Page 45 of Royally Knocked Up
“Enzo…”
“It’s going to be fine.”
He led the way into the throne room. He could feel her reluctance, and he wished he knew what to do about it — but the best he could do was to face this with her.
His father sat at the head of the room. He was sitting in the throne itself, which was new to Enzo. He frowned. He had believed his father wouldn’t take that seat until after the coronation. There must be some reason he had chosen to sit there now.
“Father,” he said.
His father did not speak.
Instead, he pulled out a tabloid magazine and threw it down on the floor at Enzo’s feet.
Enzo looked down at the magazine and then back up at his father, who gestured to it. Bending down, Enzo picked it up.
It had been folded open to a page that featured a photo — of Hailey.
He frowned and looked up at his father. “What is this?”
“Read it.”
He turned the page.
King’s Youngest Son Has Secret Love Child With Unknown American!
Enzo stared at the headline.
Then he looked up at his father. “What the hell is this all about?”
“I think you had better tell me,” his father said frostily.
“I have no idea. I don’t know what this is. Someone is making up lies.”
“Are you having an affair with this woman?” his father demanded.
“It’s not anaffair.”
“So you are!”
“Father, we’ve spent time together,” Enzo said, feeling irritated beyond measure. “You surely can’t object to me spending time in the company of a young woman. I assure you, she’s perfectly respectable. We worked together at La Fantasia.”
“I know who she is,” his father said.
“You had her investigated already? My God, father, you have no shame.”
“I’m not the one who’s overstepped here, Enzo.”
“I haven’t done anything to warrant this sort of behavior. And this article is a lie. It’s anobviouslie. I can’t believe something like this seriously. You owe Hailey here an apology.”
“Ms. Jones,” Enzo’s father said, “if this is a lie, I would like to hear that from you, please.”
Enzo handed the magazine to Hailey.
She didn’t take it. She stared at the headline, unmoving, clearly shocked so badly that she couldn’t bring herself to react.
Enzo put a hand on her shoulder, aching with guilt that she had been exposed to this. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “You shouldn’t haveto deal with this. I’ll find the reporter responsible and we’ll have him removed from his job for it. But just tell my father the truth, and you and I will be able to leave.”
A tear slipped down her cheek.
