. He’d gotten her business back on track, thrown tons of great press her way, and even paved the way for her first gallery exhibit.
An exhibit she couldn’t imagine attending without him by her side. The very thought of it made her throat close up and her eyes sting.
Mierda.
She would not cry. Not again.
“I almost forgot,” Nia said, pulling an envelope from her back pocket. “This came for you. I signed for it, since you’re not fit for public viewing.”
“Thanks, I think.” Lena scrunched up her nose. “What is it?”
“I don’t know, but it looks official,” Nia said, handing her the green and white envelope.
Great. Was she being sued again? It would be par for the course.
Lena slipped her finger under the envelope’s flap and tore it open. She pulled out the letter and unfolded it, her stomach dropping at the sight of the letterhead.
It was from Chad’s attorney.
She scanned the letter. Then she read it again to be sure she hadn’t misunderstood the legal jargon, because,legal jargon.
“Well? What is it?” Nia asked, leaning forward to get a closer look.
“Chad’s dropping the lawsuit,” Lena said, disbelief coating her words. Her eyes darted back to the single sheet of paper, a giddy feeling blossoming in her chest. “And get this. He’s going to issue a statement admitting he reacted emotionally and greatly exaggerated the circumstances of our breakup.”
“Seriously?” Nia’s brows disappeared into her hairline. “I did not see that coming. But it’s about time the little twerp did the right thing,” she said, recovering hastily. “He’s lucky you’re not suing him for slander.”
The thought had never even crossed her mind. She just wanted this nightmare to be over. And now it was.
Chad was dropping the lawsuit. She should be ecstatic, but something about his sudden change of heart didn’t quite sit right. It made no sense. Even the dude at Legal Aid said her best chance of making it go away was to offer a settlement, so what had changed?
Mierda. Had Liam done this? Did it even matter anymore?
However it had happened, it was definitely cause for celebration. Liam would say her run of good luck was proof that her curse really was a blessing in disguise, but she wasn’t feeling it.
The only thing she felt was empty.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Liam threw open the door to His Majesty’s office, ignoring the protests of his personal secretary, Beatrice, who looked like she was about to shit a brick right there on the Isfahan carpet. He might’ve felt guilty for ruffling the old bird’s feathers if she didn’t take so much pleasure in busting his balls every chance she got.
As it was, he was on a mission, and he wasn’t about to wait around until his father deigned to see him. For all he knew, it could be two days or two bloody weeks, and he didn’t have that kind of time.
Every minute he was separated from Elena felt like an eternity.
The king looked up from behind the Resolute desk, the oft rumored twin to the one in the Oval Office, but said nothing. Just pressed his lips in a thin line, the only concession he’d make to being outmaneuvered by his son. Point, Liam. His Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council, on the other hand, scrambled to their feet, as if fearing an ambush.
They weren’t far off the mark.
It was no accident that Liam hadn’t been invited to the meeting, but he wasn’t about to let his father shut him out. Not this time. Not when he had something worth fighting for.
And when it came to Elena, he’d never stop fighting. For her. For them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” his father finally asked as Liam shut the door and took a seat with the other council members, dropping a stack of files on the table.
