AudreyI had to get out of here.“Ash, come on!” I pulled her hand, waking from my trance. Roman turned around and tapped a man’s shoulder before pointing his finger towards my sister and me.“Ash, come on!” I spoke one more time, but Ashley held me by my arm to stop me from walking. “We won’t move, we’ll stay here, and we’ll see what he does.” She decided. I looked down at Mars, who was still in my arms and seemed completely unfazed.“Ash, let’s g—““Audrey Sinclair?”Ashley and I stared at the man who called out my name from a distance. It was the same man Roman had spoken to. I moved my eyes to the balcony, but Roman had already disappeared. Vanishing into thin air seemed to be his talent. What was his game? What was he up to?The mysterious man made his way through the crowd and made eye contact. “Audrey Sinclair, that’s you, right?”“Yes?” Ashley spoke. “I’m her sister. Can we help you?”The man sm
Audrey“So, who is that little boy?” Roman asked in a demanding tone. He looked at me as if I owed him an answer.“What? What little boy?” I glared at him. That was definitely some way to start a conversation. He had a lot to explain, and the last person he should be asking about was Mars.Roman sighed. “We both know it wasn’t a ghost, I meant the little boy who just went with your sister.”“Oh, that’s my little brother.” I couldn’t help but smile at his remark. The way he carried himself hadn’t changed much. He sounded just as demanding, but back then in Vegas, I had found it to be attractive. He had a doubtful expression and looked me up and down, judging me. Maybe it was my T-shirt, perhaps my ripped jeans or the sneakers underneath? Who knew?“Y-your brother?” Roman spoke, relieved. By his reaction, I could tell the idea of Mars being his son would be like a nightmare to the prince. “He looks so much like…for a second I-I thought
RomanThis must be the best fucking day of my life.Quite frankly, that was all which was going through my mind as I paced back and forth with a succeeded smile on my lips. It felt like I had just won the lottery, and no one could take that away.“Are you really my daddy?” The young boy who would be the answer to all of my problems asked. I knelt, reaching for his hand.Thirty minutes had passed, and in those minutes, Mars’ had shown me how confident and brave he could be. The right qualities for a crown prince. Mother would like this.“I sure am.” I nodded. “Which makes you a prince as well.”He was a prince, no doubt. I would make him my crown prince. I would use him as a pawn and shape him into the young heir my family always wanted.As for Audrey? I would have to make her my crown princess, at least until I had Mars and all the officials under control.“When is mommy coming back?” Mars asked. I was at a loss
AudreyThis is not my bed.I rubbed my eyes and yawned before scanning the large bedroom. That’s right. I was at the palace.After Mars insisted on staying here, I could not decline his request. I would not take away the opportunity for him to have a relationship with his dad, no matter how much I despised the so-called crown prince.With a smile on my lips, I turned to wake my son, but I couldn’t find him beside me.“Mars!”I sat up straight and panicked as I looked around the room, but I could not find my son. “Mars!”In a hurry, I jumped from the bed and opened the large door leading to the hallway. “Mars!”My worst nightmare became a reality.A young maid ran over and bowed. “Excuse me, miss.” She spoke. “Are you looking for the boy?”Desperate, I grabbed her hands. “Yes, do you know where he is?”“Yes, miss.” The maid nodded. “He’s having breakfast with the royal family. The crown
AudreyMarry him?Is this man insane?My jaw dropped. “Roman—““No, listen!” Roman grabbed my hands, shocking me even more than he already had. “I haven’t been able to do a lot for you or Mars, and for that, I’m so sorry.” He apologized. “I talked with your sister, and she told me that your financial situation isn’t the best at the moment—so please let me help you…both of you.”Did he talk with Ashley? How did my sister even find out about my financial situation, and more importantly, why was she telling the crown prince of Penevia my business?Embarrassed, I turned my head. “I don’t need your money, and you can look after your son from a distance,” I sneered. “Despite that, I’m not cut out to be a princess, and we don’t even love each other.”“I think you’ll make a great princess,” Roman said. “And we can learn to love each other.”Learn to love each other?Just hearing him speak was enough to get me to puke. Was I really talking to the same man who had an ego larger than the palace?
Audrey“Oh my god, sister!” Ashley squealed, pacing back and forth. “Do you even realize you’re marrying the prince?”“Do you even know what this means?”I repeatedly bumped my head against the closet, hoping for all of this to be nothing more than a stupid dream.What the hell was I actually doing here?After returning to my room, the first thing I grabbed was a notebook to write down my terms. Being a princess for a year under my conditions didn’t sound bad.How difficult could it be?I bet all the royals did was sit down and do nothing.I took another look at my notes, doubting my decision. Was I really that desperate for money? I hadn’t even asked Mars about how he truly felt about all of this. What if he ended up changing his mind?“Ashley, I’ll call the prince and tell him all of this was nothing more than a stupid mistake—““Shut it!” Ashley slammed her hand over my mouth and held me in a chokehold. “You’re lucky we aren’t twins—don’t you dare ruin this for us!”“Us?” I managed
Roman“Cousin, I still believe you have officially lost it.” Brandon raised his glass as a mocking grin appeared on his lips. “I mean, marrying a commoner?”“I guess so.” I clicked our glasses. Yes, I had lost it—but I was running out of options, and Audrey and that little boy both came as a blessing. They were exactly what I needed not only to save the kingdom but also to get Soliste and King Abel off our backs.I grabbed the liquor bottle and waved at my bodyguard, beckoning him to come over. “Come on, another glass for you—Dalton!”As politely as ever, Dalton bowed his head. “Your highness—““Ah!” I shook my head. “Roman.”Dalton sighed. “Roman, I have to refuse—““As your future king, I order you!”Startled, Dalton had once again bowed his head before stepping closer to fill his glass. Although we had known each other for a long time, he had been hypnotized by his father’s ways. His father, Lotus, had been the head of the royal security for years—so it was only a given that he wou
Audrey“The 365 days will start from the day we get married.” Roman cleared his throat. “We’re allowed to see other people but perhaps a bit discreet to avoid any scandals.”As long as he wouldn’t be touching me, I had no complaints.“Oh, and don’t fall for me.” The cocky smirk plastered on Roman’s lips looked hilarious. He was the perfect definition of an arrogant prince, expecting everyone to be at his feet.The sun had set, and just as promised—I had found myself in Roman’s room to read him my terms. Of course, the crown prince’s ego was so huge he felt the need to go first.“Don’t you worry about that—Roman,” I spoke sarcastically. “I’ll try to hold myself back.”Unable to see I was making fun of him, Roman smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”Ignoring his behavior, I grabbed my notebook to read him my terms. In my opinion, they weren’t that complicated, and I had actually kept it nice considering the circumstances.“I want to travel freely between Penevia and home,” I told Roman, look