Chapter 23: Too Close
The palace felt quieter that morning.
Too quiet.
Monica stood by the window, her fingers lightly resting against the glass as she stared out at the endless stretch of gardens.
Beautiful.
Controlled.
Distant.
Her phone sat untouched on the table behind her.
No new messages.
No missed calls.
But that didn’t mean anything felt settled.
Her thoughts drifted—
uninvited—
back to the night before.
The way he looked at her.
The way he spoke.
The way he—
Monica exhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a brief second.
“Stop,” she whispered to herself.
A knock came at the door.
She straightened slightly.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
But it wasn’t staff.
It was him.
Prince Alexander Montclair.
Monica turned slowly, her composure slipping just for a second be
