A soft knock on the door woke Isabella Stark from her beauty sleep. She could hear the bustling of activities downstairs and in the courtyard. She remembered that today was her wedding day. She suddenly felt a tight nudge in her belly. In a few hours, she would be married to the crown prince of the Netherlands—her childhood betrothed and fiancé of over ten years. “Yes, come in,” she answered. The maid entered, smiling sheepishly at her. “Good morning, my lady. Hope your night was blissful?” “Good morning, Madina,” Isabella replied. “Night was fine. How was yours?” “Fine, my lady,” Madina replied. “Are you ready for your bath? The dresser will be here soon to get you ready,” she reminded her. Isabella covered herself with her sheet, grumbling. She didn’t feel like leaving her room today. Something just felt off about the day. She wished she could stay in bed the whole day. “Please give me five minutes,” she told Madina. “Of course,” Madina replied and continued whistling happily
Duke Stark’s eyes teared up as he saw his daughter in her wedding gown. She looked exactly like her mother on their wedding day. He reveled in nostalgia. Isabella could see the pride in her father’s eyes, and she almost started crying too. “He is lucky to have you, and so is the Netherlands…” “Oh, stop it, Dad,” Isabella blushed at her father’s compliment. “I mean every word, my beautiful daughter. You will make a great queen someday.” He kissed his daughter on her forehead. Tears started flowing from Isabella’s eyes, and her father quickly wiped them away with a brush of his finger. His daughter was now a grown woman—no longer his baby. It hurt him deeply to realize that fact today. The sweet father-and-daughter moment was suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door. Isabella looked out and realized her brother was ready to take her to the church. “I’ll be right behind you too,” her father said as he walked away, and she frowned deeply. She knew her family was still close by, b
Isabella, wake up!” She could hear low whispers that made her roll over and grumble until she finally opened her eyes. Wide awake, she realized she was in a small hospital room, still in her wedding dress, with her family gathered around her. That was enough evidence that her nightmare was real. She started crying again, and Fabian stepped forward. It was going to be hard for him, but he knew he had to comfort his sister. “Little sis, don’t worry. I will make sure the prince pays for humiliating you like this.”Isabella looked at him, her eyes filled with pain. “I don’t ever want to set my eyes on that prince again! I don’t want to see him ever again!” While she was still speaking, Prince Karl entered the room, looked at her, and then declared in front of her family: “I want to marry you, Isabella. With your consent, we can get married first thing tomorrow morning.” Isabella looked at him in shock. “How dare you?! Do I look like a joke to you? Can someone please tell me what in
Immediately after Aura and Prince Khalid left the church, they went to a hotel room. Smiling slyly, Aura poured a bottle of champagne and made a toast, clinking her glass against Prince Khalid’s. She was finally the winner. He was with her in the hotel, and he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. He was no longer going to marry her best friend. She couldn’t believe that her plan had finally worked.Yesterday, she had been so frustrated, wondering why Isabella always had the best of everything. She thought about it—she was also from an extremely wealthy and influential family. They were both educated and beautiful. So why was Isabella the one chosen to become the Crown Princess? In desperation, she had called Prince Khalid. “I love him,” she had told herself bitterly. She had been sleeping with Prince Khalid for the past three years without her best friend knowing. Now, Isabella was about to marry him, and Aura had to act fast before she lost everything. “Is everything okay?” Prince Khalid
Duke Stark stood at the hospital door, contemplating whether to go in and see his daughter again or allow her some privacy. On second thought, he decided to leave for now. His heart ached, and his fists clenched as he stepped out of the hospital.He was suddenly bombarded by questions from reporters. He was taken aback, wondering how they had found out which hospital they were in. He was flooded with questions he wished he had the answers to—questions about why his daughter had been abandoned at the altar on her wedding day. The flashing cameras almost made him lose his mind.Thanks to the ever-efficient security team he had recently employed, a path was cleared for him to get into his car. “Where are we heading, sir?” his driver asked, sympathy in his eyes. “The Reddington Palace,” the duke replied, tears welling up.The driver nodded and drove off.The duke intended to give the royal family a piece of his mind.The moment they arrived at the palace, he stepped in and walked straig
“Isabel, it’s time for us to go home. The doctor said you are fine,” Fabian muttered as he tried to help his sister sit up. “Dad must be home waiting for us. Let’s leave, please. You will feel better at home. Madina said she made your favorite.” Fabian tried to make her feel better.Isabel looked at herself in the mirror and realized how horrible she looked. She had been crying for hours and hadn’t even noticed that it was already night. “Before we leave, I want to make a quick call,” she said. “Tell me it’s to Prince Karl,” Fabian asked with curiosity. “Wouldn’t you like to find out?” Isabella replied sarcastically.Fabian laughed. “I’m happy your sarcasm is back. That’s my sister right there.”Isabel picked up her phone and called Prince Karl.Prince Karl was in a park close to the hospital, dressed casually in shorts and a T-shirt, with dark glasses as a disguise, when his phone rang. “For a second, I thought you would never call,” he said. “I would like us to talk more about
Early the following morning, Prince Khalid rolled over in bed, refusing to wake up when his phone suddenly rang. Grumbling, he checked the screen—it was Aura calling. “Why are you calling me so early? Are you missing me already?” he teased. “Turn on your TV immediately.”Aura’s voice sounded tense, making the sleep in his eyes disappear instantly. He quickly turned on the TV, and to his dismay, he saw his brother, Prince Karl, exchanging vows with Isabella in a wedding ceremony at the royal parish. Media from all over the world were capturing and reposting the event. “Father! Father!” Prince Khalid screamed in confusion and frustration as he ran down the stairs, forgetting he was only wearing his night garment.When he stormed into the royal office, he found his father watching the ceremony. “Father, can you see what Karl is doing?” “Get out of my office this minute!” the king thundered. “You boys will not be the death of me!” “But, Father—” Khalid tried to object. “I said leav
As the new couple left the king’s office and headed to their room, they were interrupted by the sudden arrival of Aura and Prince Khalid. Prince Karl squeezed Isabel’s hand, reassuring her that there was nothing to panic about. “Tell me this is some prank, Karl… are you for real, bro?” Prince Khalid exclaimed with increasing anger. Isabella was irritated by the audacity of her ex-fiancé and ex-best friend confronting her. She clenched her teeth in disgust. Sensing her rising emotions, Prince Karl held her firmly by the waist, making her feel protected and relaxed. However, seeing his younger brother with Isabel nearly drove Prince Khalid to madness. “You know I have better things to do with my time than involve myself in your games,” Prince Karl responded coldly. “Isabella is mine now, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it.” Aura cringed at Prince Karl’s tone; truthfully, she had always been in love with him, but he had always been unreachable, never sparing her a second glance
His injury had become infected, and your husband was rushed to the hospital after he lost consciousness. He had a fever, but fortunately, he was finally stabilized after being treated by the doctors. It was a miracle he had been rushed in early.Jules explained to Isabella, who was sitting sitting on the other side of the driver, urging him to drive faster, not caring if they were over the speed limit. All she wanted was to be close to her husband.It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault, she sniffled as the car sped on. It’s all my fault that he’s in this condition. He came to save me, and now he’s almost gotten himself killed. She tried her best, but she was unsuccessful in holding back her tears.Prince Karl was asleep when she walked into his hospital room, and she was nearly at her breaking point seeing how fragile he looked. He was so pale and weak, it scared the living hell out of her.“He’s okay, Isabella,” the doctor said. “He just needs rest.”Juice stood next to her, and thoug
It was past midnight, and Isabella’s anxiety only deepened when she woke up and found no sign of her husband’s return. She tried calling him, but he wasn’t answering, nor was he replying to any of her text messages about how the meeting had gone. That only heightened her worry.He’s a grown man, not a baby, she told herself, but that didn’t ease her concern. Sighing deeply, she rolled over in bed, restless and unable to sleep. She got to her feet and wrapped a blanket around her body, then stepped outside and sat on the bench near the house. She felt safe since the area was well-lit and the house heavily guarded.She sipped her coffee, determined not to fall asleep until her husband returned. Fabian, her brother, was also taking a midnight stroll when he spotted his sister seated on the bench, worry clearly etched on her face. He smiled warmly and sat beside her, and she immediately rested her head on his shoulder.“Are you okay?” he asked.“No,” she replied.“Is it because of your hu
The King checked his watch for the tenth time, assuming Prince Karl wasn’t going to make it. He was about to commence the meeting when his stubborn son finally walked in. Prince Karl blatantly ignored the greetings from every family member in the room and took a seat in the far corner. All he wanted was for the meeting to be over. The ache in his body had worsened, only proving how much being close to his wife acted like a drug—calming and healing.Prince Khalid’s friend, seated beside Karl, glanced at him with concern. “I had to drop my wife off at her father’s place. She’s banned from the palace, remember?” Karl said flatly, then turned to his brother. “You don’t look well yourself, Khalid.”Prince Khalid nearly coughed but swallowed the urge. Of course he didn’t look good. The past week had been hell. He couldn’t sleep. His ex-fiancée was now married to his brother and seemed to be living happily. Worse, Aura wouldn’t pick up his calls. She wanted nothing to do with him.The meetin
Seeing how happy Claire was with Fabian made Isabella wish she could carry a child of her own. As soon as she stepped in, Claire was all over her, asking about every detail of the vacation—how it went, where they stayed, what they ate. Isabella spent the whole afternoon chatting with Claire and Fabian. She was already exhausted by the time she excused herself, deciding that a walk was exactly what she needed. Slipping on a baseball cap, she boarded a taxi to Border town.She always remembered how she used to take walks down those streets as a teenager, admiring the lights. When they arrived, she paid her fare quickly. The taxi driver almost recognized her, but thankfully, she was quick to get out. As she walked down the familiar streets, memories came flooding back.Border town was where she’d had her first kiss with Prince Khalid. It was where he’d asked her to be his girlfriend at fifteen. She stopped in front of an empty bakery, and a tear streamed down her left cheek. It was the s
She had been locked in her room for days. Finally, Aura emerged, looking like the wreckage of her own life. Her hair was tangled in a loose knot, her eyes puffy and red from hours of crying. The scent of alcohol and cigarettes clung to her wrinkled clothes, and what remained of her makeup was smeared all over her face like war paint. It had been four days since she’d locked herself away—four days without food, surviving only on a bottle of whisky and a pack of cigarettes to numb the ache. Her father’s will had been read, and the rage that erupted within her was volcanic. He’d left Isabella his vacation home in Venice—a so-called token of apology on Aura’s behalf. Isabella had been handed the property, the money, the legacy—while Aura’s Uncle inherited the family company. She hadn’t wanted the business, but that house… that house was all she had cared about. And it had gone to Isabella. Why did Isabella always have to take something from her, even in her absence? Aura’s face twiste
What do you mean they went on vacation?” Prince Khalid snapped at Fabian, who had blocked him in front of the door just as he was about to enter.He had come to see Isabella, insisting he had something important to tell her—something that was a matter of life or death.“I told you, my sister isn’t here. Isabella and her husband went on vacation out of the country,” Fabian replied, his tone laced with pettiness. He relished the way Khalid’s emotions flickered when he referred to Karl as her husband. It was the least he could do instead of punching the man who had abandoned his sister at the altar.“She’s in the middle of a scandal, you fool! Why would you let my brother take her out of the country?” Prince Khalid shouted, his voice sharp with fury.Fabian stepped closer, unflinching. “You’ve got some nerve coming here and trying to tell me how to protect my own sister—especially after what you did to her. My sister and her husband can travel anywhere they please. Honestly, I should’ve
Back at the palace, Prince Khalid—freshly drunk from the bar—frowned deeply as he staggered into his brother’s room. He was heavily intoxicated and coughed loudly when his gaze fell on Isabella’s packed bags in the corner. The king had ordered that Isabella’s belongings be packed and sent to her father’s estate.Khalid wandered over to one of the bags and unzipped it, revealing her neatly folded clothes. His eyes darkened with longing.“So beautiful,” he whispered, pulling out a delicate piece of lingerie—black lace, the one meant for their wedding night. She was supposed to wear it for him. That night had never come.The ache in his chest deepened. Clutching a half-empty bottle of whiskey, he collapsed onto the bed, clutching the lingerie, bringing it to his face as he let his imagination run wild. But it wasn’t enough.Driven by obsession, he dug through the bag again and found one of her thongs. Slowly, almost reverently, he brought it to his face, inhaling deeply with a groan, his
The decision was finally made. The news of Isabella Stark being permanently banned from the palace spread like wildfire. Prince Karl was also temporarily banned for a few weeks due to his negligence of certain royal duties—something he didn’t really care about.Aura couldn’t help but smile at the news on the television. She switched it off just as Prince Khalid suddenly walked into the room.“I can explain,” she started.“Save it! What in the world is wrong with you?” he snapped.She couldn’t help but scoff loudly at how hypocritical he was being. After leaving her alone yesterday, he had absolutely no right to ask what was wrong with her. He had no right to demand anything from her now.“You are what’s wrong with me, Khalid,” she fired back. “You’re like this evil drug in my system, triggering me to do stupid things—all because of the envy I feel for Isabella. You left me alone during my father’s funeral visit just because you couldn’t bear to see Isabella, while she stood together w
In the midst of all the scandal going on in the kingdom, Isabella yawned loudly as she applied sunscreen all over her face. Thanks to Prince Karl’s private jet, they had arrived early in the morning, and now they were at the beach, sipping cold drinks and basking in the sun. She was right—coming back had been one of the best decisions she had ever made. The beautiful, tranquil surroundings helped erase every ounce of stress from her body and mind. “Help me, please,” she said to Prince Karl, who was swimming in his own thoughts. He snapped back into reality and nodded as he rubbed sunscreen on her back. It turned him on greatly, but he was determined to keep his self-control in check. They were here because she needed a break—not to make love, even though it was what he wanted more than anything.Isabella could feel her insides melting as his hands gently massaged her bare back. She wanted him too, more than she was willing to admit. “Can we talk about the new scandal?” Prince Karl