Above All Else

Chapter Twenty-Five

"Mr. Sanborn, thank you for arriving so promptly after my message."

Leroy Sanborn is a tall, tan man, who I feel would look right at home on the front cover of one of the romance novels Mia has on the nightstand. With long brown hair and a snake tattoo covering the good portion of his arm, I am not surprised Nicole went for him. He's the exact opposite of my brother.

I can't see the tattoo now as he is in a cream-colored suit, looking extremely nervous. He stops before the desk.

"Your Majesty. I was surprised to get the call."

I gesture to the seats located beside him. "Please, have a seat."

He sits down without hesitation, pulling slightly on the tacky white tie around his neck. I remain on my feet, my brain shifting through tactics. I decide to walk towards the bar, pointing to the scotch.

"Will you have a drink with me?"

He swallows. "It would... be an honor, sir."

A laugh escapes me. "Hardly an honor but thank you. By now, I'm sure you know why I've summoned you here."

I set down the glass decanter, picking up both drinks.

"Thank you," he says, reaching for the glass. "I believe it has something to do with Nicole and the baby."

"Yes, less about Nicole, more about the baby." I sit down behind my desk, setting down the scotch onto the desk. "Your affair created a tumulus amount of backlash. I assume you entered into an affair with the queen because it was love?"

He clears his throat, swallowing the drink. "I thought it was love, sir."

"It wasn't?"

"No," he says, shaking his head. "Nicole is a beautiful woman, with a lot of power. I began to realize she owned me, used me only when it profited her. I never had a say about anything."

"She was the Queen of England. Surely, you understand that she held all the cards."

"She told me that she would find a way to make me a permanent part of her life so I could be permitted into events and- gatherings."

I raise a brow. "She promised nobility?"

He nods. "But when we were discovered, we fought because I wanted to stay with her. She told me I was a fool to believe that she would ever grant me a title. That her husband never would have allowed it."

That's interesting. "She told me that you haven't been in touch with her, even after you were informed that your son had been born."

"I am publicly shamed forever. I'm being turned away from restaurants, I had to change my number after it was leaked. I've received death threats, sir. I want nothing to do with her."

My expression hardens. "And the baby?"

He blinks. "I'm sure Nicole wants to raise him."

"Nicole has been sent to France, without Samuel."

"Why?"

I breathe in. "Nicole is not of sound mind to raise this child. In fact, she has clear disdain for Samuel because you have deserted her."

"With all due respect sir, Nicole- is hard to handle."

"I am well-aware of that. And I do understand why you'd be upset that you were not granted what she promised but you both made a child, who is innocent in all this." I sit forward. "Nicole does not want him. So my question is have you not gone to see him because you don't want to see Nicole or do you not want to see the baby?"