Maxence reached across the table and took her shaking hands in both of his warm ones. “Everything you do will be perfect. If you want my advice, I’ll let you know which might be good choices, but so will the planners. I won’t let you make a mistake. At the end of this, everyone will know that you’re as perfect as I think you are.”
Dree sat back in her airplane seat. “Well, okay, then. At least that’s settled.”
She was way out of her depth.
She wasn’t marrying Maxence. She was marryingMonaco.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Poaching
Maxence
The morning after they returned to Monaco, Maxence arrived at his office in the Prince’s Palace a few minutes before Dree, who had insisted on staying on as his supposed secretary, which amused Maxence to no end. Somebody needed to take notes, though.
Dree bustled in just a few moments before their first scheduled meeting, holding her tablet. “Sorry I’m late. Chiara and I got to talking. I’m going to steal her from the palace admin staff to work with me on the wedding.”
Maxence nodded. “Poaching is how I hire many of my best employees. I heartily recommend it. Our first meeting is with Magnus Jensen, the commander from Rogue Security. They found a few troubling items relating to our staff, and we’re going to review some of the problems. Are you sure you want to be here for this?”
She frowned an adorable little moue. “Don’t you need somebody to take notes for the palace record?”
“This won’t be submitted to the palace record. It’s delicate.”
Dree seated herself in the secretary chair with a flourish of her swishy skirt that was begging to be flipped up over her back while she was bent over his desk. “Then you’ll definitely need me to take notes on all the seafood supplies you talk about, because rules are rules.Somethinghas to be deposited for the palace record.”
Ah, his funny littlechérie. “Give me your panties.”
Five minutes later, Dree was sitting back in her secretary chair with flushed cheeks and a pretty pink bare bottom under that flouncy skirt of hers when Maxence’s first appointment was shown in.
The acting commander for the Rogue Security detachment in Monaco, Magnus Jensen, strode in carrying a computer bag. His black hair was as dark as Maxence’s, though shorter on the sides and top, but their similarity ended there. Whereas Max had been born under the Mediterranean sun, Magnus Jensen’s skin was pale like his flesh might be limned with frost under his light tan, and his eyes were the pale blue of a Nordic winter sky.
Magnus said, “Our weekly report has changed little since last week. As we are liaising with your police, Matryona Sokolov has told us a little more about her operation in France and Spain. There is now enough to submit a report to Monaco’s courts for investigation. In addition, she was more forthcoming with information about Marie-Therese and Jules Grimaldi and has agreed to testify against them. Your public prosecutor will be bringing additional charges soon in your criminal court.”
Maxence nodded. “Good. And the special report?”
Magnus removed a laptop computer from his bag, which he opened and placed on the end of Maxence’s desk, facing inward.
The screen seemed to be black and yet was backlit as if the computer was on.
Maxence squinted at it.
Barely perceptible in the Monegasque sun shining on the screen from the windows behind him, the outline of a man in a darkened room moved slightly on the screen.
Maxence turned to Magnus Jensen. “And who is this?”
Magnus said, “May I present Blaise Lyon, one of Rogue Security’s resident IT and communication specialists.”
That meant Lyon was a hacker of course.
The computer, and presumably the man on the screen, said, “A pleasure to meet you,” in a profoundly deep voice with a distinctive rasp to it. A sound like microphone feedback played when he spoke.
Magnus looked at the screen and frowned. “Do you have a cold, Blaise?”
“Yes,” the man said, his voice like a bass singer in a barbershop quartet.
Yet, Maxence could have sworn the male voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
As Maxence’s eyes adjusted to looking at the screen, there did indeed appear to be a human shape on it. The outline of a cowl shadowed the man who sat in darkness, and one line of light traced the bridge of his nose and one cheekbone.
