Page 56 of Royal Charmer
Lucas lied to me.
My gut knots, bile rising in my throat. It was a lie of omission, but still a lie. After he swore on his life to always be one hundred percent honest with me. He said he was a man of honor, and I believed him. After everything I’ve been through, he knows how important honesty is to me. I trusted him.
Lucas is not the man I thought he was. I need a man of integrity. Not someone who deceives because it’s convenient to do so. I can’t be with someone like that, especially after Mason and Riley’s feast of lies. I desperately want to bolt, but I feel too shaky to manage it.
“Everything worked out fine,” Lucas says dismissively.
I tense. Even being a newcomer, I know his casual tone is going to irk the king. What happens if you go against the wishes of the king? My mind whirls with the hideous possibilities—excommunication, exile, moldering away in a dungeon for life.
Anna pipes up. “I agree with Lucas. Everything worked out.”
I’m frozen in place, sick to my stomach, unsure what to do or say.
Gabriel turns to Anna. “Did you know that Lucas went forward with the engagement after I told him not to?”
“No,” she says solemnly. She turns to look at me and Lucas, and then back to her husband. “But I hoped.”
“You hoped?” he echoes in a quiet voice that’s somehow more intimidating than a shout.
“Yes!” she exclaims, gesturing toward us. “It’s romantic! And Alice needed the inspiration for her story.”
Gabriel scowls. “Oh, well, if Alice needs inspiration, by all means—”
“Enough,” Lucas barks, drawing everyone’s attention. “Leave Alice out of it.”
“I will,” Gabriel bites out. “I blame you entirely, and when this blows up in your face, which it will, I want nothing to do with it, and you will have no further role in our business.”
My stomach drops. Lucas went forward with our fake engagement even knowing he could be cut out of the business that means so much to him? Why would he do that? The only reason I can think of is that he does whatever it takes to reach his goal by any means necessary. I don’t believe the ends always justify the means. Honor and integrity are important.
“Gabriel,” Anna says softly, and then whispers something to him.
He cups her jaw, brushing his thumb across her cheek in a tender gesture. “Darling, you’re exempt from blame due to the advanced state of your pregnancy making you sentimental.”
“Not everything is hormones!” she protests.
Servants enter, and the room goes quiet again as drinks are refreshed. I quickly drain my wine and accept another.
Lucas speaks up as soon as the servants leave. “Conservative bankers value the institution of marriage. We need to keep it going.”
My throat tightens, my eyes hot. Why does it hurt so much to know he’s using me to fix his image? We’re using each other.
I let him get too close is the problem. Otherwise, why would I be so upset over him?
“The truth will get out,” Gabriel says, “which is why I was against it in the first place.”
“People believe us,” Lucas says. “No one would question it.”
“And why are you so damned confident?” Gabriel asks.
“Because she’s mine,” Lucas says in a firm voice that brooks no argument.
The room goes utterly silent. Everyone is staring at Lucas, including me.
I grip my napkin tightly in my lap as I speak up loud and clear. “Lucas, I am not yours.”
His jaw clenches, but he says nothing.
I turn to Gabriel, the words tumbling out in a rush. “I only wanted to help, Your Majesty. I won’t go to the site visit with the bankers. I’m very sorry. I didn’t know you were opposed to the fake-engagement idea, and I confess that I went along with it in no small part to help my story because I’ve had serious writer’s block and the book is so overdue. If Jules asks, you can just say the engagement ended under mutual agreement.”
