Page 21 of Royal Valentine

After I told her what had occurred, she grabbed her phone. “How are there no stories about this? A picture of you and Prince Callum together on Valentine’s Day would have been worth a lot of money.”

“I know.” The public would eat that story up. While it used to be how things worked—princes and princesses marrying each other—these days most European royals seemed to wind up with commoners that they’d fallen in love with.

“I’ll have to call my boss and tell her everything,” she said apologetically, and I nodded at her. My cousin’s wife would get to the bottom of this situation, and there was no one better equipped to handle this sort of thing.

“Let me know if she’s upset and I’ll speak to her.” I didn’t want Anne to be in trouble for doing what I’d asked. “I’m going to take a shower.” It had been a long time since I’d done that, and I hoped it would help to lift my spirits.

But it didn’t. I kept seeing Callum’s face, hearing the romantic things he’d said to me. No wonder we’d gotten along so well and had so many similar interests. We’d basically been raised the same way and had the exact same background.

I got out of the shower and wiped the steam off my mirror, studying my sad reflection.

Well, I had wanted a romantic adventure.

I’d certainly gotten what I’d asked for.

Between my mother, Anne, Lemon, and getting ready for the Fiorelli Foundation ball, I was kept busy for the next couple of days. No stories ever came out, no photosever popped up. We were all mystified. I had no idea how long we’d been followed—there could have been all kinds of incriminating pictures that I’d been unaware of because I’d been so consumed by Callum.

I tried to stop myself from conjuring his face up in my mind because every time I did, there was pain and regret and a sense that I’d lost something unique.

But no matter how much I told myself not to, I kept thinking about him.

The night of the ball, I attempted to fake a headache in order to beg off from attending. I wasn’t up for dancing and smiling and pretending like everything was okay.

“You have to go,” Anne told me. “We already have your ball gown and your glam squad is here and the man being honored tonight is a major donor for the foundation. You have to at least make an appearance.”

She’d gotten a lot bossier since I’d returned. I wondered if that was Lemon’s doing, if she’d told my assistant to handle me better.

“Yes, ma’am,” I said and curtsied to her. She just rolled her eyes in response.

Even if I’d wanted to skip the event, I really did love getting dressed up and putting on a tiara. It felt magical every single time.

I traveled with my parents to the ball. They always enjoyed these royal events and catching up with my uncle and aunt, the former reigning monarchs of Monterra. I planned on making an appearance and then sneaking upstairs to spend time with my cousins’ army of children.

King Dominic’s oldest son had beaten me atMario Kartthe last time I’d seen him, and I owed him a rematch.

We were formally announced at the door and immediately surrounded by a small crowd of people whowanted to greet us. I shook hands and smiled until my cheeks hurt. I skirted along the edge of the ballroom, heading for the back stairs that led to my cousins’ private apartments. Despite being stealthy, it felt like I was being watched.

When I got to the doorway, I glanced around the room to see if I was being followed. Luigi was probably going to take his duties far too seriously now and would be my constant shadow.

My heart stopped when I saw who was looking at me.

It wasn’t Luigi.

It was Callum.

CHAPTER NINE

He was wearing a formal black dinner jacket with a bow tie, a crisp white shirt, and a red-and-black sash over his left shoulder. The tartan of his kilt was red and black squares. He was so handsome and it shocked me so much he was in Monterra that, for a full three seconds, I thought I was imagining him.

Callum walked through the ballroom, and I was torn between a desire to flee and a conflicting one to stay put so that I could properly take in all his magnificence.

Then he was standing in front of me. “Ilaria, may I speak to you in private?”

My voice wasn’t working. I nodded and took him into a parlor not far from the ballroom. I walked into the center of the room and waited while he closed the doors and then joined me.

“You are a vision,” he said. “Too beautiful to be real.”

I put a gloved hand over my fluttering stomach. “What are you doing here?”

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