The Billionaire’s Royal Challenge (Devotion and Dynasty Trilogy #2)

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 24

NATE

N ate firmed his jaw, trying to remain unflappable despite his hammering heart. In front of him, Prince Eric’s smarmy smile beamed.

“Anyway,” the man said, “this is your last day here, if I’m not mistaken. So, happy trails, as you Americans say.”

Prince Eric stuck his hand out toward Nate, a silent request for a handshake.

Nate stared down at it, his stomach twisting into a tight knot. “Pass,” he answered.

He wasn’t going to shake hands with the man who drugged him.

Prince Eric withdrew his offer, clasping his hands behind his back again. “Fair enough. Perhaps we can both agree, though, that the best man won. I promise I will make Elena very happy.”

The words hit him like a physical slap. Was their relationship really nothing more than a ploy to her ?

“Goodbye, Mr. Kingsley. And good luck. I wish I could say it was lovely meeting you, but you have been a thorn in my side that I am all too pleased to have plucked and pitched away.”

With another arrogant grin, the man nodded and twisted on his heel to stride away from Nate.

Nate sucked in a shaky breath as he left, still reeling from the news. Had she run straight to Eric to accept his offer only moments after they’d broken up?

Did she have any feelings for him at all?

His mind struggled to process the bombshell Prince Eric had just dropped as he stood frozen in disbelief.

Caroline’s unexpected appearance was the only thing that roused him. With a pleasant smile, she approached him and offered a greeting he barely heard.

“Mr. Kingsley?” she repeated, her head tilting and her brows pinching.

“Oh uh, sorry,” he answered, shaking his head. “My mind was somewhere else.”

“I’ll say. Perhaps a million miles from here.”

“Yeah,” he murmured.

“Are you all right?” Caroline asked.

He wasn’t. Not by a mile. But he couldn’t tell her that. “Uh…”

“Mr. Kingsley,” Caroline said, concern etching into her features by the second, “you look as though someone has stolen your puppy. May I get you something?”

“No, uh…” He stared down at his feet, his mind racing. “Actually, yes, there is something you can help with.”

“Name it.”

His lower lip bobbed as he tried to force himself to ask about Elena’s engagement, but he couldn’t form the words.

“I know this isn’t my place,” Caroline said, her voice lowering as she leaned closer, “but…I do kn ow you and Her Highness have had a terrible row. And…again…not my place, but I believe you both could benefit from a visit with each other.”

He swallowed hard, trying to reconcile her words with the news he’d just gotten. “I’m not so sure about that.”

“I am,” Caroline said. “She is reeling. I know I should not say these things because I am in her confidence, but, Mr. Kingsley, she is terribly hurt and upset. Perhaps if you could only talk–“

“Terribly upset?” He scoffed. “It doesn’t seem like that at all.”

Caroline’s eyebrows pinched. “What do you mean?”

Nate set his hands on his hips. “Prince Eric just told me they are engaged and announcing it tonight. It seems like she’s moved on already.”

Caroline let her gaze fall to the portfolio clasped in her hands.

“So, it’s true?” Nate prodded.

“I am afraid Her Highness is determined to ensure her own misery after your split.”

His jaw clenched as he looked for truth in Caroline’s words. Was Elena doing this out of some sense of loss, or had she merely moved on to accept that she’d need to marry another royal?

Caroline placed a hand against his arm, her eyes pleading. “She doesn’t love him, Mr. Kingsley. I know she is doing this because she is lost without you.”

“Yeah, well, her father didn’t give us the green light,” he retorted bitterly, his frustration seeping into his words. “So maybe she’s doing it because she has to. Maybe…” He tried to convince himself that her parents had forced the issue, but doubt gnawed at him.

“I am convinced he would have. King Frederick can be…pensive, though he always makes the right decisions. ”

“Maybe he made his decision. Maybe she’s marrying Prince Eric because her father didn’t give us his approval.”

“No, I don’t believe so,” Caroline answered. “She would have said so. She was adamantly against being forced into a marriage.”

The words stung. “Yes, I know.”

Had that been the only reason she’d sought a relationship with him? Because she wanted to prove to her father that she could? Because she wanted to escape an arranged marriage?

“I know this is difficult, but if you just spoke...”

“I can’t,” he said with a shake of his head, resolve filling him.

“Oh, but, Mr. Kingsley–“

“I said I can’t. Look, I get that you want to protect her, Caroline. That’s your job. But Ellie and I…we don’t work. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you? Or are you both just too stubborn to admit you love each other and say you’re sorry?”

He shook his head at the statement, though he couldn’t find the words to refute it. “Goodbye, Caroline. Thanks for all your help this past week.”

“Of course, Mr. Kingsley.” She stared at him for another moment, her eyes clouded with empathy before she finally turned away.

With a bitter frown, he did the same, retreating to his room. He closed the door behind him, emotions roiling within him. Would a visit to Elena make any difference?

The engagement news seemed to fit right in with his earlier assessment. Maybe she’d never cared for him. He desperately wanted to believe she had, but he couldn’t face it.

Even if she did love him, they had no way forward. Especially not now.

He stormed to his suitcase, still open on the bed, shoved in the remaining clothes unceremoniously, and flopped the lid closed before zipping it shut. With a groan, he tugged it from the bed and dragged it to the door.

A knock sounded at the door as he reached it with the bag. He pulled it open to find his mother on the other side. She eyed the suitcase in his hand. “I see you’re ready.”

“Yep. We can’t get out of here fast enough.”

She fluttered her eyelashes, her eyebrows shooting up. “Nate–”

“Don’t,” he said with a shake of his head. “I don’t want to hear about how I should talk to her. Or say goodbye. Or give it one last chance. I’m finished with this.”

“Wow, okay. I just…don’t want you to have any regrets.”

“I don’t.”

Victoria licked her lips, shifting her weight from one hip to the other. “I talked to her. Ellie.”

“Good for you,” Nate said, dragging the suitcase into the hall and pulling his door shut behind him. His heart pounded against his ribs at the simple action, but he wanted to close the chapter on this mistake in his life and move on.

“Where is all this sudden bitterness coming from? I know you had a fight, but–“

“She’s marrying Prince Eric,” he burst, the words tasting bitter on his tongue.

“What?”

“Yeah. I guess she didn’t pass the good news along, huh?”

“She didn’t mention it, no. Are you sure? Where did you hear this?”

Nate set his hands on his hips. “Prince Eric himself took great pleasure in informing me, then telling me that I was the thorn in his side he was thankful to have removed.”

“Oh, Nate, you can’t believe anything that man says. He drugged you. He’s probably saying it just to get at you.”

“Caroline practically confirmed it when I saw her just now. Ellie is marrying someone else. No, wait, Ellie is marrying the man she ran away from, and she agreed to do it mere milliseconds after our breakup.”

Victoria’s features pinched as she studied him. “Do you think it’s a reaction to the breakup, maybe? She seemed…very upset when she said goodbye to us. She was in tears.”

Nate fluffed off the information, determined not to deal with it.

“And did Caroline confirm it or not? You said practically. So, did she say it was true or didn’t she?”

“Not in so many words, but I’m certain it is. She said something about her being determined to make her life miserable.”

“Well, she certainly seemed unhappy when she said her goodbyes to us. Maybe you ought to–“

He sliced a hand through the air, his nostrils flaring with annoyance. “Don’t say talk to her. Caroline said the same thing. I don’t want to talk to her. We said everything we needed to say. And her so-called reaction to our break-up is speaking volumes.”

“Nate…she’s in a tricky position. She has to–“

“I don’t care. It’s her life, she can live it however she wants. I just want to get out of here.”

Victoria shrugged. “What’s the rush?”

“I just want to put this behind me, that’s all, okay?”

“All right. I’ll go get Maddie and your dad.”

“What about Stephen?”

“Stephen left earlier, took a commercial flight. He’s getting a divorce from Chloe. He didn’t want to face the rest of the family just yet.”

A mix of emotions roiled through Nate from elation that Chloe was out of their lives to heartache for his brother. He knew all too well the sting from that woman. “Wow, I…don’t kn ow what to say.”

Victoria squeezed his arm. “I imagine you’re happy about it.”

“I’m happy not to see Chloe at breakfast every morning but…” He shook his head. “Stephen never should have married her.”

“We agree on that. At least it’s behind him. Your dad’s already on the phone with the lawyers. Stephen stupidly didn’t have a prenup, but given the short duration of the marriage and her cheating, they’re confident he can come out of this unscathed.”

“That’s good. I’d hate to see GenoTech suffer because of her. She’s taken enough from this family.”

“We may need Ellie to give a statement about her cheating. Why don’t you–“

“Don’t say go talk to her. Go get Dad and Maddie. I want out of this place.”

“All right,” Victoria said with her hands raised. “I’ll go get them.”

Nate paced the floor outside his former room as his mother left him behind to gather the rest of the family. His mother’s question about his rush to get out of the palace rattled through his mind.

He needed to be away from here. He needed to put distance between him and any chance of seeing Elena. He didn’t think his heart could take it.

He curled and uncurled his fingers into fists as he waited. A variety of emotions coursed through him with every beat of his heart. He chewed the inside of his cheek as he stared down the hall, suddenly considering going to speak to her.

Before he could, the rest of his family appeared.

“We’re ready,” Victoria said.

“Good, let’s go,” he answered, taking it as a sign that he wasn’t supposed to see her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to– “

“Yep,” he answered, taking his mother’s suitcase from her and rolling it alongside his.

They snaked through the halls and arrived at the front door. He’d already called for the car to take them to the airport hours ago. He helped load the luggage along with the driver before he ducked into the back, sliding into the seat next to Maddie.

She refused to look at him, the frown on her face telling him exactly what she thought.

The driver’s door slammed closed, and the car began to slide away from the palace’s entrance. His heart turned over as they rolled down the driveway, leaving the Eldorian palace and its royal family behind.

Within fifteen minutes, they were at the airport. His stomach flip-flopped as he stepped out of the car. Maybe he’d feel better once he was on the plane. Right now, he felt awful.

They should be airborne within thirty minutes. He tried to focus on that. He forced his mind to go over the things he needed to do when he arrived home. He had a number of proposals to review. He needed to check the progress on the anti-aging project.

He reached into his pocket and dug out his phone as they entered the airport. He’d get a jump start on returning emails as soon as they were on the plane.

“Sorry,” his father said with a shake of his head, blocking him from striding out the door to the waiting plane. “Problem with the plane. We can’t board.”

“What?” Nate asked. “What problem?”

“Something mechanical. I don’t know. Some warning is going off. We are not allowed to get on until they find the problem and fix it.”

“No!” Nate said, his voice raising. “They can fix it while we’re on there.”

“They can’t. Regulations and all that. Sorry.”

“But–“

“Nate, there’s nothing we can do. Just…grab a seat.”

Nate stared longingly at the plane. If he could just get on it, he knew these doubts that were eating away at him would dissipate. “Well, how long is this going to take?”

“It takes however long it takes,” his mother chimed in. “Sit down, Nate.”

Nate stared at them incredulously until his sister clapped a hand onto his shoulder. “Yeah, sit down, Nate. It’s your fault we’re here, so…”

“It’s not my fault,” he snapped as he dropped into one of the airport seats.

“How do you figure that? You broke up with Ellie because you’re an idiot.”

“I’m not…never mind. I’m not having this conversation with you. You’re a kid. You have no idea what adult relationships are like, okay?” He blew out a sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair before he tried to focus on his phone.

“I’m not a kid, first of all. And second of all, I know you’re making a huge mistake. Ellie loves you, and you just don’t care. You’re so selfish.”

He screwed up his face as he stared at her. “Are you serious? She’s marrying someone else.”

“Because you made her, duh,” Maddie shot back.

Nate’s heart thudded against his ribs as his sister accused him of exactly what he couldn’t admit to himself.

“All right, you two, that’s enough. If Nate wants to end his relationship with Ellie, that’s his business. We all have to accept that.” Victoria crossed her arms and slouched in her seat.

“Well, Ellie said I could visit over Christmas. And I’m going to,” Maddie answered, mirroring her mother’s posture .

“Fine. I’m sure that will be lovely for the both of you. But if Nate does not wish to associate with her, that’s up to him.”

His nose wrinkled as they spoke, the memory of his pizza date with Ellie and his sister floating through his mind. He shoved it away, determined to stay the course. He’d made a decision. He didn’t belong here.

He stared at his phone again, unable to concentrate. “I’m going for a walk.”

Before anyone could answer, he rose and strode away, crossing to the few small shops in the airport. He ducked inside one, searching for anything to distract him from the sinking feeling he had as every moment ticked away.

“I’m not making a mistake,” he murmured to himself. “I’m not a selfish idiot.”

Somewhere behind him, a woman laughed. The strains of Elena’s soft but genuine laughter as they’d played skeeball at the pizza shop’s arcade taunted him.

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “No, she’s not right for me.”

He swallowed hard, pushing aside the memory only for another one to crop up. This time, they’d been at the museum. He recalled kissing her cheek, the feel of her soft skin against his lips. How easy their conversations were.

He shook his head as though it would help dislodge the thoughts. But as he hit the corner of the shop, his eyes fell upon a music box. A single carousel horse.

The sight was a dagger to his heart. The recollection of their first date, their first kiss, his first gift to her, along with every other moment they’d shared rushed back into his mind.

He contrasted it with the harsh words he’d thrown at her this morning. He had been an idiot.

Regret washed over him as he acknowledged his own foolishness. He had unjustly accused her, letting his anger and hurt cloud his judgment. But that wasn’t an excuse.

He had been such a fool. He loved her.

It was that simple. He loved her.

He desperately didn’t want to leave. Caroline was correct. He’d been stubborn, not willing to admit his faults. But now, in the face of losing her entirely if he stepped onto that plane, he couldn’t think of anything else.

He glanced at the clock on his phone. When was she announcing her engagement?

Could he get back to her in time? He had to try.

He grabbed the carousel horse from the shelf and raced to the cashier to make the purchase, then quickly navigated to a text message thread with Caroline, hastily typing the words: I need your help .

With the message sent, he raced back to his family. After gulping in a breath, he said, “How fast can you get the car back?”

“Why?” Victoria asked.

“I made a huge mistake. I need to go back.”

“You forget to pack your socks, Nate?” Charles teased.

“No. I forgot that I am head over heels in love with Ellie. I can’t let her go. Not without one last try. But I need to get back to the palace. She’s announcing her engagement to Prince Eric tonight. If I don’t get there before that, there may be no hope for us.”

“Well, turns out,” Charles said as he rose, buttoning his blazer, “I kept the car around in case the plane didn’t work out. It’s right out front.”

“Okay, let’s go,” Nate said. “We have to hurry. I need to get to her. I need to tell her how I feel.”

His family rose, ready to stand behind him as he tried to fix the massive mistake he’d made earlier. They pushed through the others in the airport to make their way back to the door and climb back into the car.

With every passing second, his anxiety grew, his heart racing as the palace loomed on the horizon. He couldn’t shake the feeling that time was slipping away, leaving him with an insurmountable distance to cover.

Such a short trip, but too long for his taste.

As the car lurched forward, his resolve solidified, his determination driving him forward. With each passing milestone, the looming question remained: would he reach Elena in time to stop her from making a decision that could change both of their lives forever?