History be damned. His father be damned.
Gabriel came into the office, settled himself on a chair casually. “Evelyne told me Ines has…disappeared.”
“Yes, I’d like to hire your company to find her, but this cannot be official business—for the palace or for you.” Perhaps itwasroyal business to track down the country’s queen, but Alexandre didn’t love the optics of that.
Gabriel ran a security company for many royals and wealthy people. He had contacts all over the world. And maybe finding a runaway wife wasn’tsecurity, but it was something Gabriel’s outfit could no doubt handle, especially now that he wasn’t just Gabriel Marti, butLordGabriel Marti, the title he’d been given upon marrying Evelyne.
“Luckily my company specializes in off-the-books,” Gabriel replied.
“Yes. Well.”Off-the-booksleft him feeling a bit…oily. It was not how he operated, but…sometimes a king had to go against the grain. As long as it was for good, for the right reasons, it had to be okay. As long as it was handledappropriately, and not at all like his father.
“I’ll need to ask you a few questions before I can decide how to proceed,” Gabriel said, watching Alexandre carefully.
And since they had been friends since they were boys, Alexandre knew Gabriel saw too much. Still, he ignored what was in his friend’s expression. Concern. Perhaps, worse, understanding.
“Why would Ines run away?” Gabriel asked, his voice very neutral. None of Evelyne’s commentary on hisstomping about, as she called it.
“I have no idea.”
“Alexandre.” Gabriel sighed, leaning his elbows onto his knees. “I do not know your wife nearly as well as I know you, but she has never once struck me as someone to just…fly off the handle. Even if she was, there would still be an inciting incident.” His gaze was direct. “It would help if I knew it. It’s easier to find where someone has run away to, if one knowswhatthey’re runningfrom.”
Alex supposed it was his friend’s directness, and lack of blame, and the fact that they understood each other as few others did that allowed him to relent alittle.
“There was…nothing. A small disagreement, I suppose, about what our future was to look like. But there were no…dramatics.” Unless wild sex on this very desk counted. But much as he might like to convince himselfthatwas what had sent her packing, he knew it had been his reaction to it.
Much as he’d like to pretend it was the opposite.
“I…” Gabriel shifted in his seat, a sure sign of discomfort that Alexandre foundveryoff-putting. “I did hear you and Ines arguing the day Gabri was born.”
Alexandre could only blink. He had argued with Ines briefly before it had turned into…well, something he hadn’t quite been able to put out of his mind, particularly with how often he was required to sit at this very desk.
He shook his head. “The matter was settled. She made no threats. There was no discussion of leaving.” Just him sending her away…
“Perhapsyouthought the matter was settled, but this points to…well, her feeling otherwise. Don’t you think?”
Alexandre shook his head because it did not makesense. “I simply could not give her what she wanted. She understood this. She said—” No, she had never come out and said she understood. He had taken her usual quiet distance as her customary agreement.
“So you disagreed on…personal, marriage matters? For your future?”
“Yes, I…” Alexandre cleared his throat. If there was anyone he could be honest with, it was Gabriel. Gabriel knew that the marriage had been arranged by his father for the most part. And if explaining the truth would help find Ines, help fix this whole situation, there was really no harm in Gabriel knowing.
Besides, Ines running away because ofthiswas… She was in the wrong. “I did not think we needed to pursue having a child since the heir has been taken care of. She…disagreed.”
Gabriel did not say anything to that. For a moment, his study was done in utter silence, and Alexandre could not see through it. Could not read his friend’s expression. Something he had always been able to do…
At least, before Gabriel had fallen in love with Evelyne and married her. Something about that seemed to open up another dimension of Gabriel that Alexandre could not fully comprehend.
Didn’t want to.
“Perhaps she simply needed a break from the palace and its fishbowl quality after such a disagreement,” Gabriel said. “It’s quite possible she will return all on her own after a nice holiday. Still, I will handle tracking her down, quietly and carefully.”
“I…” Alexandre was at war with himself. What did he want out of this? Hewantedto drag her back to the palace, lecture her for such a dereliction of duty, demand…something. Something.
But all of these reactions felt like ones too close to King Enzo. And still, he could hardly let his country know his wife had found fault with him and run away. Queen Ines wasbeloved. Alexandre had not yet been hailed the hero to his people that he’d hoped to be.
Because he wouldnotbe his father. “I want to be assured she is okay and safe. I do not wish to…” He did not know how to find the words, but Gabriel stood. He put his hand on Alexandre’s shoulder.
“Understood.”
