Page 25 of Modern Romance September 2025 5-8

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

S OFIA DIDN’T THINK she’d ever seen anyone look as pale and terrified as Ivo had when he’d launched himself at her that day by the statue.

She had no idea how long she’d stayed trapped beneath him on the hard floor of the stage.

Time had slowed right down. All she’d been aware of was his arm tight around her waist, his hand clamped to the back of her head and the frantic banging of their hearts—until, unable to breathe, she’d pushed at his shoulders, once, twice, and eventually, as if electrocuted, up he’d leapt.

During the long, thundering seconds he’d lain on top of her, however, she’d had the strange impression that he’d been transported to another place, and in the car back to the palace the feeling had grown stronger.

Seemingly lost in thought, he’d completely disengaged.

The frown on his face had been etched so deep it had looked in danger of becoming permanent.

He certainly hadn’t appeared to be ‘fine’.

In fact, his inability to make eye contact with her and his abrupt disappearance upon arrival suggested that he’d been the very opposite.

Prior to the last week and a half, Sofia would have been worried by this.

She’d have wondered what could be wrong.

Now, however, she knew that there was nothing wrong at all.

Everything was very right indeed. In fact, everything was completely and utterly brilliant because the miracle she’d never expected, never even thought possible, had happened.

He loved her.

He had to.

Why else would he have leapt to her rescue like that instead of leaving it to the professionals?

Why else would he have kissed her with such desperation when she’d opened her eyes?

The way he’d held her to him as if she were the most precious thing in the world…

And the look on his face as they’d got to their feet…

The stark, naked terror… The shaking and withdrawal indicative of feelings that ran soul deep…

In that moment, he hadn’t cared about the monarchy.

He’d cared about her . She’d been his only priority.

Because he loved her. She knew he did. She’d felt it in every touch, every smile, every conversation they’d had.

When was the last time he’d reminded her that theirs was a marriage of convenience or warned her not to get the wrong idea? She couldn’t remember.

As a result of these realisations, her senses were heightened. Colours seemed brighter, smells more intense. Her heart was so big in her chest it felt as though it would burst. She was giddy with relief and happiness. All those doubts and fears she’d had, all those struggles…gone.

Desperate to see what the future held, she wanted to proclaim her love from the rooftops.

Issue a communiqué or schedule another interview with the nation’s favourite chat show host. But something held her back.

She sensed he needed space to get over the shock of what had happened and work it all out for himself.

Redefining the principles he’d held for years would take some adjustment and it wasn’t something that could be rushed.

But that was fine. She could handle a strong powerful man in a state, she assured herself, light-headed at the thought of Ivo, the husband she adored, in bits over her.

Like Penelope, she could wait for him to have the epiphany she longed for.

Sofia hadn’t given any thought to a time frame for this lightning bolt of discovery. A day or two, maybe three? She had not envisaged still being given the cold shoulder a week later.

Yet that was precisely what happened.

They slept apart. They dined apart. On the rare occasion they did occupy the same space—generally on some work-related matter—her attempts at conversation continued to be met with gruff monosyllabic answers.

He was increasingly withdrawn and uncommunicative, opaque and cold.

The more she tried to engage, the further he backed off, and she just didn’t understand what was going on.

Why was the door that connected their suites locked?

Why did he take his meals where she wasn’t?

Surely he couldn’t still be traumatised by what had happened?

She’d got over it in the blink of an eye.

She understood that he had a lot of work to catch up on.

So did she, in the aftermath of #statuesplat , but they’d both been ridiculously busy before and had still had time for civility.

So had she done something wrong? Did he somehow blame her for the incident?

Riddled with confusion and disappointment, Sofia didn’t know what to do about any of it.

She felt rejected. Hurt. She missed him.

Because it had been considered prudent to give the public a break from their ubiquity, they didn’t even have any functions to attend.

There was no audience to hold hands and touch for, and the one attempt she made to initiate a kiss had resulted in such a brutal rebuttal that she hadn’t tried again.

This wasn’t just a hitherto undiscovered steeliness.

This felt callous, cruel and directed only at her, and it slashed at her chest like a knife.

Professional experience had taught her that any problem had to be nipped in the bud before it mushroomed into the sort of issue that eventually became insurmountable, but the thought of confronting him and trying to persuade him to talk to her made her want to jump into bed and bury herself under the covers.

She was terrified of discovering for real that she was the reason for his baffling conduct.

That he’d discovered the fatal flaw she must have that drove people away.

Her emotions raged ever more wildly, and she didn’t want to end up having the sort of row that resulted in the hurling of both insults and objects.

However, this morning something had happened to change her mind about a face-off. Her usually regular as clockwork period had failed to arrive and she was now a day late.

In the bathroom that adjoined her room, Sofia stared at the positive pregnancy test, which shouldn’t have come as a shock, given how much unprotected sex they’d been having, but did.

Within moments, however, the shock receded and in swept a whole host of other highly charged emotions.

Sheer joy at becoming a mother to the child of the man she still loved despite the way he was acting.

Deep satisfaction that she’d fulfilled another of her royal obligations.

Dread over the fact that because she’d had such terrible role models she might mess it up.

Determination that no child of hers would ever suffer from the self-centred whims of its parents, like she had.

It was because of this resolve, which point blank refused to allow history to repeat itself, that Sofia put down the test, jumped to her feet and went in search of him.

She’d had enough of the silent treatment.

She’d made it clear right from the start that it wasn’t what she’d signed up to.

She had to find out what was going on because this state of affairs could not continue, certainly not now there was a baby involved.

She’d let it go on long enough already. The conversation would not become heated, she vowed, channelling every skill she possessed as she scouted out the palace. It would not descend into acrimony.

Eventually, despite the lateness of the hour, she found Ivo in his study. He sat behind his desk, scowling at whatever he was reading on his computer screen, but the minute he clocked her presence his face cleared of all expression.

‘I gave instructions not to be disturbed.’

The icy flatness of his voice struck her like a snowball to the face and she inwardly winced.

Instinctively, she wanted to turn tail and run.

But she wouldn’t. And she refused to be deterred.

This wasn’t about just the two of them any more.

‘I know you did,’ she said coolly, advancing into the room and mentally batting away the bewildering daggers he was shooting at her. ‘Yet here I am.’

‘Please go.’

She came to a stop in front of his desk and shook her head. ‘No.’

‘I’m busy.’

‘I can see that.’

‘All right,’ he muttered, shuffling some papers and then getting to his feet. ‘If you won’t leave me in peace, I’ll find it elsewhere.’

‘Sit down.’

In response to the instruction that sliced through the space between them like a whip, he recoiled as though she’d slapped him and his eyebrows shot up. ‘I beg your pardon?’

‘I said, sit down.’

He didn’t. Instead, he straightened his spine and pulled his shoulders back, his expression becoming stonier than she’d ever seen before. ‘I am not accustomed to being ordered about like this.’

‘Yes, well, there’s a first time for everything,’ she said, with the set of her jaw and a lift of her chin, because two could play the intimidation game. ‘You and I need to have a chat.’

‘For someone who claims to avoid confrontation at all costs you’re giving off very belligerent vibes.’

‘Is that what you were hoping for?’ she asked, keeping her eyes locked on his and off the distracting pulse that was hammering at the base of his neck. ‘You being all moody and withdrawn this past week and me just accepting it?’

A dull flush hit his cheekbones. ‘Don’t be absurd.’

‘Don’t be dismissive.’

‘You’re being ridiculous.’