Chapter 20

MILA

Lady Isabella was on her feet and at the front of the crowd instantly. Her face was filled with spite and hatred, she waved her fan around for emphasis as she talked.

Talked was too mild a verb. Yelled would probably be more accurate to what Isabella was doing.

“That kitchen wench has video proof of this girl being a thief, Felix!” she exclaimed. “Do not be deceived by her! She clearly has some sort of power over you!”

“The video only shows her returning my property, first of all,” Felix said. “There is not any actual proof of her stealing anything–which there wouldn’t be, since I gave her the necklace.”

“What the hell is wrong with you, Felix?” For a second, it looked like Isabella was going to smack the Prince with her fan. He dodged out of the way of her flailing arms. “Why? Why are you covering for this girl again? There’s nothing special about her! You are a Prince! You could be with anyone! Anyone!”

From the way her voice broke slightly on that word–anyone–I knew how much it must have pained Isabella to watch Felix pursue other women throughout the years. I almost felt bad for her. Then I remembered my burnt fingertips, and my sympathy vanished.

Felix looked at me, again with that unreadable expression. I had no idea what his answer was either. I wasn’t special. I was ordinary. Less than ordinary, depending on who you asked.

“I believe that if she takes off her mask, we will see the girl I have been searching for. The girl I offered a million dollars to find. Mila.”

All eyes were on me. The kitchen staff was awash in disbelief. Even Samara looked surprised, and I knew it took a lot to surprise Samara.

Felix looked at me. Gently, he asked, “Would it be alright if I removed your mask now, Mila?”

There was no reason to hide anymore. “Yes,” I told him.

Felix slowly removed the mask from my face. I looked up at him, allowing him to see my face full-on for the first time since our night together.

I heard a murmur ripple through the crowd at the reveal.

From behind me, Cassandra muttered, “So you don’t have a facial injury?”

Isabella’s voice rose. “Your one-night stand? You gave her the necklace you’ve had since childhood? Are you kidding me?!”

Now everyone was really staring me down. Only Samara looked amused, and she gave me a sly thumbs-up.

You go, girl, she mouthed. I fought a smile, despite the growing tension in the kitchen.

“One-night stand?” Fiona looked like she might explode. She whirled on me in anger. “You slept with the Prince?”

I felt the need to defend myself, which was silly, since frankly, my one-night stand wasn’t anyone’s business except mine and Felix’s.

“It’s not something I normally do,” I said. “Prince Felix just caught me at a weird time. I didn’t even know he was the Prince when we met.”

Isabella smirked. “So she’s a slut and a thief.”

“I didn’t steal anything,” I explained shakily. There was no use trying to cover up anything now.

“Of course not.” Felix shook his head and stood in front of me. “I put it around your neck while you were sleeping.”

I shook my head. Why lie?

“I just don’t understand why you went into hiding,” Felix said, more to me than anyone else in the room. “I’ve known it was you since yesterday. I thought the million dollar reward would prompt you to come out of hiding, but it just seemed to scare you off.”

My jaw dropped. “I thought that was a bounty for the necklace!”

Isabella made a face. “Then why not return it? Or is treachery in your nature?”

I decided to just fully come clean. “I hadn’t stolen the necklace, and Prince Felix didn’t give it to me, either. It just ended up in my bag somehow when I left that morning. I really have no idea how it got there. And then when I saw that you were looking for me, and that you were actually the Prince, I was afraid that you thought I’d actually stolen it. I thought I might get deported, or worse. So I changed my name and wore a mask to hide for a bit while I figured out how to return it to you.”

“Liar,” Fiona coughed.

“I always intended to give you back your necklace, Your Highness, '' I said. “I never meant for things to get so out of hand.”

Samara surveyed me. “You are very honorable, Miya.”

It was nice to know someone had my back. Samara was, ironically, perhaps the only person I felt bad about lying to.

“It’s Mila, actually,” I nervously corrected her. A corner of her mouth quirked up at that.

“Mila, of course.”

Felix smiled at me. “I was never looking for the necklace.”

I looked up at him, confused.

“You weren’t?”

“No,” he said. “I was looking for you.”

Isabella made a noise like she was choking at that one.

“This is ridiculous–” Fiona began, but Felix cut her off as he continued talking.

“I was only ever looking for you.”

“Why?” I asked him. It was the only thought in my mind, the only question to sum up my time in Fresonia so far.

Felix looked a little embarrassed, but he plowed ahead nonetheless.

“Why else? I want you at my side, every day. I want to spend more time with you. I want to get to know you better, to take our relationship further.”

The entire crowd let out a collective gasp. It would have been funny if I weren’t also in shock.

“If you’ll have me, of course,” Felix quickly added.

A slight pause, then he finally said: “Please, Mila.”

I was utterly confused. I knew Felix’s reputation. He was famous for being a playboy, for refusing to settle down. And now, he decided he wanted to give up that lifestyle to be with me instead? Lowly Mila Benson from America?

I could practically hear my parents and Nadine in my mind, making fun of me for believing the soft words of a man once again. I had been scammed and ruined once, why not go ahead and start a relationship with a man who could throw me in the dungeons if I set a toe out of line?

You’re nothing, heard their voices say. You’re worthless. He could never love you.

But as his eyes met mine, I realized what the emotion in his face had been all along. He was being sincere. He wanted me to be with him, and was willing to plead with me in front of servants. He was willing to beg.

Maybe this Playboy Prince actually did care for me, and wanted to be with me.

My own emotions rolled in like the incoming tide.

For my entire life, I was fighting against words from others saying I was not good enough. Or I didn't worth it. But this time, I find myself hard to believe that the Prince who cared for no other girls cared enough to use one million to find me?

He looked at me like I mattered. No one in my life had ever looked at me like that.

Maybe I had come to Fresonia for a higher purpose that had nothing to do with Derek. Maybe the real reason I needed to come to Fresonia was to find Felix.

I took a deep breath and prepared to say my answer.