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It was a little too on the nose, and Jan had to settle her face before she spoke. Unfortunately, Lila caught the subtle shift.
“Wait a minute, this is about his inheritance isn’t it?”
“Wrong again,” said Jan. “It’s actually not. Alex isn’t using his own money. We have investors.”
Lila shook her head. “Something doesn’t add up.”
“Yeah, your investigative skills. There’s no story here.”
Lila ignored Jan and began counting the facts on her fingers. “A prince who said he’d never marry suddenly shows up with a fiancée who’s a virtual nobody.”
“Hey!”
“The two of you are opening a restaurant, but you’re using other people’s money to do it, even though the prince could have his own funds if only he married. Wait. That’s it. You’re scamming the investors.”
“We are not.” How could she add up all those facts and get the wrong sum? “Alex would never do such a thing.”
“True or not, it’s the angle that’s going to get printed.” Lila whipped out a cell phone and began texting.
Jan stood rooted in her spot. There was nothing she could do to stop the salacious reporter. It was just like Alex had said. Once they got their narrative, that’s what they’d run with. They’d ignore anything to the contrary. All Jan could do was warn Alex.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Alex shook hands with the last contractor as the man walked out the front door. He just needed to wash his hands, grab his jacket, and then head out to find Jan. But heading back into the kitchen to retrieve his coat, he turned and stared.
The dining area was essentially a blank slate. But Alex saw it clearly. He saw the guests lining up out the door. He saw tourists gaping at the finery as they took a seat. He saw locals toasting at the bar after a long day’s work. He would be at the front of the house, commandeering it all.
Jan would be at the back in the kitchen of her dreams. Every spice from around the world would be within reach of her fingertips.
He’d taste every dish before it went out. Not to check up on her, but because he wanted to taste whatever came from her imagination. But that would be right after he tasted her lips. In fact, he doubted he’d ever use a dining utensil again. From now on, he’d only eat food straight from her fingertips.
Pride swelled in his chest as he headed for the door. He wondered if he could push the open date up sooner. This was an accomplishment he did want to shout about. He wanted the whole world to know about what he and Jan could do together.
Before he could pull the door open to find the woman he wanted to share the spotlight with, she raced up the steps and flung herself into his arms. She was shaking, trembling. Alex held her tightly and brought her inside the safety of the nest they were building together.
“Jan? What is it? What’s wrong?”
She sobbed into his chest, not showing him her face. Alex’s heart cracked, threatening
to splinter in two at the sounds. Whatever happened, whoever did this, he’d open up the dungeons to them.
“I’ve screwed it all up,” Jan hiccoughed.
“What, my darling? Please, tell me what’s happened, and I promise I’ll fix it.”
He brought her tighter into his arms, tucking her head beneath his chin. He rubbed his hands at her back, trying to sooth the cries out of her spine. It took long moments, but soon her cries died down, and her breathing steadied.
When Jan looked up at him, anger sparkled in her blue eyes. “That reporter, Lila Drake, cornered me while I was out shopping.”
Cold dread washed through Alex’s entire body. It was a lucky thing that he held Jan in his arms. Otherwise, he’d race out of there to find the tabloid tattler and give her a piece of his mind. He no longer cared what they said about him, but Jan was off limits.
“I was trying to defend you,” Jan said. “But I slipped up. She figured it out. The inheritance and the investors. She knows. Pretty soon, everyone will know that the engagement is fake.”
Alex closed his eyes and breathed a sigh. This was his worst nightmare. So, why was he so calm?
He brushed the tears away from Jan’s eyes until he saw her clearly. There was nothing fake about their engagement. Unless they counted their own denials of how they felt for each other.
“Alex, I’m so sorry.”
