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“Your PR rep told me, right before she offered me money to keep my fucking mouth shut.” He laughed again, his eyes focused somewhere above her head. “Enough money to pay off my house, I might add. I’ll be living very comfortably, thanks to Prince George. Hell, we both will.”
Her heart shattered. The man she’d wanted to trust with her heart had been paid off, and he’d accepted it. “Y-You took the bribe?”
“Why wouldn’t I?” he asked, his voice hard. “We had fun. It’s over. I got money out of the situation. We all win, Princess. So go back to your pretty little life with your pretty little prince, and live in your pretty little castle.”
She shook her head, backing up. Princesses don’t cry. Princesses don’t cry. Princesses don’t— “Why are you doing this? Why are you being so…so…?”
“Me?”
“No, mean.”
He shrugged but didn’t meet her eyes. “It’s how I’ve always been. I was being nice to get you in bed, so I could maybe score some cash, but that’s over now. I got what I wanted out of you.”
She slapped him. Actually slapped him in front of the royal guard. Backing away from him, she stopped trying to hold the tears back. Stopped trying to act strong. Just…stopped. He’d used her. Betrayed her. Hurt her.
And he didn’t even care.
“You’re not who I thought you were,” she sa
id.
He cupped his cheek, his dark eyes flashing. “Funny. You’re exactly who I thought you were.”
“I never want to see you again,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Enjoy your money. It was well earned.”
He laughed, but the sound didn’t match his eyes. “Indeed, it was. Have a good life, Princess. It’s been real.”
She turned and ran for the car, tears streaming down her cheeks. She almost made it there, but then she stiffened and turned around. He stood there, watching her with an empty look in his eyes. One that almost made her go back. Almost. “I didn’t say yes. I told him I wanted to be with you.”
His jaw flexed. “You shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know.” She inclined her head, swiping her hands across her wet cheeks. “Silly me. I thought you actually cared, and I cared, too.”
“Belle…”
He took a step toward her but stopped.
Shaking his head, he let out a long breath. He didn’t say anything else. Instead, he walked away from her, for the third time that night. This time…
She let him.
When she got back to her room, Mary was waiting for her. She had the cursed laptop on her knees, and she looked as if she’d been waiting for her for way too long. She smiled when the door opened, her gaze going behind her. “Here she is now. I’m sure she has Prince George…” She faded off. “Where’s Prince George? He went to get you.”
She closed the door behind her, collapsed against it, and rubbed her forehead. “I have no idea. I left him at the theatre hours ago.”
“Why do you look so sad?” her father asked, his tone confused. “You did it. He still wants to marry you. Whatever you said to him yesterday worked.”
“Yay,” she said. “May I go to bed now?”
“Why isn’t Prince George with you?” her mom asked.
“I told him I didn’t want to marry him, and then I left.” She closed her eyes. “I wanted to marry Gordon.”
“Did you go to see him?” Mary asked, her voice a little panicked. “What did he say?”
“Yes. He told me about your little arrangement. Don’t worry, he’ll stay quiet.” She glared at the computer. “You guys offered him enough money to make certain he did. I’m not surprised he accepted it.”
“What?” her mother asked.