Page 94 of How to Belong with a Billionaire

They exchanged looks, and one of them said, “Of course sir,” in the voice of a “sure Jan” gif.

And I made a helpless whimpery noise because I could recognise defeat when it was dressed in hi-visibility jackets and about to escort me off the premises. My mind tilted like theTitanicgoing down. Right now, they clearly thought I was just some messed-up, possibly very unwell person who had wandered in. But if I made a run for it, that was more serious, right? Then they mighthaveto inform Caspian. Except that would mean being chased, and taken down, by people who were trained in chasing and taking down. This wasn’t America, and they weren’t armed, so I was sure they wouldn’t hurt me, like, much. But I was still scared. Too scared to risk it.

I must have looked incredibly pitiful, because the bigger of the guards actually offered me a tissue when I trudged over. Then his colleague took a firm grip on my upper arm and the two of them began escorting me towards the exit.

That was when the lift doors swooshed open. And I heard Nathaniel’s voice, obviously annoyed, going “Oh, what is it now?” at the same time Caspian said, more bewildered than anything, “Arden?”

I twisted frantically between my captors, tears of pure relief flooding my eyes. “Caspian, I’ve fucked up. I’ve fucked everything up. And I don’t know what to do.”

“Mr. Hart, do you know this”—Tissue seemed at a loss for a moment before settling on—“person. We caught him trespassing.”

“I wasn’t trespassing,” I cried. “I was trying to find you.”

“Thank you. I’ll take it from here.” Caspian nodded to his security team and then turned to me. “What’s happened, Arden? What’s wrong?”

I opened my mouth to explain—to throw myself verbally, or literally, on my knees if that was what it took. But then Nathaniel slipped his arm through Caspian’s and said, “My prince, we’re going to be late.”

“Not now.” Caspian didn’t even look at him.

“This is just another of his ploys. Can’t you see that?”

I scrubbed at my eyes with the back of my hand. “It’s not a ploy. I wouldn’t be here unless I had to be. Please…please…will you help me?”

“Always, my Arden.” Caspian had closed the distance between us in two of his long, world-conquering strides. “Anything within my power is yours.”

I didn’t know if it was the shock catching up with me or the after-effects of my desperate run across a car park or just…too much fear and its abrupt abatement, but the edges of the world went wibbly and I wibbled with them. Everything was sliding away from me. Except Caspian, who caught me the moment before I fell. The familiar scent of his cologne washed over me, and his arms came round me, and the promise of safety within his strength was so real to me—and I needed it so badly—that I started to cry yet again.

“I can’t believe you’re falling for this,” snarled Nathaniel.

Caspian was already heading for the lift. “This is important.”

“And I’m not?”

“We can go to a concert another night.”

“Can we?” Nathaniel’s shoes clicked against the concrete as he followed us. “It’s taken weeks for you to have time for this one.”

“You know I’ll reimburse you for the ticket.”

“You know that’s not the point.”

One of those sighs from Caspian I used to dread. “The point is that Arden has a problem that must be resolved. I shall resolve it and you shall cease distracting me.”

Nathaniel actually gasped. “Caspian, I’m your fiancé, not your secretary. You do not talk to me like that.”

I think them were what you’d call fightin’ words. Or they would have been if Nathaniel hadn’t sounded terribly hurt. Even Caspian paused. “I’m sorry,” he said more gently, “but I’ve made my decision. Go to the concert.”

“I don’t want to go to the concert. Not on my own. I”—Nathaniel lifted one of his hands, almost imploringly, and then dropped it again—“wanted to go with you.”

“I’m afraid that’s no longer an option.”

Nathaniel’s lashes fluttered fretfully. “Well, what am I supposed to do now?”

“I can have the car take you home.”

“Oh, don’t bother. I’ll take a cab.”

“As you prefer.”