7. Luca

CHAPTER 7

LUCA

T he women are back, swarming the front of the hotel, except this time their numbers have grown. They call my name and wave excitedly, taking pictures the moment I step out of the taxi in front of the hotel. I paste on my practiced, polite smile, stopping to pose for a few quick selfies, before gently extracting myself from their eager clutches.

“Prince Luca, over here!” they call out, waving and blowing kisses. But I barely see them. My mind is consumed with thoughts of her.

Hailey.

The way her chestnut hair shone in the sun as we walked through the park. Her quick wit and the spark of challenge in her eyes. The taste of her sweet lips against mine…

It was painful to leave her bed this morning, but the promise of seeing her this afternoon keeps me warm. Soon enough, she’ll be back in my arms. And then…

Then what?

I’m not entirely sure, but perhaps she would like to visit me back home? See my country and the palace grounds? The thought of having her there fills me with joy, and I feel more like a teenager again than a grown man.

“Your Highness,” Stefan, one of my father’s advisors, greets me with a respectful incline of his head. His usually stern face looks even more pinched and grim than normal. “I’m afraid I have some unfortunate news. The king decided to return to Werdenfeld early this morning. He said he needed to prepare for the trade summit next week. The meeting you two were to attend this morning has been postponed indefinitely.”

Disappointment crashes through me, followed by a flare of irritation. “He left without me? Without so much as a word?”

I know I disappeared on him yesterday, but still. Leaving me behind without even a heads-up feels rather discourteous. Is this his way of getting me back for going off on my own yesterday?

It’s not like I was in danger! I even answered his phone call and let him know I was perfectly fine, as I didn’t want him to worry.

Stefan meets my gaze, unapologetic. “With respect, sir, can you blame him? You were off the grid for hours. Shirking your itinerary and duties.”

I sigh and run a hand through my hair, my annoyance deflating. He’s right, of course. It was irresponsible of me to go off with Hailey like that, without a word to anyone. Unbecoming behavior for the crown prince.

But, God help me, I don’t regret a single second of it. Not when every moment I spent with her felt more real and alive than all the stifling years in the gilded palace cages of my birthright.

There’s no point bitching and whining. If this is just another chess move for my father, then I can’t show weakness. I need to respond by acting as if his slight doesn’t bother me. And so I square my shoulders and lift my chin, donning the mantle of the cool, collected prince once more.

“Very well.” I head for the elevator, planning on taking a shower. “I’m going to take the day to myself, then.”

My mind is miles away, lost in memories of yesterday with Hailey — her bright smile, her quick wit, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed at something I said.

I’ve never connected with someone so instantly, so effortlessly. It was like we just fit, two puzzle pieces slotting together. I want more time with her, to discover everything that makes her tick. What’s her biggest fear? Her wildest dream?

I’m startled out of my reverie when Stefan clears his throat pointedly. “Sir, we’re set to take off within the hour. I’ve already informed the pilot to prepare for wheels up.”

I turn around to face him, annoyed. Of course Stefan and my father have rescheduled my departure without consulting me. What else is new?

“Cancel it.” The words are out of my mouth before I can second-guess them.

Stefan’s brows shoot up in surprise. “But sir, your father?—”

“Isn’t expecting me for a few more days,” I cut in smoothly. “I think I’ll extend my stay here. Take in more of the city.” Before I lose my nerve, I add casually, “I was thinking of asking Ms. Warren to dinner. As a thank-you for being such an engaging tour guide yesterday.”

“Who?”

“The journalist from yesterday.”

Stefan frowns. “I’m not sure that’s wise, sir. Getting… entangled with a reporter?—”

“It’s dinner, Stefan, not a marriage proposal.” I infuse my voice with cool authority. “I’m perfectly capable of handling one friendly meal with a charming woman without causing an international incident.”

He purses his lips but wisely drops the subject with a slight nod. I turn back to the elevator and press the up button, a thrill humming through my blood. Two p.m. at Bethesda Fountain can’t come soon enough.

The elevator is taking its sweet time, and I’m dimly aware of Stefan hovering behind me. My phone buzzes and I glance down. The number on the screen has a Werdenfelden country code. Brow furrowing, I hit accept.

“Hello?”

“Your Highness,” comes the choked voice on the other end. It’s Elsa, my father’s head of household. “I’m so terribly sorry but… but the king… he’s gone. He had a massive heart attack on the plane. The doctors… they couldn’t revive him.”

The phone slips from my numb fingers, clattering on the floor. No. No, no, no. This can’t be happening. My father is the strongest man I know. He can’t be…

The world tilts sideways, and black spots dance across my vision. I can’t breathe. I can’t think. This has to be a nightmare.

But it’s not. Stefan’s phone is ringing as well, and I can tell from his wide eyes that he’s receiving the same news. My father has died. He’s gone forever.

Stefan hangs up his phone and says something to me, but it’s muffled, like I’m underwater. Oh, God. My father is dead.

And I am now the king of Werdenfeld.

Despair and panic rip through me as reality sinks in. I’m not ready for this. I can’t fill my father’s shoes, can’t possibly lead a nation. Hot tears sting my eyes but I blink them back. Kings don’t cry.

Stefan rushes to my side, face etched with concern. “Sir, what do you need? What can I do?”

My mind whirls in a daze. “I… I have to get back to Werdenfeld. Immediately.”

He nods. “Of course. I’ll have your things packed up.”

As he pulls out his phone, a flash of brown hair across the lobby crowd catches my eye and makes me think of Hailey. Hailey. Oh, God, Hailey . In the tsunami of grief, I almost forgot. We’re supposed to meet at Bethesda Terrace at two p.m. She’ll be waiting for me, not knowing my entire world just imploded.

I should call her, let her know. Except I don’t have her number. In my rush to leave this morning, I didn’t even think of getting it.

I grab Stefan’s arm. “I need a favor. Please, it’s important.”

“Anything, sir.”

“I was supposed to meet someone, but I don’t have her number. Can you get a message to her? Hailey Warren; she’s the journalist.”

He frowns slightly but nods. “Of course. What’s the message?”

I swallow hard past the lump in my throat. “Tell her… tell her I have to leave, that there’s been a family emergency. That I’m so very sorry but I have to go back to Werdenfeld immediately.”

“I’ll see that she gets it.” He flags down the doorman. “You, there! I have an urgent task for you.”

As Stefan relays the message, I sag against the wall, feeling like I’ve aged a decade in mere minutes. I’m leaving behind the woman who captured my heart, returning to a role I’m vastly unprepared for. But I have no choice. I am the king now.

Duty comes before everything. Even my own heart.