Page 62 of The Queen's Vow (Ruthless Games 2)

FORTY-ONE

ANTHONY

My heart froze. DidI just hear what I thought I heard?

“Anthony,” Rebecca had said softly, looking at me with a smile. “It should be Anthony.”

I stared at Bastien, who gently nodded. With us being lovers now, he lost the fight in him to grab the throne for himself.

“Sorry, I have to object,” Giancarlo said, raising his index finger. “Anthony only would have ruled by default, Becca because your brother abdicated his responsibilities. And only if you married him. You’re not marrying him.”

Anger flooded through me, but as Bastien learned to accept our new reality, I had to accept Gian’s opposition with grace and not gut him with my knife. “And who do you suggest?”

“Me,” fired from his smug lips.

“Gian?” Rebecca said, going breathless.

“You don’t think I could do it, Becca?”

“No,” she said, and we all gasped. “Because you don’t want it. Your heart wouldn’t be in it. You’d be doing it for your mother. You run a cyber empire. That’s your power.”

“I appreciate that, baby. But a Bianco should rule.”

“Last I checked,” I rubbed my chin, “You’re a Byrne.”

“Yeah?” Gian scoffed. “That alone should send ice down your spine.”

“Giancarlo...” Becca went to him and stroked his face. “I had no idea you felt this way, or I—”

“You wouldn’t have suggested me, angel?” My heart pounded, thinking she agreed with Gian’s dynastic logic.

“I would have talked to him about it first. I don’t want a war between us,” she said firmly.

“I have a suggestion,” Julian spoke up.

I crossed my arms. “This should be good. Who?”

“Me.”

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