Chapter 21
“You arrogant asshole.” The door to Bastien’s office rebounded with a crash, undercutting my entrance. I gave it another shove out of my way, and it smashed into the wall before hanging drunkenly behind me. I strode across the office to point an angry finger in his patronizing face. “You arrogant, pedantic ass. Did you really think it’d work? Did you think she wouldn’t tell me?”
“I’mgoing to have to call you back, Councillor.Oui. Au revoir.” Bastien put the phone down with a clatter. “What is wrong with you? Can’t you see I’m busy? I have a scandal, a broken engagement, and tenuous trade deals with Helene’s country to deal with. I don’t have time for your petty squabbles.”
“Are you fucking serious? You stick your big nose into my life, into my relationship with Hannah,and you think that that’s okay? You think I won’t have something to say about it?”
“Is that what this is about? Listen—”
“No, you fucking listen. I’ve had it up to here with your commands and thinly veiled requests and your attempts to undermine my private relationship. First you used Aristide as your little spy and now you’re coming at Hannah yourself. It’s bullshit, and it ends now.”
“Itwas necessary, Luc. You need to realize how important our role is. We attract the kind of people who will take advantage of us if we’re not careful. You need—”
“Like Princess Helene? What kind of person is she, Bastien? How much time did you spend getting to knowherbefore you proposed? Did you even propose to her, or did you negotiate everything through her father?”
Bastien at least had thegrace to look abashed. “That was different. I’m—”
“It’s the same fucking thing, Bastien. She’s a person. She deserves the right to decide who she wants to live the rest of her life with. And not have to kowtow to the men who think they’re in charge of her every decision.”
“Clearly Helene was too immature to enter into a marriage right now. I see that now. In time—”
“You see nothing. Heleneisn’t immature. She was taking control of her life. Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised ifshewas the one who leaked the texts. She didn’t want to marry you. She’s in love with someone else.”
“She thinks she is. Just as you think you are with…” Bastien waved his hand dismissively. “What’s her name? Ms. Albert.”
“Allen. Hannah Allen. Jesus, Bastien, you really don’t give a shit about me, do you? Oranyone. Even yourself. You only care about appearances, what other people think. It’s a sorry fucking way to live a life.”
“That’s not fair.”
“No, I see it now. All this time I’ve been biting my tongue, busting my ass to be the person who was worthy of being your spare, trying to do my best to live up to Julien’s memory and be just half the prince he was, but it didn’t matter. You didn’t see.You didn’t give a shit. All you focused on were the times I fell short, and how I never measure up to your expectations. So you know what? I’m abdicating my position. You can take my title and shove it up your royal ass.”
Bastien’s brow wrinkled as he stood up from his desk. “Luc, don’t be hasty. I think if we sit down and—”
“No, I’m not being hasty. I’m finally awake and taking control of mylife for the first time since I’ve been dragged back to palace life. Hannah might not be Hollywood royalty like Grand-mère was, but Hannah is a good woman who deserves to be treated better by both of us. She has been through so much in her twenty-four years, and she is an amazing, intelligent, caring person who deserves the respect of my family. And you haven’t even tried to get to know her.” Ishook my head as I took in Bastien’s intractable expression. “You went the dynastic marriage route and ended up miserable with a scandal and a broken engagement. Some things are more important than pedigrees. I love her, Bastien. I’d do anything for her. And if you can’t take the time to see the great person she is, then maybe this isn’t the life I want to lead.”
“Luc, wait. We need to calm downand discuss this like adults. Of course I want you to be happy. Family is everything to me.”
“No, your job is everything to you. Family stopped being important a long time ago. I can’t do this anymore, Bastien. I can’t be the disappointment, the one you always look down on. I need to live my life my way. I’m through.”
I turned and walked out of the room with a pang in my chest over the wordsthat we’d spoken. I loved my brother—I did—but I couldn’t continue being his whipping boy any longer. I needed to start building my own life with Hannah.
Wherever that would be.
But when I returned to our suite, Hannah wasn’t waiting where I left her. Aristide stood in our room, talking on his mobile phone in French.
“Oui, one way to Las Vegas. One passenger. Allen. Hannah Allen.Oui.Merci.”
For the second time that night, I broke a door as I slammed it behind me. “You son of a bitch. What did you say to her?”
“N-N-Nothing, monsieur. She asked me for help.”
“Help? What the hell are you talking about?”
“I found her outside Prince Sébastien’s office, pale and weeping. She said she needed to get home as soon as possible. You seemed, er, busy talking with His Highness, so I offeredto arrange her departure details. I believe Dimitri is driving her to the Nice Côte d’Azur Airport as we speak. I promised to call him and relay her flight details once they’re booked.”
I looked around our suite like I’d find Hannah hiding behind the furniture despite what Aristide had just told me. After a moment of panicked searching, I noticed all Hannah’s clothes strewn about from her panickedsearch for the perfect dress before the banquet and her toiletries still lying on the bathroom counter. “But she didn’t take any of her things.”
“I understood that it was something of an emergency. I was coming to inform you once I’d handled the flight details for Ms. Allen.” Aristide grimaced, then continued. “And if I might say, Your Highness, I believe I was wrong about Ms. Allen. She appearsto be a wonderful woman who deserved better from me. I apologize.”
