The Billionaire Prince’s Fake Girlfriend by Leslie North
16
By the time Ben got back to his suite, he felt ready to snap. He needed to get out of the palace. He needed to get back to England, to find his half-sister Jess. Then... well, then, he wasn’t sure what he’d do. There would need to be press releases. He’d probably need to talk to ministers, too, about how this impacted the succession. For all he knew, his father would be angry enough to possibly disown him.
He didn’t give a single, solitary damn.
His parents had created this situation, he argued to himself. If his father hadn’t cheated, and kept it hidden... if his mother hadn’t covered it up, and sworn Jess’s mother to secrecy... if they’d simply made the choice to be honest, he wouldn’t be in this position, fixing their mistakes.
He was so blindsided and angry from his conversation that he’d temporarily shelved his upset with Jane, but seeing her, roller bag obviously packed, sitting and waiting for him expectantly, only brought his early anger rushing back with a vengeance, now fed by his fury at his parents’ lies.
“You’re still here,” he said, his voice flat and cold.
“I wanted to talk to you,” Jane said, her voice even, although her eyes were pleading, rimmed a little red, like she was fighting tears. “I just wanted you to understand where I was coming from.”
“I don’t want to hear it. Not now.” He went to the bedroom, grabbing some clothes and throwing them haphazardly in a bag. “Too many people around here have too many excuses, and I am not interested in any of them.”
“I’m not making excuses!” she protested.
He glared at her over his shoulder, then resumed packing. “Justifications, then,” he clarified. “Whatever your rationale is to say that lying was the right thing to do.”
“I didn’t lie to you.”
“You lied by omission,” he snapped. “Just like my parents haven’t lied about Jess, but they’ve damned well kept her hidden. They lied by omission, too, and cheated her out of her birthright.”
Jane sighed heavily. “Once I figured out your mother was involved, I just wanted...”
He spun on her. “Tell me one thing,” he said, temper giving edge to his hurt. “Why did you sleep with me?”
She reared back as if slapped. “What?”
“You had sex with me,” he said. “Even though you claim it was unethical. You said that you wanted me... but not enough to have anything past one night, because it would impact your career. So obviously, your career is more important than any possible relationship you could’ve imagined with me,” he added.
She bit her lip, looking away. “It’s more complicated than that,” she said. “I thought going into this that all I wanted was to further my career, but…”
He didn’t let her continue. “So were you just guaranteeing that I gave you the exclusive? Trying to stay on my good side, since I was obviously so attracted to you? Because I desired you so much?”
Her mouth dropped open, and her small hands balled into fists. Her face flushed red. “You unbelievable bastard.”
“It’s a valid question,” he said smoothly, even though the gall of it churned like lava in his stomach. “You’ve been along for the ride the whole time, and now I see I can’t trust you. So why wouldn’t I question what you might do, to get what you want?”
“I didn’t sleep with you to get an article,” she hissed. “I slept with you because I wanted you so badly I couldn’t see straight! I went against everything I believed in, all my journalistic integrity, because I didn’t want to lose the one chance I thought I’d have at you!”
He scoffed, anger and hurt still coursing through him. “That’s easy to say.”
Her eyes blazed. “And why would I believe I’d have a chance at more than one night with you, anyway? What would convince me you’d be interested in a relationship with me? You never said anything to the contrary. And you’re... you’re a prince! And I’m just a lifestyle reporter who might have a chance at an investigative journalism career, in a whole other country, one you’ve only known for, what, a month? What in the world would make you think that I’d assume we had a chance at a future? Don’t you think I’d want that?”
It made his chest clench. Of course he wanted a future with her.
He frowned. Wanted.
Past tense.
“You’re probably right,” he said, tamping down any residual emotion. “We never had a chance.”
They were silent for a long moment.
She cleared her throat, looking like she was trying to keep it together. “For what it’s worth… I really think your mother meant well.”
He scoffed, a rough, rasping laugh. “Lot of that going around.”
“She loves you,” Jane pressed. “I think that she was just protecting you, although I could be wrong. I didn’t get the chance to talk to her, and I wanted to, before I gave you what I’d found out.”
Ben gritted his teeth. Was she telling the truth? Or was it just more rationalizations… more lies?
She sighed. “I don’t know your father, obviously, but maybe there’s a reason he acted the way he did? I hate cheating, believe me, but… I don’t know. Something feels wrong here.”
“There was cheating, lying, a cover-up,” he snapped. “I already knew there was something wrong.”
“Don’t be condescending,” she said. “I’m telling you, my reporter senses are tingling on this one. There’s something missing, something we don’t have, or something we’ve overlooked. There has to be another side of the story, if we just dig a bit deeper.”
“You can’t honestly believe that you’re going to be able to question either of them,” he said, appalled. “There is no other side of the story, as far as I’m concerned—and definitely as far as you’re concerned.”
He zipped his bag shut. He turned to Jane, who looked angry, but also sad, at a loss. Probably because her dreams of becoming a hard news reporter were being ground to dust. He hated her for that, in that moment… but at the same time, he couldn’t bring himself to hurt her chances. He knew how much her investigative journalism meant to her—even if it meant more to her than he apparently did.
“Don’t worry. I’ll still give you the exclusive. I am a man of my word. But it will be on my timetable, with the information I feel you deserve.”
She pressed her lips together firmly, her eyes glossy. Her small hands were balled into fists.
“And after that,” he added, “we won’t interact again. Ever.”
She closed her eyes, and he saw a tear course its way down her cheek. “I was just trying to do what I thought was right,” she said in a near whisper. “What I thought was best.”
“And that’s exactly what I’m doing,” he countered. He picked up his phone, speaking with Lydia, his mother’s secretary. “Lydia? I’m going to need a first-class ticket from the airport to Heathrow, in Ms. Gallagher’s name, and I’d like a car to take her to the airport. And I’ll need the private plane and pilot, for my own travel to London. As soon as possible, for both.” He hung up, then turned to Jane. “They’ll have someone to carry your bag and take you to your car. I will contact you with the article information when it’s available. Other than that, you’re not to contact me, period.”
Jane took a deep breath, straightening her back. “If that’s the way you want it.”
His chest felt like a broken block of granite. It absolutely was not the way he wanted it, which made him feel all the more heartsick.
Why couldn’t he, for once, find someone who loved him and was honest with him?
“That’s the way it’s going to be,” he replied instead. Then he grabbed his bag and left the room.
* * *
“We’ll be ready for takeoff soon, Your Highness,” the flight attendant said. “Can I offer you anything while you’re waiting?”
He rubbed at his temples. “Double scotch, neat.”
If she found his request odd or distressing, she kept it well hidden, quickly producing a crystal tumbler of some Lagavulin 16-year-old single malt. He nodded his thanks, then looked out the window as she retreated to the front compartment. He sipped at the liquid, pensive.
He thought about his last relationship. He’d loved her, or thought he had—they’d been together for some time. He’d trusted her, and her betrayal had slashed at him like a dagger. He thought he had built up enough emotional barriers, developed his cynicism, protected himself so thoroughly that he would never, ever hurt like that again.
He downed the rest of the scotch. Obviously, he thought wrong.
Somehow, Jane had infiltrated all his carefully constructed walls. Her humor, her determination, her intelligence and wit. Her sweetness. Everything about her had drawn him to her, almost against his will.
But while his girlfriend had carefully crafted a façade to attract him, trying to trap him into a lucrative and ultimately loveless marriage, Jane hadn’t even lied. She’d said, point blank, that she simply wanted a story. It was supposed to be a mere exchange: he would give her access, and she would give him expertise. A gig, as it were.
Why had he somehow allowed it to become more?
He growled. Well, now he knew that his sister’s name was Jess Hope Barr, and that she lived in Manchester. After the plane took off, he fired up his laptop. Jane wasn’t the only one who could find out information.
I don’t need her.
Funny, how the thought was both defensive and painful.
By the time he landed at Manchester Airport, he had confirmed Jess’s information. She lived in a flat by the city center. With more digging, he’d learned that she was a physiologist of some sort, although he hadn’t seen a picture. In about forty minutes, he could drive to her place.
He hired a luxury sedan, unwilling to have anyone, even a limousine driver, know what he was doing. He needed to keep this private until he could talk to her. Then, and only then, they’d plan how to roll out the news to the world.
It would scandalize Reinia, he knew. It would rock his family right down to the foundation. Jane would have her exclusive, he thought bitterly, and probably become a rock star news reporter.
Let her have it, then, he thought bitterly. It would be the last time he’d cross paths with her. He’d make sure of that.
As to the rest?
He grimaced.
Let it all burn.
