The Prince And I

The Suitcase Switch

Adrian's POV

I was already seated on the plane heading to Monaco.

I had deliberately chosen an economy flight.

Nobody knew I was coming back. Not even the people at the palace.

I didn't want anyone waiting for me at the airport. I didn't want security surrounding me or a driver waiting outside.

I wanted to arrive quietly.

For once, I wanted to be just another passenger.

I was dressed in a simple shirt, dark trousers and a baseball cap. Nothing about me suggested that I was a member of the royal family.

I leaned back in my seat and looked out the window.

I had been away from home for eight years.

And only went back six months ago after I lost my brother.

Eight years since I left immediately after college.

I didn't leave because I hated my family.

I left because I didn't want the life waiting for me.

Being part of the royal family meant living under constant attention. Every move was watched. Every decision mattered.

Everyone already had plans for my future.

I was expected to take on royal responsibilities someday.

I didn't want that.

I wanted a simple life, a free life where I could decide my future myself.

So I left.

And I moved to London, which gradually became my home.

Over the years, I built a life for myself.

I started a company from the ground up and slowly turned it into a successful business worth billions.

It now had offices, employees, and investments.

Everything I had, I had worked for.

I didn't need my family's money.

I didn't need the royal name.

I had built something that was mine.

Because I wanted to keep my identity private, I had someone I trusted who handled the public side of the company for me.

My family probably thought I was wasting my life in London.

They probably believed I was living carelessly and avoiding responsibility.

They had no idea what I had built.

The thought almost made me smile.

If they knew the truth, they would probably be shocked.

The black sheep of the family, who they thought was wasting his life in London, has a billion-dollar empire.

But then my dream of living a quiet life away from the palace was shattered when my brother died.

His death changed everything.

My older brother had always been the one prepared to become king.

He had been trained for it since childhood.

He understood the politics, the public appearances, and everything that came with being king.

He was everyone's favorite

He would have been a great king.

I was happy to let him have that life.

Then he was gone.

I returned home for his funeral.

It was one of the hardest things I had ever experienced.

After the burial, I couldn't stay.

I wasn't ready to accept what his death meant for me.

So I went back to London.

For six months, my family gave me time.

First, my mum would call.

“Hello son, how are you doing I am only checking up on you”

After some time the question changed it's became.

“When are you coming back”

Her calls started becoming more frequent.

She wanted me home.

She reminded me that I couldn't keep running.

My brother was gone.

There was no one else.

Eventually, I knew she was right.

I had to return.

Not because I wanted the crown.

Because I had a responsibility.

Still, I wasn't ready to walk straight into the palace and pretend everything was normal.

That was why I decided to come secretly.

I wanted to spend a few days in Monaco before making my official return.

I wanted to see the city myself.

I wanted to see how the people were living.

I wanted to know what had changed.

Most importantly, I wanted to understand my country before I took the throne.

I didn't want my first impression to come from palace advisers telling me what they thought I needed to know.

I wanted to see everything with my own eyes.

Everyone already believes I am not fit to be king.

But I am going to prove them wrong if I am doing this, then I would do it wholeheartedly

The plane finally landed in Nice Côte d’Azur.

I waited until most of the passengers had left before I stood up.

I collected my suitcase and walked out of the airport.

No one recognized me.

Exactly what I wanted.

I looked for a cab that would take me to Monaco it's about 30 to 45 minutes from Nice, Côte d’Azur After I arrived at Monaco I made my way to the hotel I had booked.

When I got to my room, I placed my suitcase on the bed.

I opened it.

Then I froze.

These weren't my clothes.

I pulled out a dress.

A woman's dress.

I stared at it in confusion.

"What the hell?"

I checked the suitcase again.

Nothing inside belonged to me.

I looked at the luggage tag.

That was when I realized what had happened.

I had taken the wrong suitcase.

I immediately remembered the woman from the plane.

The woman I had found sitting in my seat.

The woman who had argued with me and called me rude.

“You are rude” she had scoffed at my face.

I couldn't believe it.

After everything that happened, she had somehow taken my suitcase too.

Though I am not sure she was the one who took it, but she is the first person I suspect.

I closed the suitcase and headed back to the airport.

When I arrived, I explained the situation to the airport staff.

“I mistakenly switched my suitcase with another passenger”

“Okay, sir, can we see your passport?”

“Yes,” I said handing it over to them.

He asked for some other information which I gave him.

Then they checked the luggage information and helped me identify the passenger who had taken my suitcase.

I waited nearby.

A few minutes later, I saw her.

The moment I saw the woman holding my suitcase, I recognized her from the plane.

Of all the people on that flight, it had to be her.

I walked toward her with a mixture of disbelief and irritation.

She looked up and noticed me.

Her eyes widened.

I stopped in front of her and looked at the suitcase in her hand.

Then I looked back at her.

"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered under my breath.

I stared at the woman who had already managed to ruin my entire flight.

She stared back at me and said.

“You again?"

She looked completely shocked.

I glanced at the suitcase once more.

Of all the people I could have exchanged luggage with, it had to be the most annoying woman I'd met all day.