Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 30

Meanwhile, with a certain count and his prince of an ex-lover.

Louis had caught on as to what Leo was onto. His grand plan, per se.

Once the king he was attempting to seduce had discovered Leonard for who he truly was and disposed of him, he came running back to his first-turned-second option, Louis.

If it wasn’t obvious enough, Leonard was power-hungry. Louis was lucky enough to realize it before he did anything rash.

“Leonard, no,” Louis said.

“It’s not going to work,” he said frankly.

“What are you talking about?” Leonard asked, pretending to act confused.

He was about to act even more flabbergasted before Louis stopped him.

“Whatever you’re going to do or attempt, it’s NOT going to work,” Louis repeated, emphasizing the word, ‘Not.’

“Give it up, Leonard,” he told his ex-lover.

“It’s over,” Louis said, slightly smug he’d finally got to say those two words to Leonard.

“I’m not some toy you can play with. Don’t come running back to me, thinking I’ll accept you back with open arms. Burn in hell.”

“Your manipulation, your hurting me, everything. It’s. Over,” Louis added.

“I should’ve told you this whilst we were dating, but I finally get the chance to,” Louis said.

“You need to get the hell out of here and leave or I’ll have you removed from here immediately,” Louis then said, standing up for himself.

He was definitely having more fun than he was supposed to be whilst saying what he wanted to say.

Leonard didn’t try to act disappointed or astounded Louis would make such claims. He just stood there, rolling his eyes. He knew his shortcut to power was cut off but let his ego get in the way of his reaction.

He grunted before he left, knowing he’d have to find another way to get the power he’d always wanted.

_

Nicholas was left to wonder if Sophia had really brought him on a date.

He mustered the courage to ask, “This doesn’t happen to be a date, is it?”

Sophia retorted, “And what if it is?”

That answer alone managed to shut Nicholas up.

Sophia dangled her feet in the water.

A question Sophia had always wanted to ask Nicholas popped up in her mind.

“Nicholas,” she called.

“Your royal highness,” she corrected.

Nicholas turned to face her.

Sophia tried her best to ignore the way Nicholas’ complexion looked at that moment.

“I’ve got a question for you,” Sophia said.

Nicholas didn’t see why he shouldn’t answer whatever question she had.

“Shoot.”

“Why were you using a cab as transportation to the palace?” She asked curiously.

“You could’ve used the limo, any one of the bulletproof private cars the royal garage houses, or any other mode of transportation but you chose to use a cab,” she reasoned.

Nicholas furrowed his brows.

“Same goes for you,” he told her.

Sophia had to admit, “Touche,” before she then pleaded her case.

“I’m nearly certain I did it for a completely different reason,” she told Nicholas, reluctant to elucidate further.

Nicholas had his knees together, whilst his hands hung over them.

“And your reason is?” Sophia asked Nicholas inquisitively.

“Pap,” Nicholas answered.

“I despise paparazzi,” Nicholas said.

With hatred burning in her eyes at the mere mention of the word, Sophia said, “Looks like we do share something in common after all.”

Her heart fluttered for a brief moment. She couldn’t tell nor differentiate whether it was because of the rage she currently felt at the damned paparazzi or the way she felt when she was around, well, him.

Speaking of Nicholas, he had an unfamiliar look on his face. Sophia, of course, was too busy channeling antipathy.

She’d hated paparazzi since the moment her father died. It played an entire part as to why she rather keep her life strictly private.

The moment her father’s death was broadcasted to the public, it didn’t take long for paparazzi and the citizens of Beldovia to hound the palace, looking for any sign of Sophia and Louis.

Some had tried to sneak in, to no avail, but the guards had difficulties catching every single tresspasser every once in while. Of course, Sophia and Louis were moved to a safer location, and years had passed since – with no news of either Sophia nor Louis being given to the public.

Even then, there were still a couple of eager folks at the time of Sophia’s return to Beldovia that wanted to be the ones who snatched the shot of Sophia’s first picture after her father’s untimely passing, even though it was years after. With no one having any idea of what Sophia currently looked like except certain friends, family and the palace staff, they were left to put the pieces together themselves. By now, the young duchess would’ve bloomed into a grown woman who inherited the beauty of her mother and the charismatic charms of her father and would’ve already gotten into the most prestigious university the world had to offer – which was true – and all done under privately and right under their own noses.

Her very first appearance after years of going under the radar was at the welcoming ball, where she and Louis were announced, putting Sophia in a spotlight she’d so desperately tried to keep herself out of.

To the world, she was her brother’s replacement. The heiress.

Nicholas was under not too different circumstances. It was a case of an ugly duckling turned swan, with a mix of foul play and being the victim of partisanship.

Despite being the eldest child, he was never expected to be heir to the throne and kingdom.

He was sent away to boarding school as a way to get him out of his father’s eye, as per the king’s own request.

He and Sophia had a couple of things in common, both being direct descendants of monarchs, both trained to rule the throne one day, and both equally as uncared for/despised by their kingdom’s respective current rulers. In Sophia’s case, Emilia, her stepmother. In Nicholas’ case, his own father.

Nicholas was keeping a huge secret from Sophia. One that she could deem close to her heart. And also one he thought unimportant compared to her.