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I hesitated, then blew out a frustrated breath. “Yes, but?—”
Grace held up her hand. “So . . . I was just a pawn in your little game?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. I just?—”
“How could you do this to me?” Her voice quivered with a pain that cut through the air. “I thought you were the only one who actually believed in me, in my talent and in my abilities. You lied to me and played with my feelings. What kind of man are you?”
Her words hit me like a barrage of arrows, each one sinking deeper into my heart. Grace’s eyes, once filled with warmth and trust, now reflected a devastating mix of hurt and betrayal. She blinked rapidly, taking a step back, as if physical distance could shield her from the emotional turmoil that I had inflicted on her.
I scrambled to find the right words to explain. “Grace, you have to understand. Things are different between us now. My plan was conceived before I met you.”
“It doesn’t matter when you thought of it!” she said. “You could have told me the truth when Theodore was outed. How could you not be honest with me? The fact is, you came up with a deceitful plan and did not even consider the consequences of hurting someone.”
I sighed. “Please let me?—”
“This is beyond cruel,” Grace continued. “You’re no better than your brother. I already forgave him and understood his reasons. You have no excuses, Your Highness.”
This was even worse than I thought.
Grace was back to addressing me formally.
My heart was breaking into tiny pieces.
She turned and walked away.
“Grace—wait!” I pleaded, as my heart pounded in my chest.
She ignored my plea and disappeared inside the palace.
I turned to Mother, frustration bubbling to the surface. “Why did you say those things? You ruined everything.”
“Me?” she said unapologetically. “I only told the truth, Oliver. Nothing more. And she was right. You should have told her the truth long ago, before I canceled the wedding.”
“But why was it even necessary to bring this up in the first place?” I demanded, my patience shattered. “There is no wedding! It didn’t matter anymore!”
The realization of the depth of my mistake hit me, and a sense of desperation fueled my steps as I rushed after Grace, praying that I could salvage what was left of the love that had slipped through my fingers.
“Where are you going?” Mother called out, her tone indifferent.
I turned around to look at her. “To stop the woman I love from walking out of my life forever.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
GRACE
With every ring and ping of my phone, I wished for a miracle that would erase the memory and the pain of Oliver’s deception. What had I been thinking? How could I have been so foolish as to imagine a life with the future King of Verdana? It was as if I had convinced myself I could bridge the gap between our two very different worlds, until reality had delivered a cruel royal awakening.
Oliver had been outside my room several times in the last few hours, knocking on my door, begging me to open up and hear him out. There was nothing to talk about.
What I needed at the moment was someone to pull me out of this darkness and misery. I reached for my phone to call Cristina, my go-to person and the keeper of positivity in my life. If she couldn’t give me a glimmer of hope, nobody could.
“Grace!” she answered. “How’s everything going over there? You’ve been so quiet. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.”
I took a deep breath, attempting to steady my quivering voice. “It’s over, Cristina. Oliver played me like a puppet. I’m a fool. My heart’s a war zone.”
“Wait a minute—slow down,” Cristina said. “I thought everything was going so well! What about your chemistry? And that amazing kiss you texted me about? What happened?”
I couldn’t hold back the sob that escaped my throat. “It was more than one kiss, but they meant nothing to him, obviously. Oliver used me. He never believed in us. He hired me under false pretenses to ruin his wedding. His feelings were nothing but physical attraction, obviously.”
