𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟗

No matter how selfish I want to be, I won't put myself before her.

My thoughts are interrupted by a sudden gasp coming from Elena. I immediately turn my head towards her, a knot forming in my stomach at the sight of the horrified expression on her face.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I whisper, trying to keep my voice as calm as possible even though my body is on full alert now and my heart is pounding in my chest.

The princess doesn't answer me right away; instead, she slowly reaches out her hand to the desk, her fingers tracing over a thick file in front of her. When she finally does speak, her voice comes out breathless and uneven. "There's something you need to see," she says hesitantly, her eyes glued to the folder.

Frowning in confusion, I move closer to the desk, curious to see what has Elena so shaken up. When I make it to her side, I lean over to look at the file she's pointing to. My heart sinks into my stomach at the sight of a photograph resting within the pages.

My father, of all people.

And under his photograph is the name in bold letters: JEREMY WEST.

"That man," I mutter, my tone filled with shock and resentment. "That man is my father. What the hell is he doing with that bastard's photograph? I don't even know my own father."

A frustrated sigh escapes my lips as I glance at the photograph again. My father isn't a pretty sight to look at. His gaunt face is full of anger and bitterness, and his eyes are dark with hate. There's no denying his resemblance to the Jeremy West I once loathed. He'd been dead to me the second he sold me off and abandoned my mother.

Just when I thought my mind couldn't get any more blown, though, the princess hits me with another bomb. "I've seen this man before," she murmurs, her hands flipping quickly through even more files. "I've seen him with Marco."

My mouth falls open in shock. The news that my father is somehow connected to Prince Marco sends a ripple of unease throughout my body. "Show me," I demand, grabbing the file from Elena's hands.

I need to see this for myself.

The princess nods, her attention shifting as she flicks through a few more pages. "Here," she says, handing me another file with a photograph resting in the front.

Immediately, I recognize the dark, brooding figure in the picture. It's the man who identifies himself as my mother's sperm donor, and beside him is none other than Prince Marco. The image is blurred, as if it's been taken at a distance, but there's no denying the similarity in the men's appearance.

"They look like they're working together," Elena explains, leaning in to point at a few notes scribbled on the page underneath the photo. "It seems like the prince and your father have been involved in some shady business."

Her words hit me deeply as I examine the photograph closely. My father, the man who turned my life upside down and left my family in shambles, is somehow linked to Marco. It's a revelation that's difficult to process, and I find myself feeling overwhelmed with a mix of anger and grief.

The picture looks relatively new considering Marco looks the same, and my father looks older than he was the last time I saw him. Prince Marco is gesturing animatedly with one hand, while Jeremy is leaning back slightly—his arms folded across his chest—and they appear to be having a discussion of some sort in their ominous black suits.