Chapter 3

We were back home in Ordene and it was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking because when I left the kingdom; I left with Isabella by my side and coming back home; she was in a coffin. My men were carrying the coffin into the car from the plane as we were going to bury her today. Just like everyone else, I was dressed in a black attire.

I pulled my lower lip in between my teeth when I heard the click of a camera. Fucking reporters. How much it pained me it wasn’t pictures of Isa and me returning from our wedding and being newlyweds, but pictures of her coffin. How much it hurts knowing she wanted to have our honeymoon. It pained me to know it would never happen.

“What happened to the Kings’ bride?”               

“How did it happen?”

“Where is she?”

“Who is in the coffin?”

“Who attacked?”

These questions were being asked by reporters, and I only wish I knew the answer to how it happened. As much as I wanted to let the people know what really happened, I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to say the words that I hated so much. My Isa was dead and I couldn’t bring her back.

I nodded toward Theo; he knew what he had to do. While he spoke to the reporters about what happened to Isabella, the rest of us made our way to the burial ground. By the time we arrived after about an hour's drive, friends and well-wishers were already there to sympathize with us.

My men lifted the coffin and we made our way into the graveyard with me in front. In my hand was a white rose, Isabella’s favorite flower. I could never understand her love for roses. I was on the lily side.

When we walked into the graveyard, I felt a slight pain in my chest. The grave had been dug and a tombstone stood prominent, as if waiting to receive her body. They placed the coffin on the bier and opened it, revealing my cold and unmoving wife.

Isabella laid like a log of wood with her brown eyes shut. I wished she would get up and glare at me, asking why she was in a wooden box. I hoped she would get up and embrace me, but that would never happen.

The priest stood in front of us after patting my shoulder like Derick had done yesterday.

“We gather here today to honor the life of Isabella Sanchez. We give thanks for life and ask God to bless now that their time in this world has come to an end. For the journey is now beginning. But for us, there is loss, grief and pain. Everyone present here has been affected, perhaps in small ways or transformative ones.”

I wanted this to end quickly.

After the priest’s first speech, we sang a song before he began saying a prayer.

“Eternal God, we pray for ourselves and for Isabella Sanchez. We stand where Earth and Heaven meet, where life is brought to death…”

“I tuned out whatever it was that he was going to say next. Everything he said only made one thing clear to me.

Our love story was over.

<<<>>>

A WEEK LATER

            Things had not been the same after the burial. Annalise and Derick left Ordene and returned to Los Angeles, where her business was. The attacker had called two days after Isa’s burial, saying I didn’t send the address to him. How on earth was I supposed to do it when he threw the phone away? Aside from that, there was nothing new in my life. It became plain and dark. There was no love, no romance, no argument and no breakfast in bed. Just work.

Mirabel would often try to cheer me up, but it was of no use. Things weren’t just the same without her. I hoped she would understand it soon.

“Sir?”

Someone touched my arm and I flinched.

“Sir, are you okay?” Theo asked. He sat across the mahogany desk in my office.

“I’m fine. Where’s Ace? I’d like to ask him a few questions. I need to know what happened that day.”

“He’s right outside the office. I had a feeling you would want to see him, so I asked him to come. Should I call him in?”

“Yes, please.”

Theo got up from the chair and went outside for a moment. He soon returned with Ace; a man with black hair, brown eyes and a scar underneath his right eye. Perhaps from that day. He stood behind Theo, mute and with his head bowed as though there was something interesting buried underneath the ground he stood on.

“Start talking.” I turned from left to right on the swivel chair I sat on.

From the way his hands shook, I could sense that he was petrified with fear.

“Ace,” I began, getting up from my seat. “There is no need to be scared unless there is something you are afraid of. What do you know?”

His eyes met mine and I could have sworn I saw tears in them. “I did everything that I could, sir. We were heading for the safe house just like you instructed when a car halted in front of ours and began shooting. The guy driving was the first to get shot and then the one in the passenger seat. The three of us at the back brought out our guns and fired back.

What we didn’t know was that during the shooting, Madam Isabella had gotten shot in the chest and was bleeding out. We were so focused on getting rid of the men that we didn’t notice. My remaining colleagues were both shot, and they died at the spot before one of the men announced that Madam had gotten shot in the chest.

They left right after. I called an ambul-

“Stop.” My legs suddenly felt weak, so I sat down. “Why did they let you live? I mean, they killed the rest. Why didn’t they do the same to you?”

“I do not know, sir, but I’m telling the truth.”

“Ace, if I ever find out that you have something to do with my wife’s murder, I’ll kill you in the slowest way possible.”

“Sir, I swear I have nothing to do with what happened. In fact, I am willing to help investigate. Whatever you need.”

I looked at Theo. He shrugged his shoulder in response and kept mute.

“Madam was nice to me, Sir. I also want to know the truth behind her death.”

“Alright. You may leave.”

He bowed and walked out of the office.

“Why didn’t you say something?” I asked Theo, reclining on the chair.

“You’re the king here, you give the orders. I just follow whatever you say and advice you if need be. That’s my job.”

“Whatever you say. Have you been monitoring Mirabel like I asked?”

After what happened to Isabella, I couldn’t take chances with my sister. She was precious to me and all the more reason for the attacker to go after her.

“Yes. The princess is a little down, but she is ready to return to school.”

“No.” I picked up the ball pen on my desk and twirled it. “She can’t return to school just yet. I’ll call her principal and explain to him.”

Theo let out a sigh. “She misses Isabella, and I think that letting her go back to school is the best you can do for her now. Anything to take her mind off the loss. She needs to have people around her.”

“The palace workers will do. They are people, aren’t they?”

“You’re stubborn.” He said, the corner of his mouth lifting. “I understand you’re worried the attacker will go after your sister, but I’ll follow her around if it helps ease your worry. That’s what I’m here for, right?”

I shook my head. “You don’t understand, Theo. I let Isabella go with those men and she still died. I can’t risk Mirabel’s life for academics. She’ll be homeschooled instead.”

“Ryder.” He ran a hand through his hair.

“Drop it, Theo.” I got up, letting him know the conversation was over. “Until I catch the bastard who killed Isabella, Mirabel stays at home. Get her an excellent teacher and it has to be a woman. I don’t need a guy trying to get in her pants.”

“You overthink things, Ryder.”

“It’s been keeping me alive.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Good.” I brought out my phone when it vibrated in my pocket. It was the private investigator I had hired for Isabella’s case. “Theo, let’s get moving. There’s somewhere we must go.”

I opened the door and paused when I saw Mirabel standing in front of the door with her smile upside down.

“You want to homeschool me?”

“How long have you been eavesdropping? Didn’t I tell you it was rude to eavesdrop on conversations?”

“You really want to homeschool me, don’t you?”

“You were eavesdropping on my conversation.”

I didn’t want to address what she was asking me about. Even though I knew Theo was right, I couldn’t risk anything. She wouldn’t understand though.

“I have to be around my friends, Ryder. You can’t lock me up in here, you know. It’s been a week since I went out. Is this how it’s going to be from now on?” Her eyes held sadness. I hated seeing her sad.

“It’s for your own good, Mira.” I stated calmly, glancing at Theo when I saw him stand beside me. “And if you want to go out, you can walk around the palace. If you miss your friends, there are workers in the palace to speak to.”

“You don’t get it, Ryder. I want to be outside and not trapped in here like I am your prisoner.” She spun on her heel and walked away.

“Mira,” I called after her, but she ignored me, “Mirabel. Don’t you dare walk away from me?”

And she walked away.

“We both knew she wouldn’t stop.” Theo pointed out.

“Shut your mouth.” I walked ahead of him, heading for my car.

“Come on, Ryder. You know the girl is going to continue acting up until you give in.”

I stopped and faced him. “I won’t give in. It’s her life we’re talking about. She can go ahead and be stubborn.”

I got into my white Mansory Vivere Bugatti Veyron and started it. Theo got into the passenger side and put on his seat belt.

“What if she sneaks out and gets in trouble?” He asked.

“Look, Theo, Mirabel is my sister and I know what’s best for her. Whatever I do is for her own good, and she’ll have to understand that. If she even considers sneaking out, I don’t mind having her locked up. As long as she’s alive.”

“I’m done trying to convince you. Whatever you choose to do is up to you.”

I said nothing and drove out of the gates. The private investigator had asked to meet up at a café a few miles away. He had something to tell me. The drive was getting a little too quiet, so I turned on the radio.

“Goodness, I love this song.” Theo increased the volume. “Bring a friend, join the crowd, whoever wanna come along.”

“Really, Theo?” I raised a brow at him and he shrugged.

“BTS is the real deal, I swear. Try listening to KPOP, you’ll be trapped in a world you can never escape from.” He said the last part as if he was a crazed character in a movie.

I turned off the radio and floored the gas pedal. “Now is not the time to think of KPOP.”

I stopped the car when I saw the traffic light change from green to red.

“Why is that car still driving with such speed?” Theo asked, looking into the side mirror.

I looked into the rear mirror and then behind me. Indeed, there was a car behind us and it didn’t seem like the car would stop. Could it be the attacker?