Page 52 of The Ninja Prince and the Investigator

“All I need is you, love.”

He grinned while Tristan moaned. “That was cheesy. I didn’t see that one coming out of you, Ellery.”

She smiled as they sauntered down the hall together. “When you’re in love with someone as incredible as Prince Derek, you can say all the gushy things you want.”

Tristan only smiled and shook his head.

They walked down the stairs and into the ballroom. It was decked out beautifully in white satin with red, pale blue, and white flowers everywhere. There were only about fifteen people in the huge room. Ellery was honored to be part of this group.

General Raymond was up front next to none other than Sutton Smith. Wow. Ellery looked around and spotted the famous billionaire philanthropist and security expert’s wife, Liz. Double wow. She had a camera in her hands, and Sutton looked to be the officiator.

“Sutton and Liz Smith are here,” she gasped out to Derek.

“Macey worked for Sutton. He’s like a father to her.”

“Oh … wow.”

He smiled.

“And his famous wife is the photographer?”

“Macey and Ray wanted to keep the wedding and dinner very intimate.”

“Who’s serving hors d’oeuvres? Gordon Ramsey? You got Martha Stewart back there doing dishes? What is this fantasy world I’ve landed in?”

“No, we settled on Bobbie Flay.”

She laughed and settled a bit.

King Nolan, Kiera, Malik, and Tristan stood with three men and a woman she didn’t recognize. Wait. She did recognize the woman. The press used to call her the ‘Ice Queen.’ She was the well-known billionaire heiress from Texas, Cassandria Mickelson. She’d married a good-looking former military guy. She couldn’t remember his name.

“Who are the three men with your family?” she whispered to Derek as they walked toward them.

They were too close for him to answer. Derek shook the first two men’s hands. One of them was in a black suit and red tie like Derek, the other in a military uniform like the general.

“Ellery Monson, this is Major Chad Prescott and Chief Jensen Allendale.”

“We know who this beauty is,” Major Chad, the handsome blond guy in the military uniform, said with the thickest Augustine accent she’d heard. “The question is, why is she on your arm instead of mine?”

“Because no man in the world is as incredible and impressive as my Derek,” Ellery threw back at him.

“She got you there, Chad.” Jensen was a dark-haired, swarthy man, handsome and thinner than Chad, but still nicely built. “Nice to meet you, Ellery.” He shook her hand and thankfully didn’t give her some line.

Jensen turned toward Cassandria and her husband. “Gage and Cassie Remington. Gage is Macey’s brother.”

Oh, this was the guy who’d defended Macey and taught her to fight. Ellery liked him already.

“This is Prince Derek and his girlfriend Ellery Monson from America,” Jensen finished.

They all shook hands.

“Yay! Another American,” Cassie said. “Are ya from the South like the other new princesses Aliya and Hattie?”

Everybody sort-of flinched at Hattie’s name, but nobody corrected her. New princesses? Hattie was alive? She’dmarriedSteffan? Ellery’s spine tingled.

“No, I’m from Boston.”

“Ah. Well, it’s a pleasure to meet y’all.” She smiled to include Derek.

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