Public enemy number one.
That was him. Theo even had proof that it wasn’t just misguided self-pity. The newspapers, the broadcast news, the radio, and, of course, Twitter all had branded him as such.
But yet here he stood in a gray suit, with a butler about to announce his arrival to the gathered elite of Moncriano at Princess Kelsey’s birthday party. Why put himself through this torture?
Partly in an effort to save his job—or at least salvage his reputation.
Primarily, though? Because Genevieve had explained that his presence was necessary.
That would’ve been enough for Theo. Whatever he could do to help her through this rough time that he’d caused, well, he would. No questions asked, no pushback whatsoever.
Except then she’d gone on to intimate that the Crown commanded his presence.
Fuuuuuck. The one thing he’d always repudiated. Royal commands. Royals making choices for him. Choices that could have a lasting impact on his life.
That grated.
No, it pissed him the hell off.
It wasn’t clear if the palace communications staff was throwing their weight around in an effort to control even a piece of this fiasco or if it was the crown prince. Or even the king who’d been so checked out, apparently, that courtiers were starting to whisper about it. Not yet to the press, but loudly enough he’d heard from his office and visits to Alcarsa.
Theo’s knee-jerk reaction to being commanded was to hop a plane and be in New York in time to watch the Chrysler Building light up. But he knew this was bigger than his scuffed pride.
He had a chance to fix things with Genevieve. To fix things with his family. To fix everything. It might be his only chance.
Theo had been trying to get through to Genevieve for more than twenty-four hours, ever since the pictures broke.
Oh, she replied to his texts. That had been her medium of choice for laying out that it was imperative he still attend the party as though there were no scandal blackening the event like graffiti across the Sistine Chapel.
But Genevieve was very much…muffled…behind the thick veil of princess-hood. He wasn’t getting through to the woman beneath the tiara.
No matter, he thought as his name was shouted across the terrace hung with a latticework of lights. What he was about to tell Genny was monumental enough to pierce that polite façade. Because this epic fuck-up of his had crystallized things for him. Choices to be made.
There wasn’t a standard receiving line, for which he was grateful. No doubt the Villanis were spread throughout the glitterati on damage control. Theo knew that protocol demanded he head first to the birthday girl to wish her well. Instead, he scanned right past Kelsey to find her sister.
As he’d clearly run out of all his luck for the decade, it wasn’t either woman who appeared at his shoulder. It was their brother. Their protective, undoubtedly furious brother who just happened to have the power to get him thrown into a dungeon.
Great.
After banding his arm across his waist to bow, Theo said, “Your Highness. This is a lovely party. I’m sure Princess Kelsey is blown away by it.”
“If by blown away you mean she’d rather be hiding in her room, then yes. This is a required appearance for her. Not a party. She’s pretty miserable to be the center of all this attention.” Christian eyed him sharply. “Sound familiar?”
“Yeah.”
Okay. Seemed like they were going to talk about it.
Now.
At least the crowd meant the odds were low that Christian planned to use his face to practice a left hook. One that, for the record, Theo would stand and take, no ducking. He deserved whatever Christian threw at him.
Christian swirled the white wine in his glass. “You know it was career suicide to date my sister while auditing her.”
Theo would kill for alcohol of his own to slug back. Dozens of liveried waitstaff schlepping drinks and apps and yet nobody had approached him.
Man, could he get any lower than when even the staff viewed him as a disgrace?
“Maybe. Hopefully not. The report was more or less done last week.” The threats from the prime minister had Theo and Simon sitting on it for a bit. To be sure. “Either way, she’s worth it.”
“Good to hear you think so. Good to know you see her worth.”
“Your sister’s amazing. Wonderful. And I’d like to apologize to you for dragging her down with that stupid idea to have a romantic getaway. I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“Her? Or your career?”
Fair question, for all that it stung that the prince thought it necessary to ask. “The princess. She’s far more important than any job. There are millions of them in the world. There’s only one Genevieve.”
“You won’t find a bigger champion of Genevieve than me.” Christian took a swig then aimed a condescending smirk at him. “But no woman’s worth tanking your career.”
Six months ago, Theo would’ve agreed. Which just would’ve made both of them idiots.
“All due respect, Your Highness, you’re wrong. Someday you’ll look back on this conversation and be astounded that you could ever think that. When the right woman hits your heart like an arrow, you’ll know.”
“Never. Not only do I not want that complication and mess, but my particular job doesn’t allow for affairs of the heart.”
Theo wanted to ask if Christian felt that applied to his sister. If he wanted to go old-school and use her to forge an alliance. But he’d pushed the envelope enough for one day with the prince, springing the surprise of dating his little sister. So he pivoted.
“Are we cool?”
“Well, I’m pretty fucking furious that the Royal Auditor’s report may now be tossed by the PM for bias. And I’m still trying to bleach my memory of your hands all over my half-naked sister in those photos.”
Yeah. That was awkward. But facing it head-on was the only way. Theo pulled his gaze from the line of potted ornamental trees strung with lights to look the prince dead in the eyes. “Does it help if I tell you that I’m in love with her?”
“Ha! It helps me settle a bit. Reassures me that you’re not taking advantage of her or using her position. I highly doubt, however, that it’ll help you one damn bit.” Christian kept chuckling as he walked away after patting Theo on the shoulder.
Well, he wasn’t in the dungeon yet, so that had gone better than expected. Theo sucked in a deep breath of relief and resumed scanning for Genevieve.
Ah. Should’ve known to look for the flashes from what he hoped was a carefully curated group of photographers. Luckily, she excused herself after one more smile and made a beeline for him.
In her white gown that draped like a Grecian toga, hair piled high on her head with diamond and pearl combs, Genevieve looked very regal. Very…untouchable. Very much not the open, warm woman he’d been with on the boat.
“Lord Theo. I wasn’t entirely sure that you’d show up tonight.”
“Truth be told, I’d rather be slinging burgers at a truck stop. But here’s what I need you to know—I’ll always show up for you. Whatever you ask for, whatever you need. You can count on me, Your Highness.”
It was probably overkill. Should’ve started with “hello.”
Damn, it was awkward. The distance between them was palpable.
It worked, though. Her real smile jumped the gulf and warmed him with its glow. “Thank you. Funny how that almost sounds like you’re swearing fealty to me. Which you can’t actually do—that honor goes to Papa and then Christian. I do like the gesture, though. Should I interpret it as you deciding not to go back to New York? Are you going to take over running the duchy from your sister?”
“The opposite. I’m giving it up.”
Genevieve blinked at him. Then blinked again. “I don’t understand.”
“I�
��m going to renounce my land and my title.” Especially the title.
That was what had tipped him over the edge this morning. Every report about the photographs, about the boat trip, made a point of identifying Lord Theo Holst, heir to the eastern duchy of Krainst. The mysterious man who’d abandoned his lands and his family for the last decade-plus.
That wasn’t who he was. It was never who he’d been.
Watching the House of Villani perform their duties for their people—that had showed Theo the true breadth and depth of the responsibility he’d have to take on as duke.
Except that they weren’t his people. They were a side project he’d worked on. A textbook challenge to be conquered, as it were. Why should they listen to him or trust him?
It explained why he’d settled on the coaster factory. The numbers made sense. What he hadn’t taken into account, though, was how the country as a whole would be affected.
Genevieve had. She’d pointed it out to him multiple times. She saw the bigger picture. She cared.
Theo saw the numbers. Which was a useful skill in its own right. Didn’t qualify him to be duke, though. And maybe sloughing off the title would give him a better chance with the princess. She’d be impressed that he cared enough about his people to know that he wasn’t the best, the smartest choice for them.
Her open mouth did not, however, indicate even being in the vicinity of impressed. “Why on earth would you do that?”
“I still want to help. I want to make sure our people have better opportunities.”
“Which you can do by taking over when your father is gone. As the Duke.”
“It’s not the right fit for me. I’ve spent my whole life avoiding titles, avoiding the absolute authority of a monarch. I push against it. Don’t want to be constrained by it. Meanwhile, my sister’s been here, head down, doing what needed to be done. I have a career—at least, I think I do. It is the right thing for my sister. Hanna only has the estate she’s cared for in our father’s name. She deserves it.”
“That doesn’t matter. Theo, you can’t do this.” Her denial was loud enough to swing around the heads of the party guests trying to crowd closer and eavesdrop.
What was with her pushback? “I can. I had Simon look into the legality. Not very different from a quit-claim on a house after a divorce.”
“No, I mean it isn’t that simple. Giving up a title endowed centuries ago by a king is an insult to the current Crown. It’s an insult to me.”
Oh, shit. How had this gone so wrong, so fast? “It’s the opposite. I’m simply not the best person for the job.”
She threw her arms out to the sides. “For goodness sake, Theo, neither am I. You think anyone should be defined at birth for what they’ll be as an adult? That’s such a burden. But once it is laid on you, you become the person with that responsibility, and you do your best. You do more, you work harder, because you know that you’re not the best choice.”
Theo glanced around. Confirmed that, yes, everyone at the party was now glued to their discussion. As if this conversation wasn’t rough enough without an audience. He jammed his hands in his pockets, trying to appear casual, in a nothing to see here kind of way.
“Being glued to your side all these weeks, I’ve seen what true duty, commitment looks like. That’s what fuels your every decision.”
“You’re the same, wanting to bring in your misguided factory.”
Nice how she’d managed to toss in a dig in the middle of their fight. That took talent. “Except that’s not the real reason why I came back. I saw fixing things in the duchy as a stepping stone to get back in my father’s good graces. To prove I was worthy in his eyes. I’m not selfless enough to be in charge of it.”
“This is absurd. You can’t renounce. It makes a mockery of the gift of the title and lands to your ancestors. You don’t have a choice.”
Aaaand they’d circled back around to everything he’d railed against for so long about being kicked out of the country originally. How the monarchy had robbed him of his choice. How he’d never, ever submit to that again.
Teeth gritted, he said, “Everyone has a choice, Genny. You have a choice.”
“Oh, Theo. That’s where you’re wrong. I absolutely do not have a choice. That’s the biggest takeaway from our trip. I don’t get to choose when to be or not be a princess. It defines all other choices in my life.” She paused, looked past him. Took a deep breath. “Including who I share my life with.”
No.
She was not breaking up with him. Not when he’d barely had the chance to apologize fully for the hell and embarrassment she was going through. Not when he’d bared his heart and was ready to do anything to support her. Not when he’d made this ultimate gesture of acknowledging that the duties of the royals were, indeed, worthy of his respect and that he wasn’t at their level.
The scrum of photographers surged around them, out of the blue. Instinctively, Theo put a steadying arm around Genny’s waist. No need to hide their, ah, physical connection any longer with those photographs out there. A woman shot her hand in the air, waving. “Your Highness, a few more questions. We’re being dismissed from the party soon.”
“Ah, yes. Can’t have you spilling the secret of whether or not Princess Kelsey blows out all her candles in one breath. Shall I send someone to go get her and Christian so you can get all three of us together?”
“Our question is just for you, Princess.” The reporter gestured for her cameraman to hand her a tablet. “Have you seen the photos of Lord Theo?”
Her smile grew brittle around the edges. “I believe that was on your list of topics not to be discussed this evening. It is a party, after all. Not the time or place for hard-hitting journalism.”
“The boat pictures were, yes, off-limits. I mean the other ones. That just came out. Did you know Lord Theo was with another woman while you were together?”
It was an outright lie, so Theo wasn’t worried. He stepped forward to deny, to take the burden off of Genevieve. But then the reporter thrust the tablet at her. Angled so the princess could see it, but he couldn’t.
Beside him, she gasped. Softly enough that nobody else could hear. But the fact that he had, that he’d heard any reaction at all, meant that whatever she did see was very, very bad. As did the absolute stiffness that imbued her body.
“I’m afraid I can’t comment. As I said, this is my sister’s birthday—her first one with us—and I need to get back to her. Do excuse me.” Genevieve flashed one more smile and then walked away.
Away from him.
Theo didn’t want to make a scene. Didn’t want to bring any more humiliation to her or ruin the party. But whatever had just happened, this could be his only chance to fix it. So he hurried after her, not caring who noticed. Not caring how many people he elbowed and shouldered past.
Instead of stopping by Kelsey, the princess took a hard right around the arbor, weighted down by dripping bougainvillea. And then Theo almost plowed into her, because she’d stopped abruptly and bent over, hands braced on her thighs.
“Genevieve? Are you all right?”
“No, I most certainly am not.” Her voice sounded thick and choked. Her back heaved. It was clear she was fighting back tears.
Over him? Holy hell, that stabbed at his heart.
“Genny. My darling, what is it? Whatever it is, we can fix it together.”
She reached out, grabbing a thick trunk to pull herself back up. Blossoms crushed under her hand. And in the moonlight, her tear tracks were easy to see glistening on her cheeks, still tinged golden from their weekend at sea.
“There are a lot of things that can be fixed when they are broken. Trust, however, is not one of them. How could you, Theo?”
Panic knotted his gut. “For the love of God, I have no idea what you’re talking about. What did that woman show you?”
“
A picture of you. Here in Moncriano. In a very…compromising position with a woman. Why would you cheat on me? When you knew how much we risked to be together? Why not just break it off, as we would have inevitably done anyway?”
He held up both hands. “Stop. Right there. There’s nothing inevitable about us breaking up. And I never cheated on you. I haven’t touched another woman in months. No woman compares to you. I wouldn’t disrespect you like that.”
“Don’t compound the cheating with lies. I know what I saw.”
“Genny, I’m not lying. Whatever she showed you was doctored, I’m sure of it. Maybe by someone who wants to see my report invalidated.”
“The who, the why, doesn’t matter.” Those beautiful violet eyes clouded with more tears. “All that matters is that I trusted you. I let you closer than any man, any person has been outside of my family. I risked everything…and you threw that in my face. Apparently just as you want to do with your title. I guess I’m seeing a theme emerge.”
“No. You have to believe me. Genny, please, give me a chance—” Theo reached for her arm, but she snapped away.
“Don’t touch me. You had your chance, Lord Theo. You only get one.” Her voice iced over. “And it’s Princess Genevieve to you from now on. Your palace credentials will be immediately revoked. You should leave now. And know that you didn’t just break my trust. You broke my heart.”
It was the last thing in the world he’d ever do.
But as she wiped away her tears and bravely reintegrated into the crowd, Theo knew for certain that losing her—however it had happened—was the biggest mistake of his life.
Chapter Twenty-One
Being a princess was a twenty-four/seven job that more often than not did, indeed, require working weekends. But the flip side of that? When your world crashed down around you, you could wield your rank and cancel everything on a random Friday afternoon…and indulge in a princess pout session.
At least, that was what Kelsey had labeled it.
Genevieve appreciated that Kelsey and Ambra had circled the wagons to support her. However, she’d far rather be in her bedroom, with the curtains drawn, still sobbing in the dark.
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