CHAPTER 30
MADDIE
The headline for this new tabloid alert reads:RIO WILDER’S FIANCÉE CAUGHT LEAVING ANOTHER MAN’S ROOM BEFORE DAWN.
The room spins around me.
"No," I whisper, my voice barely audible even to myself. "No, no, no?—"
I can't tear my eyes from the screen. There's no mistaking what I'm looking at.
Some photographer with a zoom lens caught me from the far end of the hotel hallway, stepping out of Joseph's suite at dawn. My hair’s messy, clothes wrinkled.
And there’s Rio, twenty feet away, walking toward me with his face twisted in anger, right index finger jabbing the air between us.
Anyone looking at this would think exactly what the tabloids want them to think—that I spent the night with another man and got caught red-handed by my fiancé.
It looks horrible. It looks damning.
The room tilts.
I grab Snorty and boltfrom the rehearsal area, stumbling back into the break room. My hands shake as I try to pour water from a pitcher. But I can't even manage that simple task.
Before I can catch my breath, I spot Antoine and Prince Michael marching toward me. The dark expression on their faces tell me everything I need to know.
Prince Michael plants himself directly in front of me. "Let's talk in my office," he says.
It’s not a request.
I follow them down the side corridor. Prince Michael ushers me inside his temporary command center, a small meeting room decked out in silver and black leather furniture.
The door closes behind us with a soft click. Prince Michael stands in front of the desk, his shoulders tense beneath his expensive suit. Antoine standing beside him.
The air conditioning blasts cold, raising goosebumps on my arms.
Or maybe that's just fear.
"Maddie," Prince Michael says quietly, his voice gentler than I expected.
“I’m sure you've seen the tabloid this morning." He gestures at my phone, still clutched in my hand. "We can't protect you this time."
"But you don't understand why—" I start, my voice cracking. The words feel thick in my throat.
Prince Michael raises his hand to stop me. "It doesn't matter if we believe you or not."
He sighs, rubbing his temple. "The damage can't be repaired. When Henry Lemon heard, he went wild."
"But I had a great conversation with him an hour ago. He seemed in a good mood, so if …"
"That was before the story broke," Prince Michael says. "Antoine was able to work his magic and convince him the concert will go on. But …"
He lowers his voice.
"Without you here in Vegas.”
I let that sink infor a moment.
Antoine rises and moves toward me. "Let me take you to your suite so you can pack."
