CHAPTER 20
Betty
Ishowed up at Archie'sstudy at eight in the morning carrying a travel mug of coffee I'd made myself in the palace kitchen, because spite was my new personality trait.
Chef Marcello had appeared at my elbow while I was grinding beans, taken one look at my face, and wordlessly handed me a chocolate croissant.
"You need more than caffeine, Your Highness."
"I need answers and possibly a new life, but I'll settle for coffee and carbs."
"The coffee and carbs I can provide."He'd patted my shoulder and retreated to give me space, which I appreciated more than I could say.
Now I stood outside Archie's door, croissant in one hand and spite-coffee in the other, preparing to spend the day investigating who wanted me gone badly enough to trash my rooms and write threatening messages on my walls.
Just another normal morning in paradise.
Archie opened the door before I could knock, looking like he'd slept about as well as I had.His hair was still damp from a shower, and he was wearing jeans and a casual button-down instead of his usual formal attire.
"You're wearing jeans," I said.
"I'm allowed to wear jeans."
"I've never seen you in jeans."
"I wear jeans all the time.You've just never been around for it."He stepped aside to let me in."Coffee?"
"Brought my own.Trust issues."
"Fair."He poured himself a cup from the pot on the sideboard."Sleep okay?"
"Define okay."
"Did you sleep at all?"
"A few hours.You?"
"About the same."He gestured to his desk, which had somehow accumulated even more papers overnight."Roberto sent over additional files this morning.Staff access logs, communication records, financial transactions for anyone with high-level palace credentials."
I moved to the desk and started flipping through folders."That's a lot of people."
"Twenty-seven, to be exact.Anyone with master access codes who could have been in position to commit the sabotage attempts."
"So we've narrowed it down from everyone to almost everyone.Progress."
He smiled despite the situation."I've started categorizing by opportunity and motive.Want to help?"
For the next two hours, we went through files together.Archie had created a system, color-coded folders, timeline charts, cross-referenced access logs.It was impressively organized and slightly dorky, which I found oddly endearing.
"You're enjoying this," I said, watching him add another notation to his timeline.
"I'm not enjoying the fact that someone is trying to destroy you.But I'll admit there's something satisfying about solving puzzles."
"You would have made a terrible detective.You're too methodical."
