Page 69 of The Prince Who Loved Me

He stroked a lock of her hair, warming her with his nearness. “Most of my income comes from the property my family owns. There are also investment accounts. And the trust fund.”

“I bet you know a lot about the accounting aspect.”

“Not really. We hire people who know more than we do. Like what you’re doing.”

“I’m glad you’re here with me. There’s going to be so much information.” Brandi turned into a shaded parking lot surrounded by buildings. Massimo pulled into the space beside them.

“If you don’t believe in yourself, Brandi, no one else is going to, either. Don’t let yourself fail before you even have a chance to try.” Sebastien pulled on a University of Georgia ballcap when he got out of the car, covering his red hair.

“I believe.” That she was going to be in over her head.

The accountant’s building was an older structure painted in a dark grey. Large, comfortable chairs decorated the lobby, but Brandi went up the one flight and down the plain tiled floor to the accountant’s office.

“Thanks for fitting me in, Maria. This is …” Brandi knit her eyebrows and cast a glance at Sebastien.

“I’m Owen Macvana,” he said.

“It’s nice to meet you. Come, have a seat.” Maria gestured with an extended arm, then walked around her large desk. “I pulled up all the documents related to Belle’s and Fountenoy Hall. It’s fascinating – the originals have been scanned into the computer, but the papers themselves are so old. It’s a testament to your family that it’s lasted so long.”

Oh. Lovely. And Brandi was going to be the one to mess itall up.

The accountant continued. “What do you want to know?”

Brandi twisted her hair around her finger while she explained her situation. “The first step is understanding how this all works,” she finished.

Maria went on about revenues and reinvesting, stakeholders and ownership, and how everything combined together to run both the Hall and Belle’s. Brandi scribbled things in her notepad and made small noises at the appropriate places, but a frown creased her lips.

“Crumbs, I’m so stupid about this stuff.” She turned to Sebastien. “Do you understand what she’s saying?”

He shifted his gaze from the window where a large live oak tree had captured his attention. “The general idea.”

“We don’t have to tackle this all at once. What don’t you understand?” Maria asked. “Maybe I can go through it another way.”

“Can you go through that last part again?” Brandi asked. She grazed her hand against Sebastien’s arm, looking through her lashes with her eyes widened. “Seb—Owen, can you help me with this?”

She couldn’t read his expression, but he twined his fingers through hers and kissed the back of her hand. “I believe in you, Brandi.” He stood up.

“Where are you going?” She tried to keep the panic from her voice and stood up with him. Maybe he was just stretching. Maybe he needed a drink. Maybe he was going to do something, anything other than leave her alone.

He leaned forward so his lips were next to her ear. “You are a smart, capable woman,mon ange. You can do this.”

“Listen,” Maria said. “I went to school for six years, and still take continuing education classes. This stuff isn’t easy, but I’ll make sure you know what you’re doing before you make anymajor decisions.”

“I’ll be outside if you need me. But you won’t need me.” Sebastien left, taking her confidence with him.

The click of the door felt like a lock on her feelings. He was deserting her. She needed him, and he was leaving. Why did it turn out that any time she needed something from a boyfriend, they suddenly disappeared on her? Was it so much to ask for support?

Well, screw him.

After Maria laid out the basics again, Brandi sat back in her chair, tapping her pencil against her notepad. Huh. Although the business set up was confusing, it wasn’t as hard to understand as she first though. So she’d learn in stages. This wasn’t insurmountable.

And she didn’t need someone telling her what to do or how to do it.

“Remember, Brandi,” Maria said as they finished. “I’m here to help. Any questions, you let me know.”

“You mean even before I try searching on the internet?”

Maria let out a laugh. “Definitely before then. Please, for the love of everything, definitely before then.”