I should have listened to her.Insecurities had undermined common sense. Convinced he’d once again become second best, he’d bolted, unable to face losing the woman he loved. The idea she’d chosen Soton over him had hurt more than anything he’d ever experienced. He’d abandoned her before she could abandonhim. He’d stayed away because he was afraid of what he’d find when he got home.
Cowardly.
Stupid.
He’d had a reputation for loving-and-leaving, but usually the woman left him. Many women curried his attention because of his pedigree, some to get closer to Jaryk, the heir who would be king. Other women had been seduced away by Soton. Ironically, Bynti, who’d set her sights on him, was the one woman he couldn’t wait to be rid of. What he first mistook as confidence, drive, and boldness, he’d realized was brashness, selfishness, and greed. Since he’d extricated himself, she’d made ruining his life her personal crusade. Dubbing him the Prince of Scandal, she’d proceeded to embellish his exploits. No matter how much he tried to be discreet, he always seemed to end up a Kaldor Celebrity News headline.
As the victim of numerous misleading news reports, he should have given Karma the benefit of the doubt. Even the barkeep considered KCN to be excrement.
He recalled their physical intimacy, laughter, conversations, the sweetness and heat of their marriage, and shame filled him.I’m the Prince of Stupid!Would she ever forgive him? Could he ever make it up to her?
From his pants pocket, he retrieved the silver-gold orb and studied the ring inside. Thank the Gods of Kaldor he hadn’t given in to the impulse to throw it away. Would she accept the ring as a symbol of his love—or reject it as an indulgence to buy forgiveness?
He tucked the ring in his bag and grabbed his comm device. He couldn’t imagine what she’d be thinking after he’d vanished for five days, and her pleas had gone unacknowledged? He reread her messages.
The holovids are fake. I didn’t cheat on you, I swear. Please come home.
Are you all right?
We need to talk. Please. At least answer me.
How could he account for his behavior?I’m sorry for not responding sooner,he messaged. Erase. Erase. Erase. What could he say? I was on a drunken bender? Feeling sorry for myself? Acting like an idiot?
I don’t blame you. It’s all right.Erase. Erase. She wouldn’t believe him. If he hadn’t blamed her, why would he have left for five days and ignored her messages? Hehadbelieved the worst of her.
I love you. Can you forgive me?Erase. Erase. A quick message, even one from the heart, could not fix things. An apology of this magnitude must be delivered in person. He needed to beg for forgiveness.
I’m coming home. We’ll talk.Inadequate, but he hitsend.Still on his comm device, he took care of some other urgent business and then donned fresh clothing. There was one last task to take care of before he went home to his wife.
* * * *
Soton was swearing at the computer.
“I didn’t expect to find you at the office today,” Falkor said, having assumed he’d have to hunt him down. But he’d tried the office because no one was more brazen than hisformerpartner.
Soton scowled at the retinal scanner used to log employees into the system. “Where else would I be on a Farkyn? What in the hekkel is wrong with this thing? It won’t acknowledge me. I can’t access the system.”
“That’s because you don’t work here anymore.”
Soton spun around in his chair. “You saw the broadcast,” he deadpanned. “It’s not what you think, I swear. It was all Bynti’s doing. I was set up.” The words and tone sounded innocent, butSoton couldn’t quite hide his smirk. He was proud of what he’d done.
“You set Karma up. You set me up. You’re done here. Your services are no longer required.”
“You can’t fire me. We’re partners.”
“Actually, I can. You violated the nondisclosure agreement, which itself is grounds for dismissal, but I don’t need a reason. I own the company. However, if you need a reason—it’s personal. You attempted to destroy my marriage.”
“This proves what I always suspected. You never considered me a true partner. It’s always about you, isn’t it?” Soton sneered. “I was just an employee, a servant who did your bidding. I worked my ass off for you.”
“I did mean it. I never considered you a servant or treated you as such. I considered you a friend. And I worked my ass off, too.”
“Worked?” Soton scoffed. “Everything you have got handed to you. You snap your fingers, and you get whatever you want.”
The vehement accusation floored him. Other than Jaryk and Karma, no one knew him better than Soton. He saw how he had struggled to break free of the restraints of royal expectations and carve out a meaningful, satisfying life. Soton knew of the late hours he toiled designing, testing, and tweaking the products the company sold. He did more site visits than Soton.
“Whatever you desire is yours for the asking, yours for the taking. Like Bynti.” Soton’s features contorted into something ugly.“She was the only woman I ever loved, but after I introduced you, she wouldn’t look at me—except to ask about you.”
His jaw dropped.This is about Bynti?“You liked Bynti? I had no idea. We were only together a short time. You could have had her.”
