Page 48 of Crowned For The King's Secret

‘I came as soon as I got the call.’

She pulled away, scrubbed at her eyes. ‘What call?’

‘I received a call from the palace saying my visa had been approved and to come immediately.’ Lance clasped the tops of her arms gently, scanned her face, a frown of concern on his own. ‘What has he done to you? Is Nic okay?’

‘Nic’s fine.’ Her, not so much. She sniffed, rubbed at her face again. ‘He’s in the lounge. Come and say hi. He’ll love to see you.’

They walked through to where Nic held on to the lounge suite, practising his walking. He gave a big, beaming smile to his uncle. Tried to wave his hands with glee and promptly fell onto his bottom.

‘Come here, little man.’ Lance swept a giggling Nic into his arms. ‘Do you want to come home? Aunty Sara misses you.’

Her heart missed a beat. She could hardly breathe. ‘What do you mean, come home?’

Lance popped the squirming Nic onto the ground, where he crawled towards some toys. Her brother looked well. Less sharp, somehow softer. Marriage and love suited him. She’d hoped but never really believed that he’d find it for himself. It was a relief to know he was finally happy.

‘Back to the UK, though it was one hell of a negotiation with Baldoni to get there.’

‘Sandro wants me to leave the country so badly?’

Her legs wouldn’t work and she dropped to the couch. Lance raised an eyebrow. ‘You don’t want to go.’

It wasn’t a question.

‘I...’ She knew in that moment that she didn’t. She wanted to be here, with Sandro. To make it work because itdid. When they were together, they were stronger. This being apart...she felt as if a vital piece of herself was missing. But how could she stay when the man she loved didn’t want her? It would be constant punishment each day, eventually seeing him marry someone else.

Never. Every part of her rebelled at the thought.

‘Vic.’ Lance sat next to her, his voice tender and full of care. ‘He forced you to leave the UK without a word to anyone other than lies to me. That’s not right.’

‘What if you had a child with Sara? What if that child and Sara were in immediate danger and didn’t want to do what would keep them safe? What would you do?’

‘I’d talk it through—’

‘What if that wouldn’t work?’

Lance’s mouth tightened. He took a sudden interest in his wedding ring, twisting it on his finger. ‘I’d do whatever it took to keep them safe, even if they hated me for ever.’

‘See?’

‘Look at you. He’s made you cry. You’ve had enough tears in your life.’ He shook his head. ‘Sara and I love each other and would never be in this situation. That’s the difference.’

She frowned. ‘I’m not sure it is.’

Just that moment little Luna zoomed through the room.

‘A kitten?’ Lance asked. ‘You’re clearly...settled here.’

‘I found a litter in the gardens, rehomed them except for her. She was the smallest.’

Lance’s gaze softened. ‘Still saving lost creatures. Protecting them. You always had the softest of hearts, even when you tried to be hard.’

She stilled for a moment. She’d believed that she and Sandro were building something, until that terrible night when intruders broke into the castle. Then, everything stopped. He became colder, harder. Like the man on the tarmac at the airport and not the one she’d first met at the club, the one he’d grown into again over her time here. Except, had he really grown into that man, or was that truly who Sandro always was, when he loved...?

No, she couldn’t think like that. But he’d been the protector to her. Saved her and Nic even though he denied it. Deep down, what if he’d been trying to be hard because that was all he’d been taught? Hardness, a fear of being soft because of what he’d lost as a child. She understood the fear of relationships borne of bitter experience, yet Sandro had awakened something in her which made her want to fight those dark shadows and believe that she was entitled to love. That it was there for her with the right man. She’d seen it before with Lance, and knew how love had transformed her brother.

Love could transform Sandro too.

But did he love her back?

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