Redemption of Royals (Royal #1: Book 3) | ✔

19

"You don't fall in love in the middle of a war."

"But good God, does it not give you another reason to win?"

He looks at me in pity. He knew he has lost me. Lost me to the irrational, passionate, consuming love that rarely makes sense, but never wavers. And I couldn't be more proud to be this pitiful in love that its power has reduced me, the man who scoffed in the face of emotions, to his knees.

"Remember I once told you the story of the Prince and his commoner?" I move towards my desk, my back to him. "You stopped me when you realised it's not a fairytale, but the tragic past of your father. You never knew the name of the Princess."

"It's Taranya."

I smile and shake my head slowly. "No," turning around, my eyes meet his. "It's Esther."

His face pales, the realisation sinks in his eyes, making them grow wide. He looks around the office, every brick of it belongs to Esther Industries and he comes to a startling understanding of my feelings. They run deep enough to have lost their beginning, and never to find their end.

I sit down at my desk. "I've proved the sincerity of my feelings to you. And while I hope you accept me, I can't force you to. But know one thing, I'm marrying Taranya. With or without your approval. But I'm sure she'd prefer you to accept this relationship. It'd break her apart if you don't."

He walks out of my office without another word. I release a breath I had no idea I was holding and recline back, closing my eyes to the growing headache. The blinding lights cast a red shutter under my lids.

"Sir," I sit straight, grabbing the desk to push myself closer.

"Yes, Rachel,"

She walks in and I look up, tilting my head at the first aid box in her hands. She touches the side of her jaw, then points at me. I raise my hand, feather my fingers meekly where my face throbs and wince at the stinging pain.

"Does it hurt?" She asks softly.

"He knows how to punch." I give an evasive answer, too egoistic to admit it hurts like hell.

She sighs and drags a chair next to me. Then sits down and opens the first aid box. I watch in amusement. That requires some courage. When our eyes meet, she blinks nervously. "May I?"

"You asked that very soon."

"Sorry, sir." She whispers.

I grit my teeth to avoid smiling. My jaw hurts. Turning my chair so I face her, I beckon her to continue with a wave of my hand. She does so eagerly.

While she's doing her work, my phone on the desk starts ringing. "One minute," she pauses briefly as I lean over and pick up the device, resuming when I'm back in my previous position. Tara's name on the screen puts my nerves in a twist. I accept the call without wasting a second. "Hello,"

"Uhm, are you okay?" Anxiety lacing her low tone.

"Why?"

"Bhai left the palace fuming."

"Took you long enough to inform me." I say, then hiss feeling the burning of the antiseptic on the cut near my lips.

"Sorry, did that hurt?" Rachel asks sheepishly.

"It's okay. I forgot what pain felt like."

"Who are you with?" Tara asks, her tone edgy.

"My secretary." I answer, receiving silence in response. "Would you like to speak to her?" I ask. "Rachel, say to hi to my future wife." I smile after putting the call on speaker mode.