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“Well, you fucking did,” the prince bit out.
“If it got to you as well as it should,” Nick countered tensely, “then we shouldn’t even be having this conversation.” Getting to his feet, he began to pace restlessly, muttering, “Don’t get mewrong, Chalkias. My brother and I owe you our lives. Our future. We’re damn grateful for what you’ve selflessly sacrificed to help us, but we don’t need your fucking help if it means sacrificing your own happiness.”
The prince looked Nick in the eye. “I’m not.”
Jason’s jaw tightened. “Bullshit.”
His shoulders moving in a dismissive shrug, the prince said easily, “You’re entitled to believe what you want to believe.”
“Justthinkabout it,” Christien di Luca intruded calmly. “That is the only thing we are asking you to do.Think hard about what it means to have her go—-”
The prince laughed humorlessly. “That’s all I’ve been fucking thinking about from the first day I met her. From the fucking first day, I knew I would have to let her go because the alternative—-”
“There’s no guarantee with life,” Derek said quietly.
“Maybe in your lives,” the prince said under his breath, “but mine’s different from the rest of the world. I’m the Prince of Darkness, and the life I have now is what was given to me by birth as well as what I made it to be.”
His hand slashing in the air, the prince bit out, “Bribery, trafficking, kidnapping, drugs, every fucking crime exists inmyworld. I make no apologies for it, but I also don’t allow myself to be blinded by the consequences of my decisions.”
His fists clenching, the prince said flatly, “It doesn’t matter if Davos or any other fucking criminal gets to me. But I can’t letthem get to Fawn.” The prince shot his friends a look of grim resolve. “Ever.”
Tense silence filled the room.
“Then...” Jason expelled his breath resignedly. “We can’t do anything to change your mind?”
The prince shook his head.
“You’ll really let her go just like that?” Nick demanded.
“It’s what we’ve always known would happen,” the prince answered tonelessly.
MONTE CARLOwas the theme of the event, with the university’s newly built trade hall transformed for the night into a glamorous casino. With the design team opting for a neoclassical interior, the trade hall’s cream walls were interspersed with lustrous shades of red and gold while temporary floral accents were applied to the fifty-foot ceilings.
Intricate DIY chandeliers made from recycled materials hung over every casino table, showcasing the talents of Christopoulos University’s art department. An ongoing auction would be held throughout the night of the event, with funds coming from winning bids to be donated to the council’s chosen charity.
Even though doors were to officially open at six in the evening, long queues had started to form mid-afternoon, with the event garnering interest not only from students of CU and nearby universities but also crowds of local residents, all of whom had heard that every one of the BBF would be in attendance.
Entering one of the second-floor offices of the trade hall, the prince spied Fawn standing next to the windows, her reflection revealing her gawking expression as she watched the swelling crowd below them.
She had already dressed for the event, in a little black dress that Keanne had insisted on buying for her. It was pretty enough, the prince acknowledged grudgingly, but as far as he was concerned, there was too much ‘little’ and not enough ‘dress’ in the outfit. While the long sleeves and scooped neckline were modest enough, the dress’ paneled skirt also fell several inches above her knee. It left most of her legs exposed, and her sky-high heels, yet another gift from Jason’s provocative French fiancée, were no help at all, making her legs look a lot longer and slimmer.
Fawn had finally noticed his arrival, and turning around, she beamed at him, exclaiming, “You’re here!”
Walking swiftly towards her, the prince smiled down at her, murmuring with a wicked smile, “The Prince of Darkness in the flesh, and—-” He raised her hand to his lips, surprising her. “At your service.”
Turning red, she yanked her hand away, making him laugh.
“What’s gotten into you?” she half-mumbled, half-hissed.
“I’m merely practicing,” he said innocently, “for tonight’s opening waltz.”
“Yeah right.”
He offered his hand. “Shall we go down? Everyone’s waiting for us below.”
She shook her head, looking even more bewildered. “YouknowI can’t hold your hand. The place’s crawling with council members, have you forgotten?” When he didn’t answer, her brows furrowed, and she asked, “Is something wrong?”
Everything was wrong.