Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6)(82)

Instead, she asked me if I needed help.

She’s the polar opposite of Aiden, and maybe that’s why they fit so well.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I whisper. “I…I need to go. Forget what I said earlier. Don’t mention a word about this to Cole.”

If he knows, he’ll blame me, not Adam. He’ll come after me for hiding this from him.

I need to talk to Frederic about it. He’s a PR genius, he can tell me how to deal with this in the best way that won’t hurt Papa.

He’ll also want to murder me, but I’ll take that.

I wish I could also tell Frederic about the pregnancy, but he’d tell me to get rid of it. That’s what everyone would say.

Cole included.

And that hurts more than I’d like to admit.

“You should tell Aiden,” Elsa says.

“What does he have to do with anything? King didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

“Whatever. It’s not my place.” I open my car’s door and slide inside. “I won’t say anything until you talk to him.”

“About what?”

“What do you think?”

After what she did for me today, I might consider Aiden’s order and actually confess it all.

What’s the point of holding on to this engagement if he won’t take responsibility for the child?

As I drive out, I place a hand over my stomach and a tear slides down my cheek at the thought that I might be forced to lose this life after all.





33





Silver





Every day that passes is like a ticking bomb.

Every time Papa or Mum say they want to speak to me about something, I jump in my own skin.

Every time Helen brings me food, I wince, thinking I’ll get morning sickness.

Every time Frederic and Derek tell me ‘Good morning, Miss’ or ‘Good evening, Miss,’ I’m screaming inside, They know!

I spend the entire week with Mum so I can avoid Cole.

At first, he corners me, demanding I tell him what I’m hiding and threatening that I’ll pay if he has to find out himself.

His form of payment isn’t toying with my body as I wish. Instead, he completely tunes me out.

For the first time since we started whatever we had, Cole isn’t speaking to me.

He says he won’t unless I tell him what’s going on.

Whenever I pass him by and he pretends I don’t exist, I die a little inside. Cole has a perfect blank face, so he can make you feel like you’re no different from the dust on his shoe.

It hurts.

It makes me sleep with tears in my eyes every night.

But what hurts the most is the thought of what he’ll do when he finds out I’m carrying his baby.

Today, I turned down a dinner date with Mum and Lucien. Usually, I love the Frenchman’s company. He’s cool and charismatic and reminds me of Uncle Jonathan — without the frightening ruthlessness. As long as he makes Mum smile and forget about her demons, I approve.

Despite Lucien’s pleasant company, I decide to return to Papa’s house, hoping, praying Cole will actually sneak into my room.

He doesn’t.

He doesn’t pay me much attention at dinner, as if I’m not sitting right there in front of him. Even Helen asks me if Cole and I are going back to the time we couldn’t stand each other.

I guess we are.

Why did he give me all those moments just so he’d take them away? We were doing fine being at each other’s throats before the wedding.

Who am I kidding? I hated the times from before. He was always far.

Just too far.

I scroll through both Ronan’s and Aiden’s Instagram accounts, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cole’s picture like a bloody fool.

Aiden made fun of how Cole’s not speaking to me. That arsehole doesn’t deserve the huge favour I did for him.

A few days ago, I told Elsa the engagement and everything in between were fake. Although she won’t completely forgive him yet, my freely-provided confession is a start.

I’ve turned so soft over the days.

My phone vibrates and I sit up, excitement whirling inside me. Is it Cole?

Unknown Number: Meet me.

I gulp. That’s the first time he’s ever asked that. Is it because of what happened in the car park a few days ago? It’s a new number. He keeps changing them as if playing hide-and-seek with Papa’s team’s security measures.

Unknown Number: I’m behind the fence of your house.

Unknown Number: If you don’t come out, I’ll post a naked picture of you for the world to see.

I can call his bluff and tell him he has no such picture, but what if he does? I can’t risk Papa’s campaign or Mum’s reputation.

Tears prickle my eyes as my chest closes in on itself.

What the hell is wrong with me? Why do I find myself in screw-up after screw-up? First Cole, then the pregnancy, and now a damn stalker.

Could I be more of a disgrace to my parents?

I was always a good girl. When did I start losing myself? When did I become this damn loser who sees a failure in the mirror every morning?

Swallowing my tears, I type with unsteady fingers.

Silver: Why are you doing this, Adam?