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“Sorry. We’ve kept it so quiet that only those we explicitly trust were invited here today. Why do you think T and Malik don’t have dates?” He smiled, but something was bugging her—well, a whole lot was bugging her.
“If you explicitly trusted me, why didn’t you tell me Steffan and Hattie were coming? Oh, and news flash—a murderous woman is alive, married to your brother, and coming to the wedding.”
“Murderous?” He looked at her strangely.
Ah, crap. She had to somehow play this cool and get Naomi’s people here to arrest Hattie. Then the royal family would have to face the truth. All these incredible people. People she loved. Derek, Kiera, the king, Macey, all the family … in danger. What could she do if she couldn’t get to her phone to send the information on?
Suddenly, Hattie and Steffan were in front of them. Steffan was darkly handsome with the August family bright blue eyes, and Hattie was absolutely gorgeous, with dark hair and skin and eyes, wearing the exact same dress as Aliya, Kiera, and Ellery. They’d obviously planned to come for a while. Had Derek known that and kept it from her?
Steffan and Derek embraced, thumping each other on the back. Hattie smiled warmly at Ellery as if they were the best of friends. “It’s an honor to meet you, Ellery. We try to watch your competitions and I kept telling Steffan that Derek was in love with you. Who’s right, as usual?” She winked at her … husband? Were they truly married? She glanced at Hattie’s left hand and, sure enough, a gorgeous diamond flashed at her. Derek’s accomplished, handsome, doctor prince brother was married to a murderer and apparently living in hiding with her.
Ellery’s palms were sweating. She had to get to her phone and get a message to Naomi. Why had she left everything in the room? There’d been a small purse on the shelf. She could’ve put her phone in there. Dumb. So dumb. Could she trust Derek to stand by her side when she revealed the truth? She’d claimed last night she trusted him more than anyone, but now she was confused, and terrified.
“You, love. You’re always right.” Steffan gave Ellery a brief side hug. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Ellery.”
“You as well,” she managed to get out.
“Ah, you’re more beautiful in person than even on the screen,” Hattie cried out happily. “Not ‘adorkable’ at all!” She gave Ellery an impulsive hug. Ellery was so stiff she feared she’d crack. Did the woman have a knife on her currently?
Thankfully Hattie released her, but she squeezed her hand. “We’ll have to chat and get to know each other at the luncheon. Aliya, Macey, and Kiera were all raving about how fabulous you are and how thrilled they are Derek found you.”
How could the woman look like a dark-eyed angel and have stabbed two people to death with a knife? For no reason? Had she killed the queen too? Who was her next target? Ellery was the furthest thing from an investigator or a detective.
Please help, she begged her Father above.
“We’d better go sit for the wedding.” Derek wrapped his arm around her waist again, thankfully supporting her as she was an absolute wreck. “You two can whisper girl secrets after.”
Steffan grinned. “Hattie’s been so looking forward to this day and being with the family. And I kept hearing, ‘The Adorkable Boston Beauty is really going to be there’?” He made his voice all falsetto.
Everybody around them laughed. Ellery tried to laugh too, but it came out very awkward and stilted. She wanted to scream out the truth about this faker. How could they all believe Hattie? How could these accomplished people ignore solid police proof and the fact that every news outlet in the world said Hattie Ballard had stabbed two innocent people to their deaths? Ellery could hardly look at the terrifying woman.
Derek escorted her to her seat. Hattie and Steffan sat right behind them. Ellery was so tense her neck and head started to pulse.
“You all right?” Derek whispered.
She could only look at him. No words came. Another horrifying thought suddenly hit her. Why would Hattie want to meet her so badly? Was she the next victim? Did Hattie somehow know Naomi had contacted Ellery and she was the only one here who recognized the truth of her murderous heart? What could she say with Hattie sitting right behind them?
“Please rise,” Sutton said.
Everybody rose, even Ellery on stiff, unsupportive legs.
Macey glided into the room, absolutely gorgeous in white satin and smiling so beautifully and hugely. Ellery wanted to be happy for Macey and the general, but she was too terrified. Her hands trembled and her brain was spinning with excuses to run up to her room between the ceremony and the luncheon. She needed to go by herself so she could send the Snap without Derek seeing it.
The ceremony passed quickly, which was a relief. Ray and Macey were beaming and in love. Even the serious general looked ecstatic and gave his bride a swoon-worthy wedding kiss. One of the most skilled and impressive men in the world married them, and his wife, the former duchess of Gunthry and the most beautiful woman in the world, Liz Smith, was their camerawoman.
It was all surreal and would’ve been incredible... if a murdering liar wasn’t sitting directly behind her and chills weren’t skittering across her skin.
The wedding finished, and they all stood and cheered and took turns hugging and congratulating the bride and groom. As soon as Ellery and Derek stepped back from their turn with Raymond and Macey, she squeezed his hand and said, “I need to run up to my room quick.”
“Okay. I’ll come with you.” He started to turn with her.
“No, I don’t want you to miss a minute with your family.”
“Elle. It’s not a worry.”
“Love, it’s embarrassing. Girl trouble.”
His eyes widened. “Oh.”
