Ruthless Empire (Royal Elite #6) by Rina Kent

We’re supposed to spend time together, but she hasn’t returned my calls or texts. She’s not in her flat either and it’s freaking me out.

I plan to gather my thoughts and keep my promise to Cole — the part about not hiding anything from him again. I’ve been thinking of ways to tell him about the pregnancy because, like he did with Adam, I know he’ll take care of this. Or at least help me make the decision, since obviously I can’t do it.

A part of me is scared he’ll tell me to get rid of it.

What else should I expect? That he’ll suggest we leave the country or something?

Damn it, Silver. Stop being a naïve fool.

Cole has an early practice today because of a game in the evening, so I don’t have to look at his face and feel guilty that I’m hiding something from him.

Besides, Mum’s disappearance feels like a weight perching on my chest, looming over me like a demon.

I feel like that girl who walked in on her while she drowned in her own blood.

She hasn’t answered my calls in fifteen hours. She promised to never do that to me again.

I tap on Papa’s office door, balancing a tray of tea on my hand, and go inside. A forced smile grazes my lips as I serve Papa, Frederic, Derek, and the rest of their team.

“Thank you, Miss.” Derek smiles but quickly hides it.

I return it, then ask Papa, “Can I talk to you for a second?”

“Absolutely.” He nods at them before following me outside. We’re standing in front of his closed office door. “What is it, Princess?”

“Mum is missing.”

His jaw tightens. “She’s a grown woman, Silver. Stop worrying about her as if she’s a child.”

“Papa…”

“Why would you even want to talk to her after the show she put on yesterday?”

“You don’t understand. She can’t be left alone for too long.” I clink my nails against each other.

His expression morphs from anger to contemplation. “What do you mean?”

Mum will kill me if she finds out I told him, but she pushed me to this. I can’t take this pain anymore. I can’t keep it from Papa.

“Remember that time I went to spend the weekend with her and didn’t want to leave her side for a whole month?”

He nods. “I thought you felt guilty about leaving her alone.”

“I did. She cut her wrist, Papa.”

“She what?”

“She doesn’t want to show it, but she suffers in silence. The image you see, the debates and smiles and social media goddess titles are just her way to appear strong.”

“Princess.” He wraps an arm around my shoulder, appearing as shocked as I did back then. “You dealt with all of that on your own? Why haven’t you told me?”

“She wouldn’t let me. You know her; she’d rather die than show any type of weakness. During your divorce, she spoke high and mighty in front of the cameras, but she cried when she thought no one was there. She fought you every time she saw you, but she always worked on improving your plans for the party’s future when she was alone. It’s not that she doesn’t care, Papa, it’s that she doesn’t like to show it.” And I think I inherited that trait without even realising it.

“That loathsome habit of hers.” He sighs, stroking my back. “She’ll be okay. She loves you too much and would never leave you.”

“But she was so mad yesterday.” I sniffle. “What if she…what if…”

Papa’s brow furrows in concern. “She won’t.” Even as he speaks the words, he doesn’t seem to believe them. “She’ll stay, Princess. If not for anyone, then for you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know, Cynthia was always the type who didn’t want children, because she thought they’d get in the way of her ambitions and her plans. I tricked her into it, sort of, and the moment she knew she was pregnant with you, she said she loved you without even seeing you. When we first met you, she cried and thanked me for changing her mind.” He smiles with nostalgia and shakes his head. “Then she said she’d kill me if I told anyone she cried. Point is, Princess, you gave her life and mine a deeper meaning. For that, we would never leave you, even though we left each other.”

My arms drape around his waist and I fight my own tears. “I love you, Papa.”

People say you can’t choose your own parents, and many wish they never had their parents. Not me. I hated the fights and the divorce and everything that came with it, but I wouldn’t change my parents for the world. Flaws and fights be damned.

My phone vibrates and I pull it out faster than I’ve ever done in all my life. It’s not Mum. It’s Lucien.

I called him earlier but only got his voicemail.

“Hey, Lucien.”

“Hello, Silver.” He has a charming French accent that I can listen to for days.

“Is Mum with you?” My heart beats loud as I wait for his answer.

“Yes, she is.”

Oh, thank God. “Can I talk to her?”

“I’m afraid not. She’s asleep.”

Oh. “Can I come over?”

After Mum introduced us, we usually had meals either in his place or at her flat. He’s a very private man and doesn’t like eating in restaurants. Since I met him, I’ve always thought he’d be the one who would get Mum out of her funk.