Chapter 4 already! Wow

I hope you enjoy!

It had become a late night again in the office, and so I was alone in the building. I'd sent Celeste home at 5 o'clock so she could get ready for her date, I had no idea who with or where she met him but she seemed happy about it so I sent her home early so she could get ready and enjoy her date without worrying about the case. I was working on it and soon I'd get somewhere.

Hopefully.

At around 10 in the evening, I was getting tired of looking at the photos and looking into her past. Deciding I needed a break, I got my glass and made my way to the kitchen across from my office. I filled it with the red wine that was sitting on the counter and leaned against it while getting lost in thoughts. Drinking alcohol was not something I did often but at nights like these, where I am desperate for a sign of anything so I can see something that will help me with the case I am working on. Right now, that is Maxon's request.

Lost in thought, I didn't notice anyone coming in until someone was standing right in front of me. I looked up and came face to face with Maxon.

"Your Highness, what are you doing here? It is ten in the evening, shouldn't you be in the Palace?" I asked, surprised to see him here. Even more surprised to see Aspen behind him, offering me a small smile.

He shook his head, calling my attention back to him. "No, my last meeting ended an hour ago and I already bid Kriss goodnight so no one will look for me... well, except perhaps my mother but I don't think she'll talk if she can't find me."

I smiled, offering him a glass of my red wine, which he took this time. I led him to my office, where Aspen positioned himself in front of so we would have our privacy. "Your Highness, I think that if your mother doesn't find you in your room or your study, she'll know you are with me."

"What makes you say that?"

I gave him the note that his mother had sent me along with the other pictures and Selection file. "Your mother had this delivered to the office today. Celeste gave it to me right after I hung up on you earlier. It seems Queen Amberly is not very happy with your choice of woman."

"No, she was very happy with my choice before I actually made it that day."

I frowned, "That makes no sense, Prince Maxon."

"You're being formal... it feels weird so stop it please." He requested, "Call me Maxon again, just that."

"Just that?"

"Just Maxon. No 'Prince', no 'Your Highness', just Maxon. That's all I ask of you." He explained, taking a sip of his wine. "At least while we're in your office. At the gala tomorrow, you will call me Prince Maxon and I'll pretend I don't have feelings for you and will dismiss you while I shower my fiancé with love and affection. But at the end of the day, I will come back here so we can work on ending this sham and you will call me Maxon. We pretend that we are just a regular man and woman who have no ties to the palace. We call ea-"

"I am no other woman, Prince Maxon." I told him, "I am willing to do a lot for you, I am not going to lie to you and tell you that nearly a year later, I have gotten over you because I haven't. However, I will not be the other woman on top of a homewrecker."

"You-"

"I am a homewrecker, Maxon. Despite the face that you have come to me and asked me to break up your engagement, I am still a homewrecker because I am breaking up a household."

He shook his head, "No, America. You are not a homewrecker... If I'm asking too much of you, tell me now and we will blow this off. I don't want you to feel as if you're doing something wrong because by doing this, you are doing the right thing. For me and for this country. I don't know what your vision is on Kriss but she isn't princess material. When I take over from my father, she is going to be Queen and she is supposed to be the mother to this nation and she will never be that. Hell, I doubt she'll ever be a mother to my children because she has become obsessed with her body and how she looks. She turns away from children, do you know that? We were at a charity event for a children's cause and she couldn't even look at the orphaned children that were present. I cannot become the husband to a woman who will not be a mother."

"So... tell your father, this should be enough for your father to call of the engagement. It is true, you will be the real person in power but the queen is powerful too and when it comes to social matters, she will be more powerful than you are. For that to happen, she needs to be caring for her people."

"You would think that, wouldn't you? However, he is adamant on making her my wife and the next queen."

"Why? It doesn't make sense..."

"If I may-"

"Jesus Christ, Aspen, give us a warning next time!" I yelled out when my ex stepped into the room. "Don't just sneak in like that and talk like that without giving us a warning."

"What is it, Officer Leger?" Maxon asked, obviously not happy about the intrusion. Or maybe the fact that it had been Aspen who had interrupted.

He was still salty about it, I guess.

Aspen cleared his throat uncomfortably and raised his eyes to mine. "America, Prince Maxon, I have been on the King's guard these last three weeks nearly every day. Today is the first day I am shadowing you, your Highness, and I have turned a blind eye to a lot of things."

"Such as?" I urged.

"The King and lady Kriss have been meeting up every day for at least an hour or two. I have no idea what they talk about or what they do but they make sure that no one is around and that there is no way anyone knows about their meetings. They're not scheduled in so not even the people working for them know. I only know because I accidentally saw them leaving the same room twice."

"There is a big difference between twice and everyday, Aspen. So which is it?"

"I saw them twice, a month ago and when I was assigned to your father, I noticed that he'd send his guards away for about an hour or two everyday and would lock himself away in his study. I noticed that around the same time Kriss' staff is being dismissed as well and she is MIA as well. I am not allowed to check the footage of the CCTV in his office however-"

"I have a guy who can hack into the system unnoticed and get the-"

"No, it'll be noticed. During the Selection there was a cyber attack and father updated all security systems with all the newest technology. New Asian technology."

"Technology approved by King Lee Gon?" I asked.

"Yes, it was approved by him. Quite difficult to get here though with all the tensions between New Asia and us." He shrugged, "But we got it anyway, why does that matter?"

"What I am about to do... it doesn't leave this room, got it?"

"Of course."