Page 42 of Marrying a Prince

He was beginning to realize that he was never going to get away from this place—from this imposed responsibility that he'd been born into. It was no use. He was trapped, and the only way he was going to get away from it was to disappear.

He couldn't become King if he were missing. On his own, he could finally become the personhewanted to become. Not a lapdog for Mr. Marasco or a blindly obedient son to his mother.

He shook his head as he paced his room. That seemed rash. Perhaps he was blowing this out of proportion. His mother must be blind to what Mr. Marasco really wanted. Or maybe she knew that he wasn't good for Caro, but she didn't know how to get rid of him. That must be it.

Twenty minutes later, Leo figured that dinner was over and that people were heading back to their rooms. He'd confront his mother and tell her that she needed to ask Mr. Marasco to leave. They'd figure out a way to protect the crown from Mr. Marasco's influence, because one thing was for sure, Caro wasn't safe with men like him trying to take over the crown.

He pulled open his door and stepped out into the hall. No one was around. When he approached his parent's door, he hesitated. He could hear voices on the other side.

He swallowed, hoping to still his pounding heart as he focused on figuring out who was speaking. He picked out his mother's voice right away. The second was…Mr. Marasco?

"But what if that never happens?" Mr. Marasco asked.

His mother sighed. "Trust me, we are planning on moving forward like nothing has happened. Leo will remember. The Marasco family is what Caro needs to carry us into the future."

There was a grunt which Leo could only assume came from Mr. Marasco.

"Just, don't give up. Leo will marry Gisella."

Leo's stomach twisted. He hated hearing his mother make plans for him like this. As if he didn't have a say. One thing was for sure, if he wasn't around, then this could never happen. He knew that Mr. Marasco was wrong for Caro, even though his mother was convinced otherwise.

If he weren't here, then the crown was safe. He couldn't be manipulated by his mother, and all of their plotting and planning would be for naught.

Not wanting to stand outside his parent's door listening to their ridiculous plot, he turned and headed back to his room. Once inside, Leo walked over to his closet, pulled out his suitcase, and set it on his bed. He unzipped it and flipped the top open. He was going to leave. Run away. Get Marianna and get out of this place.

After packing a few pairs of pants and some t-shirts, he grabbed some toiletries from the bathroom and packed a few more essentials. He zipped the suitcase closed and pulled at the handle. It extended, and he rolled the suitcase over to the door.

He changed out of his suit, slipping on some tennis shoes and a baseball cap. Hopefully, it would keep his identity hidden from the citizens of Caro. Just beyond Trieste were farmlands. He would be able to find a place to hide out there until the crown was successfully transferred to Ermes and he could return. It wasn't forever—just until the pressure was finally off.

The plan was perfect.

He opened his door and peeked out. No one was standing guard outside his door, which bolstered his confidence. He just might be able to sneak out of here without Filippo following him.

He grabbed his suitcase and wheeled it over to Marianna's door. After knocking three times, he paused and leaned closer to the door, straining to hear any noise.

A few seconds later, the handle turned and Marianna appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened as she glanced out behind him. "What are you doing here?" she asked, moving to peer up at him.

He slipped into her room and shut the door behind them. "I need to talk to you."

She glanced down at his suitcase and then back up at him. "Wha—"

"I'm leaving."

She closed her lips and looked at him, expectantly.

He shook his head. "Our plan isn’t working. Mother still wants me to marry Gisella, and I can't do that. I'm leaving until Ermes is crowned, and then I'll come back." He stepped up to her and grabbed her hand. "Come with me." He met her gaze. For the first time, he allowed his feelings for Marianna to bubble up to the surface. He was tired of hiding how he felt. Tired of squelching his feelings for the benefit of his country.

He was ready to act for himself, and being with Marianna was what he wanted.

"Leo, I…" She bit her bottom lip and glanced around the room.

"Come on. You can think of this as a tour of my country. Trust me, they will be mad at me, not you." He squeezed her hand.

Her gaze fell to their fingers. She was silent for a moment before she glanced up at him. "Are you going to go regardless?"

His stomach squeezed. He tried not to feel hurt by the fact that she wasn't jumping at the chance to run away with him. Had her interest been all in his head? He clenched his jaw. He was being stupid. He'd seen the way she looked at him. She was more interested than she was letting on.

But if she needed to go slow, he'd let her. He wasn't going to push her. So he dropped her hand and stepped back. "Yes. I'm going." He leaned forward and winked. "But I'd love for you to go with me."

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