“It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Only it’s not, because now that Althea says her name, I realize I’ve heard of her. She’s the heiress to the Awal fortune and has been known to sleep her way from billionaire to billionaire, even breaking up a few marriages here and there.
“I must say, it’s quite fascinating to see someone like you ascend to the throne.”
“Someone like me?” I parrot, trying to keep my voice steady despite the sudden rage boiling within me.
“From nanny to queen. Who would’ve thought? Especially when you’re so much younger than the king,” she continues, smirking as she twirls a lock of platinum hair around her finger. “It’s like one of those rags-to-riches stories you Americans are so fond of.”
“I suppose it does have an element of that, and I’m sure I must seem so young compared to you.”
Althea looks away to hide her smile, but my barb triggers the woman who won’t be put down. “You must feel so out of place among all this grandeur and people of means and influence. My heart breaks for you.”
“You’re too kind to worry about me,” I reply icily, giving her a saccharine smile. “But honestly, I believe every person has thepotential to rise above their circumstances. As you said, it’s a very American notion.”
“Yes, but to go from being a simple nanny to a queen?” She scrunches her nose.
I shrug dismissively. “I loved being the nanny to my stepchildren and found so much joy and pride in my work with them. My past does not define me, nor does it determine my worthiness as queen.” I give her mybless your heartface since that seems to be my new resting bitch face. “But my heart breaks for you as well. It must be so lonely and isolating to feel that your only worth can be found in your wallet.”
Her eyes momentarily round before narrowing into a cruel smirk. “Oh, I’m never lonely.” Her gaze casts about the room and snags on Sebastian before turning back to me, her smirk transforming into a Cheshire grin.
The room seems to hold its breath as other guests look on with wide eyes, their curiosity and anticipation palpable in the air. I can feel the weight of their stares, silently urging me to react. If they’re looking for a catfight, they’ve got the wrong girl.
Instead, I laugh and then almost—almost—feel bad for her. How awful to be so insecure that you feel the need to bring others down.
“Is that your argument?” I question. “That you’re never lonely and that I’m unfit to be queen because of my past? Because I worked as a nanny?”
“Isn’t that enough?” the woman sneers, her gaze flicking across the room as if she were gathering support from our audience.
“Um. Not really. At least not for me or Sebastian. But thank you for your opinion. I’m sure there are people out there who are entertained by it.”
She gives me a long once-over, her expression shifting into something dark and predatory, until she snags on my lowerstomach, and she lets out a derisive laugh. My pulse immediately spikes.
“Ah. Now it’s all making sense.”
My hands move in front of me, but it’s too late and I know it. Adrenaline prickles my skin, my need to flee taking over. “I don’t know what?—”
“He married you because of that,” she cackles, her eyes filling with delight as they take in my baby bump. I can feel Althea’s hand on my arm, but it doesn’t matter now. There’s nothing she can do.
Time slows as I watch the woman’s hand shoot out toward my stomach, dread coiling within me when I realize what she’s about to do. Before I can react, she rubs her hand over my small bump and a gasp ripples through the crowd like a gust of cold wind, chilling me to the bone.
“Oh, how darling,” she exclaims loudly, her voice carrying as she beams triumphantly at me. “You’re pregnant!”
My face flushes with heat and humiliation while outrage courses through me like molten lava. In the span of a few heartbeats, I’ve become the center of attention, more than I already was, and for all the wrong reasons. Whispers and murmurs erupt around the ballroom like a sudden, fierce storm. The news of my pregnancy spread through the room with the speed and ferocity of wildfire, fueled by the judgmental looks and pointed comments of those who had been waiting for just such an opportunity to gossip about me.
Awesome. But there’s nothing for me to do or say. The damage is done.
“Have a lovely rest of your evening,Your Majesty,” she purrs, oh so pleased with herself as she walks off, leaving me standing here with Althea. Sebastian is across the room and has no clue what just happened as he speaks to the Swiss president.
“Can you believe it? Pregnant already?” one woman hisses derisively.
“That’s clearly why he married her,” another agrees. “How vulgar to knock up your nanny and be forced to marry her.”
I stand here, my heart pounding in my chest, feeling as if I’m trapped in a cage made of glass with everyone staring at me from all sides. The weight of their gazes bears down on me, suffocating me, making it hard to breathe. And yet, despite the shock and discomfort that threaten to overwhelm me, I refuse to let them see me crumble.
“Bellamy,” Althea whispers urgently beside me, squeezing my forearm. “I’m so sorry. I should have intervened.”
“There was nothing you could do. She was out for blood, and she found it.”
“What do we do now?”
