Page 102 of The Royal Art of Revenge

“Don’t worry about it. I already bowed to you tonight—the headlines tomorrow will all be how besotted the crown prince is with his fiancée. This’ll just help sell the story.”

“Finn—”

“It’ll be fine. I promise.” I cup her face and lean in, brushing my nose against hers. “Just say yes, let me protect you, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“I’m not exactly used to being looked after.”

“I know it’s hard for you.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “But it’s something you’re going to have to get used to eventually, so try for me.”

She blows out a breath, one that stutters on its way past her lips. “All right. I’ll try. I’ll stay.” She pulls back slightly, a storm spinning in her green eyes. “If anyone asks me why I’m already living here, though, I will tell them it’s because you’re absolutely obsessed with me and will die if you’re apart from me for longer than one hour.”

I grin. “Why not? It’s the truth.”

“You—”

I pull her towards me and clamp my arms around her body, trapping her in place, and kiss her. She resists for all of a second before relaxing and sinking against me.

Warmth spreads through me at the comfort she must feel in my arms for her to relax so thoroughly.

Maybe, hopefully, this means she’s starting to trust me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – FINN

“It won’t be amicable,” Alec says, a hint of warning in his tone.

I swap my phone from one ear to the other and glance back at a napping Hattie in the bed. “I didn’t think it would be,” I reply, keeping my voice low so I don’t wake her. “What happened last night?”

“At the banquet or after?”

“Both.”

The phone line crackles as he blows out a breath. “Jasmine kept trying to leave, and Rosalyn kept her there for as long as they could. I hovered as close as I was able to without making it obvious I was listening in, but they were both furious. Rosalyn mentioned something about not letting her get away with it, so there will be some form of retaliation.”

“We expected something like that. What about Jasmine?”

“She asked her how the hell she managed to keep it secret given the investigator her mother had following Harriet, but Rosalyn hushed her up pretty quickly. After that, it was mostly Jasmine complaining about being humiliated and demanding to leave. As for the investigator, he’s already been briefed and knows what to say. I’d imagine she’s already made contact.”

“What about William?”

“You’d have to speak to Oscar, but I think it was much of the same. Given he went to find Harriet and left early, I’d wager he gave in to their demands to leave.”

“Yeah, that’s why he found her. We suggested he leave when Mum and I joined them.” I run my hand through my hair and perch on the windowsill, keeping my gaze fixed on Hattie’s sleeping form. “Did Marina find anything out?”

“She offered to take one of the late shifts yesterday, but it seems they closed ranks, for lack of a better term,” Alec explains, grunting at the end. “I don’t think they know there’s a rat in their house, which tells me whatever they’re planning isn’t going to be good.”

“Is William involved in it?”

“I couldn’t say, but Marina said he was—and I quote, ‘Absolutely fucking raging’—when they got home. Rosalyn and Jasmine stayed with him for less than fifteen minutes before they left his office, so she got the impression he wasn’t very interested in whatever they had to say.”

“I can imagine. He was angry when we forced him to leave.” I rub my hand over my mouth. “What about this morning?”

“Nothing. It’s second-hand information, but apparently, they didn’t share a single word during breakfast, and William disappeared back into his office immediately after. Jasmine did the same with her room. Marina said she ‘looked like shit.’”

“All right, thanks.”

“Be prepared, Finn. God only knows how this meeting is going to go.”

“Well, it’s about to start.”