𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟓

[tw: mention of self-harm]

"Move quickly, Mr. West!" Ava orders with the snap of her pale, slim fingers. "After all, I know you're more than capable of it," she adds with a sly wink, covering her mouth with her hand as she stifles a giggle.

I hate my job.

While Elena is with Marco and his personal security team, I'm stuck in the palace helping Princess Ava move the new furniture she wants in. I don't see why she's making me do all of this—she's barely a guest here. I'll give her another week to screw up and be kicked out.

"You have your own palace. Remind me why you're staying here again?" I grumble, lifting a small couch into the guest bedroom.

"I'm glad you asked," the blonde replies, her voice low and sensual in a way that makes me cringe. "My palace is being renovated. A small fire broke out and did some damage. I'm very particular about my palace, so of course, I want everything perfect before I move back in."

Narrowing my eyes, I silently wish for her to disappear. If there's anything I know about royalty, it's that they're not to be trusted; I can't believe a thing that comes out of this girl's mouth—especially with how suspicious I am of her lately.

"That still doesn't explain why you decided to stay here," I say, lowering the couch gently back onto the ground. "Can't you just stay in a nearby hotel until your palace is finished?"

"Are you insane?!" she shrieks, almost causing my eardrums to burst with her annoyingly high-pitched voice. "Hotels are for commoners! Peasants! I am royalty!"

I roll my eyes, but I'm too tired to engage in another ridiculous argument with this brat. I step back and grab the corner of the couch, ready to try lifting it again. But as I do, a small voice inside my head speaks up. It's hard to hear over my own irritation, but it's there.

She's lying about something. Find out what it is.

Something about Ava makes my instincts scream that she's not to be trusted. At first, I thought it was just her attitude, but now I realize it goes deeper than that. I need to figure out what's really going on and what she's hiding.

"Princess Ava, may I have a moment of your time?" I ask politely, hoping my tone will make her think I'm on her side.

At first, the blonde raises an eyebrow in confusion, but then a wicked smile forms on her face. "A moment of my time, huh? You could have me all to yourself whenever you want, Mr. West," she replies, her flirtatious tone insinuating something that wasn't my intention at all.