Chapter 0312

“What the hell is going on in here?” Nicholas asked. “Julian?”

I was too stunned to speak, but when I looked over to Julian, I saw that he was smirking.

Nicholas turned his rage on the producers. “Why are you filming this?”

The producer jumped, then bowed much lower than was necessary. “It was approved by the crown, Your Royal Highness. The King himself commanded us!”

“Retract your claws before you hurt someone,” Julian said casually as he rose to his feet. This isn’t their fault.”

Nicholas reared back to him. “Then explain it to me, brother. And while you are giving that explanation, you can explain why you felt it necessary to summon me to witness this.” The way he say this, with such open disgust, made me want to crawl into a hole.

“Our parents thought we should utilize Piper’s popularity for the benefit of the whole,” Julian said. “Because nothing says, we’re worthy of being liked by commoners, than having one of those commoners make out with a prince.”

“A prince,” Nicholas said. “Why did it have to be you?”

I felt like Nicholas too easily accepted Julian’s explanation of why we were being filmed kissing, and jumped straight to why not me?

“Nicholas,” I said.

When he saw me, he seemed to remember the other things too. “Piper shouldn’t need to do this with anyone.”

“Tell that to Dad,” Julian said. “Or better yet, how about those protesters outside? I bet

they’d love to hear from you.”

Nicholas glowered. He frowned so deeply, I thought steam might come out of his ears. He turned to the producers again. “I want to see the footage. Whatever you do, you cannot use

that kiss.”

To Julian, I hissed, “Did you really summon him here?”

casually, like

anger spi king. “You are trying to stir more

Nicholas. He didn’t have to know about

wouldn’t have seen it on TV? Trust me, Piper. He was always going to find out, but

way, it’s more fun.”

124

+15 BONUS

unnecessarily cruel,”

took on a harsh edge. “He deserves this and more for stealing

some of my anger. When I opened my mouth again, I half-forgot where I was and what was happening. I so very much wanted to ask him for the truth of what happened between him,

I was ashamed and

hands were in tight fists,

voice, likely because he kept glancing at Elva asleep on the chair. “If someone

disapproved, and we’d be in the same terrible pit as before,” Julian said. He motioned toward me. “Piper agreed to all this. I

pairs of eyes fall

said. “Were you asked? And you agreed

to do anything, but so few days ago, I

reasons, and they were sound. But nothing felt good enough now, facing with the reality of

so as not to betray the quaking emotion within me. “It is

until he knew that he was the only man that I held so dearly in my heart. That Julian and I were only playing

couldn’t move. I had

my hands around my knees,

to do this, you know. No matter what

I wouldn’t let the people rebel. I wouldn’t let them tear this

Nicholas frowned.

+15 BONUS

Julian wavered at my obvious lie. “We’re getting there. But it really is the best plan to quell all this talk of rebellion. Come on, Nicholas. You know it’s true. Like this, we win the hearts of

to Piper

sighed as he looked at me. His

you want?

the room where

gaze to

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255