Page 76 of Solstice

“Those prints. They’re missing.”

“Someone was here?”

“Someone broke into our house, came to my room, found the pictures, and took only the ones that incriminated you and Miri.” There were far worse ones in there. Ones with Carter on Lex. Ones with me on Carter. Why had they only taken the ones of Miri and me? Why not expose all of us?

“Ivy?” Abigail stood at the doorway, a concerned look on her face. “Mother is calling. You should talk to her.”

I took a deep breath and steadied myself, opting instead to dial the one person who had as much to lose as I did.

* * *

“We’re checking the security footage,”I said to my wife over a video call. This was the first time she’d talked to me in weeks, and it was about horrible news. That hurt worse than anything else, more than this stupid headline. “I don’t know how this could have happened.”

Miri sighed and ran a finger over her forehead. “It’s okay, darling. It’s not your fault.”

“I should have seen this coming.” I cleared my throat and choked back a sob.

“How could you?” She wiped a tear away, giving me a small smile.

I inhaled my cigarette, stabbing it out before shaking my head. “Are you going to deny it?”

Silence rang on her end as she bit her lips between her teeth, which meant she wouldn’t be given a choice.

“I don’t want you to be my dirty secret. I love you more than that,” I said. “Let’s just be honest. Fuck them, Miri. Fuck all of them.”

“X,” Lex cut in, giving me a knowing stare.

“You can’t do that. Your wedding is in three weeks.” Miri sighed and looked away. “We couldn’t openly be ourselves even if you did.”

I pretended like my heart hadn’t shattered into a thousand pieces. I hated that she was so far away, all alone and vulnerable in a different country.

“I love you,” I told her, blinking back tears. Letting them fall meant the asshole who violated my privacy won. I wouldn’t give in to this bullying and harassment.

“I love you, too,” she said. “Tell our prince of darkness I love him and I’m sorry.”

My focus drifted across the room to Lex, who sat on the bed with his fingers digging into the mattress. “I love you,” he called.

“Darlings,” she said. “It would be best if we don’t talk for a while.”

“We won’t be able to do that,” I said. “You know why we can’t do that. It’s already been too long.”

“We’ll have to appear like everything is normal, like this is the media grasping.” Lex pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’ll say it’s a fake.”

“You need to come home,” I continued. “Things with the king are escalating.”

Miri steeled her jaw and swallowed. “Iwon’t be able to see you for a while.”

The tone in her voice set off alarm bells in my heart and my gut. “What? Why?”

“They’re threatening to take everything away from me,” she whispered. “The titles, the money, the houses. My life. My entire life. This phone call is probably tapped.”

“Let them, Miri. You don’t need them.” My pulse raced and my knees wobbled, panic rising in my chest as reality closed in around me. I looked at Lex, who only shook his head and inhaled his cigarette. “We have to stick together.”

“I can’t.” Her voice cracked and tears streamed down her face. I hated this. Everything in me wanted to jump on a plane to England and rescue my princess. They couldn’t do this to her just because she loved me. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can,” I said. “Miri, you must. He’ll come for you if he hasn’t already. How can I protect you if you’re?—”

“Ivy, stop,” she cut in. “You’re making this harder.”

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