Page 24 of His Hidden Royal Heirs

“Your cabin on that island wasn’t exactly full of knickknacks.”

“I ran away in the dead of night. To a polar island with limited resources. If I had access to home decor, I would have certainly bought some. But my focus was on not being detected and keeping these two healthy.” She rested her hands on her belly.

His gaze followed them. “What made you choose that island for your escape?” he asked, his gaze remaining on her stomach.

She studied him with suspicion. Why did he care? What was he trying to get out of her? Would he use her answer against her in some way? File away everything she said so he could follow her inevitable escape?

But he was looking at their children, essentially. Even if he couldn’t see them, that was why he was studying her stomach. He was thinking aboutchildren. And maybe if they could both realize that these two were the most important thing, and the adults in the situation weren’t sworn enemies, they could come to some reasonable conclusions and agreements.

She had to believe that. “I saw a video. I liked the idea of polar night. Of being able to hide away in months of darkness while I figured out what to do.”

“You did not find this polar night...depressing?”

She smiled a little, even though she shouldn’t let her guard down like this. “No. It was...cozy. I like being on my own. Deciding each day what I want to do. It was especially important to be alone to make the decisions I needed to make.”

Something in his expression darkened, but he made no scathing remark. His attention went back to his newspaper. But she began to wonder if he was even reading it, or if it was just a prop. If this was all just an act.

“I do not know what you think you’re doing, but you’re hardly going to butter me up with sweets and change my mind about everything.”

His eyebrow rose as he slowly set the newspaper aside and then turned to her. “I do not wish to change your mind. The marriage will go through regardless of how you feel about it.”

She could have groaned, but she needed to resist those urges. Take a page out of his book and offer nothing but a calm, impenetrable sense of right.

She leaned forward, as comfortably as she could with her belly right there. She tried to sound calm and rational instead ofaccusatory. “Let me ask you something, then. Why do you think marriage is the right choice? You clearly have not watched two people make each other miserable at the cost of their children.”

“No, I have not. Nor will we.”

She wished she could believe it would be that easy. But she had seen too much. “Just because we don’t love each other doesn’t mean there won’t be hard feelings. It certainly doesn’t mean there won’t be battles of our wills. I would like to avoid such things. Perhaps you don’t understand. Perhaps I haven’t been clear. I truly did not tell you because I was so focused on...making certain my family did not know that I did not think of how to track you down. It was not my intention to cut you out. If we can find a way to keep my identity unknown, I am happy to share custody in a careful, fair way.”

“Perhapsyoudon’t understand. We might not love each other now, but this does not mean we can’t.”

Zia laughed. The sound bubbled up and right out of her.

But Cristhian did not laugh at what had to be a joke as well. He did not smile. He did not wink.

He just sat there, looking at her placidly, as if he was serious.

Clearly he’d lost his mind.

Or she had lost hers.

CHAPTER NINE

THESHOCKONZia’s face was enough to make Cristhian smile. Genuinely. It was important she think love was an option if he was going to force that eventuality. It was imperative she thoughthimopen to such things.

“Cristhian,” she finally managed to say. “You... You can’t be serious.” But she sounded more...frightened than censuring. Interesting.

“The way I see it, we entered into this as strangers who shared an uncommon amount of chemistry. Hence the children.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Yes, hence.”

“Perhaps you did not go about it the way you should have, but we can set this aside.”

“Oh.Canwe?”

Again, his smile was genuine. She was entertaining at times, he’d give her that. “It is my understanding that the way people go about falling in love is to get to know each other. We should do this. See if we can’t...open ourselves up to something.”

She blinked once, as if she was trying to rid herself of the look of horror on her face. It didn’t work.

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