Page 5 of Crowning His Innocent Assistant

CHAPTER TWO

“WHATDOYOUmean she’s gone?”

All of her planners were still there. He had checked. And every single personal item in her room, except a shelf full of books, and a small jewelry box, was still there.

“She’s gone,” Javier responded.

His brother was lounging indolently on the chaise in his and his wife’s rooms.

“How do you know this?”

“Violet told me. She saw Livia scampering about the place and asked her what was happening. According to Violet, she looked quite sad, but said she had to leave.”

“She can’t leave,” Matteo said. “She’s my assistant.”

“Your mouse,” Javier said, his tone mocking.

He knew Javier was disapproving of the nickname. Found it demeaning. Javier didn’t understand. No onecould. She was more than an assistant and had been from the start.

“That too,” Matteo said. “I gave her everything she has.”

“Clearly not everything, as she has backbone enough to stand up to you, so she seems to have had enough to recommend her all on her own.”

“You know what I mean. She said she quit, but I didn’t believe her. She left her planners.”

Javier lifted a brow. “Well, she doesn’t need them anymore.”

“How am I supposed to know where I’m supposed to be, or what I’m supposed to do?” He waved his arm over the space. The space that was empty now. Void of schedule and direction.

Livia’s organization was more than a convenience. It left him able to focus on what needed to be done in a world where his waking hours consisted of wall-to-wall work and his sleeping hours were not guaranteed because of the nightmares that often plagued him. Which meant half the time he didn’t sleep.

Half the time he chose to spend the early morning hours in the gym, punishing himself. Because at least then the pain came from something real and not the deep dark of his psyche and memories of an old man long dead.

“She left her planners,” Javier pointed out quite unhelpfully.

“I am aware. I’m the one that told you,” he bit out. “I proposed marriage to her.”

“You what?” That brought his brother up out of his lounge.

“I proposed marriage to her.”

“I had no idea that you felt that way about her.”

“What way?” There was no one way he felt about Livia.

“That you... You don’t, do you?”

“I have said to you an abundance of times that a king has no room in his heart for love. As you well know. I do not have—I cannot have—softer feelings for anyone. Livia was a sensible choice. She already organizes everything in my life, she would be a fantastic asset to the country. Just imagine the sort of charity events she could pull off. She already does the essential function of a queen.”

“Except warm your bed. And potentially provide you with heirs.”

That stopped Matteo short. He had gone out of his way to deny any thoughts of his bespectacled mouse in his bed. And over the years...

He had little in the way of conscience, but he had a chosen code of honor. And being with Livia that way, given her position, would have violated it in every way.

But of course, if she were Queen, that would be part of the job description. Truly, it was the most important part of the job description. Because if he did not need to produce heirs, he would not need a wife. He would just as soon prefer to not have one, as a point of fact. His bloodline was tainted, and that he was Royal made it so he had to carry it on, and he found that... He did not care for it as a tradition.

His father had been an evil man. The things he had done to Javier, the things he had manipulated him to do... It was evil, pure and simple. That Matteo had not been able to protect his brother from his father’s ill-treatment ailed him. But of course, he had endured his own trials.

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