AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Victoria, she may have feelings for me, but she’s made it clear that our match is primarily a business arrangement. She sees me as a way to provide financial relief for her father. I thought she cared about me, but she fooled all of us. She knew I wouldn’t go along with the match if we didn’t have love, so she gave me what she knew she needed to in order to get me to go through with it.”
My sister’s eyes filled with sympathy. “I don’t think that’s true. I think she had to say those things to make her father happy. She doesn’t actually feel that way.”
“I was sitting right there beside her. She meant it.”
Victoria placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “Theo, sometimes people say things they don’t mean, especially in high-pressure situations. Emilie’s circumstances are incredibly challenging, and she’s been raised with certain expectations. Give her some time.”
I appreciated her attempt to console me. “Thank you, but it doesn’t matter. I’m out. I’m not getting involved in that drama.”
After a few days of wallowing in my own misery, I had successfully managed to isolate myself from the world. My conversations with my parents had been brief and somber. I couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in their eyes. I knew they weren’t happy with my decision, but they would support me.
One afternoon, as I sat alone in my room, there was a knock on my door. I assumed it was either my mother, still concerned about my well-being, or Victoria, trying her best to offer some comfort. Victoria was trying to convince me to call Emilie and talk it out.
“Go away,” I called out.
The intruder knocked again. With a resigned sigh, I got up and crossed the room to open the door, expecting to see one of them on the other side. But to my surprise, it was neither of them. Instead, I opened the door to find Roman.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I asked with a laugh.
My brother gave me a hug. “I heard about your breakup with Emilie,” he said, his voice laced with sympathy. “Anabella is away on a girls’ trip in Paris, so I thought I’d come check on my little brother.”
I laughed. “You don’t just stop by when you’re across an ocean.”
He shrugged. “I was homesick.”
“Mom called you.”
“Nope.”
“Victoria called you,” I said with a nod. “You’re the last resort. If you can’t save me, no one can.”
“They’re worried about you,” he said.
“It’s been a tough few days,” I admitted, running a hand through my hair. “I thought things were going well with Emilie, and then that interview? It all fell apart so suddenly.”
Roman nodded. “That was really fucked up. I can’t imagine how you must feel. But I know you, Theo. You’ve always believed in love, in building something meaningful with your match. It’s not just about politics or business for you. I don’t blame you for not wanting to get stuck with something that’s not going to bring you happiness.”
I appreciated Roman’s understanding. He knew me better than most. I didn’t feel so dramatic and crazy.
I opened up to him and told him all of it. It was strangely comforting to share my feelings with my older brother. I missed having him around.
Roman listened intently, his expression sympathetic yet understanding. “Anabella went through something similar at the beginning of our marriage,” Roman said. “She felt the need to prove herself to her family, to demonstrate that she was more than just a royal title.”
“You and Anabella went against the grain and did what you wanted to,” I said with a hint of bitterness.
“Both Anabella and Emilie have spent their entire lives under the shadow of their parents’ expectations. It’s a difficult transition to break free from that, to redefine oneself independently of those pressures. They have known nothing else. They didn’t know they could have real love. You’ve been in her life for a few weeks. Her father has been her whole life since birth. That’s not something you just forget overnight.”
His words struck a chord with me. I had been so focused on my own hurt and disappointment that I hadn’t fully considered Emilie’s perspective. “I guess I never really thought about it from that angle,” I admitted. “I’ve been so wrapped up in my own emotions that I didn’t consider what she might be going through.”
Roman smiled. “It’s not easy, Theo, but love is powerful. Give Emilie a chance to figure this out. You never know what the future might hold.”
“Thank you, Roman,” I said sincerely. “You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Come on, let’s get out of this room. It stinks.”
“It doesn’t stink,” I argued.
“I did not fly all the way over here to sit in your room and pout,” he said. “Seriously, quit being a little baby. You need to get some exercise. You need to get your heartrate up. It’ll make you feel better.”
