Karma shook her head. “That’s not the way it was—I swear!”
The king, the queen, and Falkor seemed to have turned to stone. The holovid shifted to the KCN studio where Bynti interviewed the slimebag. “So, where do things stand now between you and the prince’s wife?” she asked.
“Well, she told me she’s going to break it off with him, and then we’ll be together. We didn’t mean for this to happen, but the heart cannot be denied.”
The holocam zoomed in on Bynti. “So, there you have it, my fellow Kaldorans—the Prince of Scandal is about to become the Heartbroken Prince.” She flashed a gloating smile, and the holovid winked out.
Karma felt crushed by the weight of the accusatory silence.
His face stricken, Falkor backed away. “I trusted you!”
“She’s lying! Soton is lying. She’d made it all up. I was never with Soton!”
“That was our first thought when the holovid was brought to our attention,” the queen said tightly. “Of course, we looked into it. The café verified you were there with Soton. Witnesses saw you embracing.”
“We weren’t embracing. I was standing there. I was having lunch with my sister! You recommended the café.”
“Kismet has confirmed you were alone with Soton.”
Why would her sister say that? She knew the truth! She’d told her. She’d come from Kismet’s. Her sister never mentioned discussing her and Soton with the queen. What was going on? “I met with him briefly. He said he had business to discuss! I assumed he meant Kaldoronics.”
“He knows better than to talk business with you,” Falkor said.
“That was the ruse to get me alone. I couldn’t mention the business in front of my sister because it was supposed to be a secret, so I stepped into the hall.”
Falkor’s face remained stony, and he wouldn’t look at her.
Tears threatened to fall as her marriage disintegrated under her feet.How could he believe I’d cheat on him?
She’d thought Falkor was different from other men. Once again, she failed to hold a man’s devotion. The evidence looked damning, but if he loved her the way he’d claimed, wouldn’t he give her the benefit of the doubt? “You have to know it’s not true!”
“Do I?” he said.
She reeled as if he’d slapped her. How could he think so little of her character? He should believe her because she said so; she shouldn’t have to present evidence of her innocence like she was on trial. “You’ve seen how Bynti operates,” she argued desperately. “You saw theholoabout you. She did the same thing with the holo of me and Soton! Bynti doesn’t report scandals—she creates them.”
His bark of laughter held no humor. He squeezed something in his pocket. “Well, you see, that’s the problem I’m having. Everything she reported about me is close to factual. Some things were taken out of context and sensationalized, but theessence of the report is accurate. I have been operating a secret business.”
“Not this time! She manufactured the whole thing—”
He cut her off with a flick of his wrist, and she shriveled up inside. “I can’t—I can’t—even…look at you right now.” He left the library.
She burst into tears.
Chapter Fifteen
I’m going to be sick.Falkor staggered from the library, his heart squeezed in a vise of despair and betrayal.How could she have done that? She said she loved me!
He’d believed in her, believed he’d come first. It had never mattered when Soton had stolen a woman Falkor had set his sights on because neither of them had been interested in a serious relationship.
Now, hisfriendhad exposed his secret and stolen the one woman he loved. But it wasn’t Soton who hurt him—that honor went to Karma. If he couldn’t trust her, who could he trust? She must have guessed Bynti intended to air an exposé about their affair, so she attempted to buy herself some time by saying Soton had come on to her.
How could she have fallen for him? Couldn’t she see his charm was insincere and manufactured? His interest fickle? His passion would burn out, and she’d be left with ashes. Soton didn’t care about her.
The silence and emptiness of his suite squeezed the air from his lungs.This is what it will be like when she leaves for good, when she goes to him.His feet moved to the window overlooking the grotto. He stared out into a bleak future.
He’d lost the woman he loved, a lifelong friendship, and a business in one afternoon. The king said he didn’t object to him working, but there would be a penalty for defiance and dishonesty. Most likely, the company would be shuttered or sold. But all things were not created equal—he’d gladly surrender the business to save his marriage. Although Karma had betrayed him, he loved her.
Bynti insinuated, sensationalized, and spun the facts until only half-truths remained, but always at the core of her reports, there was an essence of veracity. If even a fraction was accurate, Karma had betrayed him. She’d spoken falsely when she said she loved him.
