She rolled her eyes hard. “Just following your footsteps, big sis.”
“Thanks, but I think you’re way past me.”
“Yeah. Yeah. Oh, we never got to talk about Dad’s will. It’s crazy, isn’t it?”
“Crazy is an understatement. Do you know my mom is trying to get me to marry for the money?”
“Really? You aren’t going to, are you?”
“Not if I can help it. What did your mom say about it?” I asked, carefully pinning the crown into my hair.
“What do you think she said?”
I sighed. “What is wrong with them? They want the money so badly that they’re willing to just throw men at us?”
“They’re ridiculous. Don’t let them pressure you. There is no reason to get married. I’m sure there is a loophole somewhere. If we both stand firm, I’m sure we’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so. Oh, just wait until I tell you who my mom is trying to set me up with,” I started to say when my alarm on the side of my wall flashed, telling me the front doors had opened. “Hold on, Augusta. I think she’s here.”
“Where are you staying right now? The lake or the penthouse?” she asked as I grabbed my bag and moved to the door.
“I came back to the penthouse. It doesn’t make any sense to leave the city just to come back to the city. Traffic tonight will be annoying. Hold one second,” I said, opening my door and looking over the top of the stairs. “Mom, is that you?”
Instead of her voice, I heard someone else, but I didn’t understand what they were saying.
“Who is that?”
“I have no idea.” I frowned, stepping more toward the ledge. “Hello? Is someone down there?”
Only more talking.
“Yes, someone is down there! Call security.”
“Relax, it must be the cleaning staff or something,” I said, walking down the stairs.
However, just as I came around the bend, a man with curly bronze hair, dressed in a white double-breasted jacket with red and gold accents on the shoulder and red dress pants approached. He held a phone in his hand and had an earpiece. I couldn’t tell who he was. He was angrily saying something to whoever was on the other line while tugging on the sash he was wearing.
My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach as I stared at that costume.
She wouldn’t. She really wouldn’t. That would make her crazy.
“Who is that?” Augusta spoke.
“I’m going to have to call you back,” I replied, ending the call before she could speak.
Still frozen in place, I could only stare. But I guess I was staring or frozen for too long because he finally looked to his left, and when he saw me, he jumped slightly. We just stood there, staring at each other. I knew that face. She had only just shown me that face. There in my living room, dressed as Prince Charming, was, in fact, a real freaking prince. I watched as he glanced at my whole outfit, and then because he was a man first and prince second, his gaze stopped at my chest for far too long.
“Mom!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, and he flinched.
No answer.
Grabbing the bottom of my dress, I marched down the rest of the stairs, feeling my blood boil over. “Mother! Where are you? I know you’re here.”
“She said she’d be right back.”
I glanced over my shoulder at him, willing my brain to stop processing the fact that he could speak English and that he was actually here. Turning away again, I stomped up to the doors, the only doors into the penthouse, and yanked on the handle, but the doorknob wouldn’t open. I pulled again, then one more time.
“Are you freakin’ kidding?” I screamed, yanking on it like a madwoman until my phone rang. Letting go of the knob and looking to my phone, sure enough, I found the Wicked Witch of the West was calling.
“Hello—”
“Wilhelmina Wyntor-Smith, have you lost your mind?”
“Excuse you! Watch your tone! You’re speaking to your mother!” she yelled back into the phone.
I stared at my cell in amazement. “So you know you’re my mom! I thought you’d forgotten since you trapped me in here with a stranger! Who does that?”
“He’s not stranger. He’s—”
“I don’t care! I don’t know him, and he’s in my home! He could be a murderer!”
“I’m not,” his deep voice chimed in behind me.
“He could be a rapist—”
“I’m most definitely not,” he spoke again.
Whipping my head back, I glared at him. However, he just leaned on the couch, watching me carefully. “Hi. Please, do me a favor and shut up while I try to get you out of here. Thank you.”
He nodded and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Odette Rochelle Wyntor, I did not raise you to be rude.”
“No, but apparently you raised me to be insane,” I snapped back. “What happened to everything you said this morning, huh? What happened to not rushing? To planning to strike when I no longer suspected you?”
“I did.”
I inhaled and exhaled hard, and I prayed a bit before speaking again. “Mom.” I was really trying to be calm. “Please, come undo whatever you did to the door. This is entrapment. You are currently breaking the law. If you don’t care about my well-being, please remember you are also holding a prince of some nation—”
“Ersovia.”
I glanced over to him again. And he pretended to scroll through his phone.
“You are holding the Prince of Ersovia captive. Do you know how crazy that sentence is? My mother kidnapped a prince!”
“I didn’t kidnap anyone. He came of his own free will,” she said.
“Well, not exactly,” he muttered.
“Either way, Mom”—I groaned, suddenly exhausted—“just come open the door.”
“Sweetheart, I’ve already called the building manager and staff. There is something wrong with it. They’re working to fix it, so just hold tight. It’s not like you turn back into a maid at midnight.” She had the audacity to joke, and he had the audacity to snicker.
And I knew she was lying! “Mom, if you do not open the door, Prince Charming will end up like Humpty Dumpty,” I said, glaring at him.
He glanced up at me, his eyebrow raising.
“I’ll take that chance, Ms. I-Must-Break-For-Squirrels.” She laughed at me. She freaking laughed at me. “But before you make scrambled eggs out of him, offer him some food. He’s been traveling all morning, and then I dragged him around for his costume.”
“I’m not doing—”
“Sorry, sweetheart, I have to go. We’re getting to the fundraiser. The car will come back for you later. Bye, love you!” And she hung up.
I stared at the phone in shock.
No way.
There was no way this was really happening! Things like this didn’t happen in real life. There had to be some way...
“May I speak now or—”
“The front desk!” I snapped my fingers at him, grinning as I started to dial. It rang only once before someone answered.
“Good evening, Ms. Wyntor. How may I help you?”
I stood up straighter, calming myself, and put a smile on my face. “Hello, hi. There is something wrong with my front door. I’m unable to get out. I was wondering if someone could please come and fix it for me.”