Page 26 of Royal Secret

“Ooh, you gotta tell me now!”

Taking a deep breath, I launch into the tale that sounds too fantastical to be real, even to my own ears. “I met this guy, Jakob. We spent the night together…” My words falter for a moment, but I shake off the hesitation. “Then I woke up to him taking that sapphire necklace Grandma left me.”

“Wait, what?! He stole from you?” Her voice is sharp and angry.

“Yes, but there’s more.” I hesitate, considering how insane the next part sounds. “He’s a prince, Gin. Of Bergovia. And he says the necklace is actually his family’s heirloom.”

Silence crackles over the line before Ginny exhales a long, slow whistle. “Courtney, that’s…wow. That’s not your usual type at all.”

I burst into laughter. “You’re right. I don’t usually go for princes,” I say sarcastically. “I went and found him after he took the necklace, and he… he offered to show me around Bergovia, like some kind of personal tour guide.”

“Really?” She gets quiet.

“I know.” I bite my lip. “Is that weird?”

“He stole the necklace, and now he wants to hang out with you? If it were anyone else, I would say yes, it’s weird. But this is you.”

“What doesthatmean?”

“Girl, it means you have no clue how hot and cool you are.”

My cheeks warm. “I dunno…”

“You think he has some ulterior motive?”

“Maybe?” I sigh. “I don’t know what that would be, though, so maybe I’m just being paranoid.”

“Or it’s your intuition.”

“Hold on; I’m going to do some quick digging.”

Phone still pressed to my cheek, I open up my laptop. My fingers fly over the keys, pulling up a search engine. I type in “Bergoviaroyal family, sapphire necklace” and hit enter, my heart thumping against my ribs. Images begin to populate the screen, and there it is — a black-and-white photo of a regal woman, her confident gaze timeless. Around her neck is the unmistakable glimmer of the sapphire necklace.

“So, from what I can see, he’s telling the truth about the necklace.” I zoom in on the image, the stones catching the light even in the grainy photograph. “I found a picture of Jakob’s great-grandmother wearing it.”

“Okay, so maybe he wasn’t lying about it being his family’s. But that doesn’t explain how it ended up with your grandma.”

“Exactly.” I sit down on the bed, the pieces of the puzzle jumbling in my head. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

“I just can’t see your grandma doing something like that,” Ginny insists. “There’s got to be more to Jakob’s story.”

“Maybe you’re right,” I admit, chewing on my lower lip. “But what can I do? It’s not like I can waltz into his family’s vault and take it back.”

“True,” Ginny concedes with a laugh, though there’s a hint of mischief in her tone. “But wouldn’t that be an adventure? Just imagine sneaking around a royal palace. VeryOcean’s Eight, minus the heist part.”

The corners of my mouth tilt up. “Tempting, but I’m pretty sure it’s tucked away behind steel doors and laser grids by now. Anyway, it belongs to them. Jakob was right. I shouldn’t demand it back… Ican’tdemand it back.”

“Then at least promise me you’ll have fun,” Ginny urges. “Don’t let this prince stop you from enjoying Bergovia.”

I bite my lip again. Usually, I tell my best friend everything, but I’m hesitant to reveal that Jakob is the biggest thing I’m enjoying about Bergovia.

“And stay safe,” she adds before we say our goodbyes.

Hanging up, I shake off the last remnants of doubt and grab my clothes. A glance at the clock tells me Jakob will be here any minute. I slip into a simple sundress, its fabric brushing against my skin and making me feel free and lighter than I’m used to.

There’s a knock on the door just as I’m fastening the clasp on my sandals — a sound that sends my heart into a gallop. I inhale deeply, trying to steady myself, and open the door to find Jakob standing there, his presence commanding even in a T-shirt and jeans.

“Good morning,” he says, his eyes lighting up with a warmth that feels as if it’s just for me.

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