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“Yes, you are! What fun!” she replied. “This only happens in the movies.”
I tried to act casual as we speed-walked to the VIP lounge, but there was no discounting the fact that everyone was gawking and glaring, and were as equally animated as Freya. I was sure I looked hideous from all the crying, but my heart told me to give Oliver a chance to explain and make it right. The truth was, I didn’t want to leave Verdana, but I also didn’t want to be a fool.
Freya guided me to the door of the lounge, where Mr. Stoic was standing outside on watch, turning away women who said they were me.
“Okay—you’ve got this, Grace,” she said, squeezing my hand like a close friend I had known forever. “Men do dumb things, just remember that. It’s in their genes.” Then she practically shoved me in the door and closed it behind me.
I swallowed hard as I took a few steps into the lounge and saw Oliver standing there patiently, next to Dante, and an easel covered in red silk.
Oliver was dressed in a dark blue suit, white shirt, with a red tie.
Dante took a few steps toward me and nodded. “Miss Grace. It’s good to see you.” Then he walked past me and out the door.
The entire VIP lounge was empty, except for me and Oliver.
I could feel my nerves intensify as he approached me.
Let him talk.
Give him a chance.
Please, please, please don’t cry now.
“Grace,” he said, his voice carrying a mix of urgency and vulnerability. “The thought of you not being in my life is the absolute worst feeling in the world, without a doubt.” He took another step closer, his gaze never leaving mine. “I couldn’t let you go without trying to make things right. Please, give me a chance to explain.”
I nodded as my throat tightened with a mixture of emotions.
Oliver took a deep breath, his eyes searching mine. “I made a terrible mistake. I didn’t take into consideration how my decision would affect you. I let my pride and responsibilities and ego get in the way of what is right for my life. I thought being a prince meant following a certain path, and that I could never stray from it, but I’ve realized that the only path I want to follow is the one that leads me straight to you.”
I wanted to believe him.
“You hurt me,” I said.
“I know, and I can’t apologize enough,” Oliver said. “And honestly, I feel conflicted about the entire situation. What I did was wrong, absolutely, but if I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have ever met you. And you mean the world to me.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them back. “Why should I believe you, Oliver? How do I know what you’re saying is sincere?”
“I’m speaking from the heart, Grace.” He pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket. “This is the three-page letter that I wrote to you, the one I slid under your door that you didn’t open. You don’t have to read it at this moment, but everything in there is also from the heart and one hundred percent true. And keep in mind I’m not even close to finished with this apology.”
Oliver set the envelope on the table next to two documents. They were contracts, both printed on official Verdana Royalty letterhead. He gestured to the first contract and slid it toward me on the table.
The entire document was just two sentences.
I promise, Grace, never to lie to you again.
This is my solemn vow.
He pulled a pen from his pocket and signed it in front of me.
There was sincerity in his eyes that I hadn’t seen before.
Then he slid the second contract toward me.
It was a job offer.
I gasped. “President of the Verdana Royal Academy of Arts?”
“Yes,” Oliver said. “Your experience as a high-level strategic business manager and consultant makes you the perfect candidate for this job. Now, you can get back to what you’re truly passionate about, but this time in a positive environment, and for a good cause.” He grabbed my hands. “You’re talented and brilliant, and I want the world to see that.”
