Page 38 of Billionaire Dragon King’s Rejected Mate

“Fine.” Her tone shifted back into something lighter with deliberate ease. “Then you can make it up to me by taking me to dinner so I can catch up with you properly.”

Sven blinked and then laughed. The sound cut clean through the lingering tension like it had no business being there. “That sounds like an order.”

“It is,” she said and folded her arms with mock seriousness. “I haven’t seen you in forever, and you show up in my city without warning? You owe me at least one meal.”

“I suppose I can manage that,” he replied and glanced briefly at Jakob, who gave the faintest nod of approval. “But it’ll have to be lunch. Our plane leaves in a couple hours.”

“Good,” Randi had already turned toward the door before she paused. “We need to send something back for Bryn. She’ll never forgive you if you don’t bring her something.”

Sven groaned lightly. “I’m already under strict orders,” he admitted. “Photographs. Multiple.”

Randi grinned. “Smart woman.”

She glanced at Chance, who hadn’t said a word the entire time. “Would you like to join us for lunch? Which I’m taking now, by the way. Work can wait.” Her heart was on her sleeve with the invite.

He turned them down cold. “My business with these men is done. There’s nothing else to say.”

The anger that immediately exuded from Sven surprised Randi. He didn’t say a word as he took her elbow and steered her out the door.

Jakob’s words sounded before they were out in the hallway. “It’s not over, Chauncey. You can hide, but the fight will find you. We did the best we could by warning you.”

She looked up at Sven but his expression left no desire in her to even speak. Chauncey? She didn’t even dare ask about that.

She glanced back at Chance, and what she saw made her pause internally even as she kept moving. He looked… haunted. That was the only word that leapt into her mind.

Like something had resurrected in a way he hadn’t prepared for. Whatever business had brought Sven and Jakob here had landed harder on him than he was letting on.

Something was wrong. She didn’t know what, but she could feel it.

They walked down the block to a small diner that specialized in comfort food and a relaxed atmosphere. Jakob decided to go for a stroll and take in some of the sights while they had private time.

Randi kept her smile in place even as she watched Sven stir his iced tea like it held state secrets. They’d been sitting at the diner for nearly twenty minutes, and he hadn’t said a single useful thing. Not one.

“You’re being weird.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “You might be a king, but you’re still acting weird. You show up in Tampa out of nowhere with no warning, my sister didn’t even tell me, and for some reason you pay a visit to my boss. That qualifies as weird.”

Sven didn’t look up right away. The spoon clinked once more against the glass before he set it down with quiet precision.

“I’m always a little weird,” he said.

“That’s not the same thing and you know it.”

Now he did look at her but his calm expression was infuriating. “I had business and asked Bryn not to forewarn you.”

“With Chance?” she pressed. “What kind of business do you have with a corporate guy who thinks spreadsheets are a personality trait?” She paused. “Or should I call him Chauncey? Where did that come from?”

One corner of Sven’s mouth twitched, but it wasn’t quite a smile. “People are rarely just one thing, Randi.”

She exhaled sharply. “Okay, that sounded like a fortune cookie and answered exactly zero of my questions.”

He didn’t apologize or elaborate. Instead, he just reached for his sandwich like they were discussing the weather.

Randi stared at him for a long second, then leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Does my sister know why you’re here?”

A flicker crossed his face. “Not exactly.”

Her stomach tightened. “Sven. Why are you being like this? You’re… you’re never like this with me.” They had a wonderful relationship the entire time she was in Stagholt.

He held her gaze, and for a moment, she thought he might actually answer. Instead, he looked away. “Because some things aren’t as simple as they look.”