CHLOE

Was It In Vain?

What a real killjoy when the Prince found out about Chloe's rendezvous through his sister's confidante. Princess Theresa, suspicious of Chloe's sudden shifts in behavior after their parents' anniversary party, had secretly hired someone to follow her around.

Chloe was summoned immediately. She walked into a parlor where Prince Magnus and his siblings—Princess Theresa, Prince Mattheus, and Prince Timothy—were waiting. The atmosphere was thick with tension.

Prince Magnus didn't bother with a greeting. He simply slammed a stack of glossy photographs onto a small table.

"Care to explain these, Ms. Jung?" he demanded, his face white with fury.

Chloe glanced at the photos. There she was, laughing with Philip at an outdoor market, hiking a mountain trail, and sharing an ice cream cone by a river. They looked genuinely happy. Awww... aren't we sweet? she thought, a spark of defiance replacing her panic.

"They are photos of me and Philip enjoying the local scenery," Chloe said calmly.

Princess Theresa stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Don't play coy. We know he's been spending all his free time with you. You were brought here to be Magnus's girlfriend, not to run off and consort with family members! What is your angle? Are you trying to secure an even higher title?"

Magnus raised a hand to silence his sister. He was too angry for subtleties. "I want the truth, Chloe. Are you trying to sabotage my cousin? Is this another one of your stalker tactics?"

Chloe shook her head, tired of the baseless accusations. "I'm not trying to sabotage anyone. Philip and I simply connected. But before you condemn me, you should probably tell your family the truth about why I'm here."

She turned to the siblings. "Ask your brother if he is truly my boyfriend, and ask him why he felt the need to pay me to pretend I was."

Magnus stiffened, realizing he was cornered. He couldn't let his siblings destroy Chloe without admitting his deception, which would ruin his entire plan.

He sighed, the sound heavy and defeated. "It's true," he admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "The relationship is fake. Chloe is not my girlfriend." He glared at his siblings. "I don't want to be engaged to Princess Sophie. I hate this political maneuvering, and I needed a distraction. I used Chloe to buy myself time."

His clarification saved Chloe from the death sentence that awaited her if the Princess and his brothers had accused her of deception alone. His brothers and sister stared at Magnus, completely stunned.

Prince Mattheus, the eldest, finally broke the silence. "Magnus, you hired an innocent civilian to pose as your partner just to avoid an engagement? That's reckless, even for you."

"But also a little brilliant," Prince Timothy murmured, though a slight grin was visible.

When they realized that their poor brother was indeed in a pitiful, desperate state, they decided to become accomplices and help him get rid of the royal engagement, though Chloe didn't know how they would achieve it. The siblings agreed to support Magnus and, for the time being, to keep up the pretense that Chloe was still in the picture.

After resolving his matters with his brothers and sister, Magnus turned back to Chloe, his eyes narrowed.

"This little side project with Philip stops now," he warned, his voice a low growl that was more harsh than a stormy weather. "You are here for one month, and you will focus on my objective. If you mess this up, or if you cause any further embarrassment to this family, I assure you, the consequences will be severe."

He jabbed a finger in her direction. "You will be careful. You will stop sneaking around. And you will act like the woman who is completely devoted to me when we are in public. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear, Your Highness," Chloe replied, meeting his gaze evenly, a sense of relief mixed with irritation washing over her.

She knew if he wasn't a prince, he'd probably be swearing and cursing right now, but their decent reputation held them on a leash, preventing them from expressing what they really felt. Chloe felt genuinely sorry for him; the weight of his title must have been suffocating.

Four weeks later, the thought of being free again flashed through Chloe's mind. It gave her chills because she could finally be with the man she truly loved without any reservations. Fairly odd, because now the Prince was slowly treating her nicely, and it was probably because her truce with him would be over soon.

And another odd thing happened: she couldn't seem to find Duke Adler anywhere near Vaduz anymore. She was getting weary and anxious of waiting for the month to end and could no longer wait. Where could he probably be? Should she go and find him?