The Royal Contract

A bastard child.

The Count could not believe what he had just heard. It was utterly outrageous. His son could not have a child with this woman. Else his son’s chances of becoming King would evaporate into thin air. They could kiss the Kingdom goodbye.

Lance could not have anything to do with this woman, watching with contempt at the woman who had her hands on his son as if she had a right to touch him.

“Would you leave us for a few minutes?” He swiftly stopped and ordered, realizing they had company when they stood up from their seat on the corner. “I need to speak with Ms. Harlowe alone.”

The Count recognized the two as Amelia and Evan, his son’s friend. But he did not realize that they had any connection with this woman.

“It is ok. Wait for me outside.” Eida spoke softly to the two, who were hesitant to leave.

.....

“Are you sure?” Amelia asked, still uncertain if she should leave the room, staring at him as if he was the devil himself.

Fear clearly showed in her eyes, but there was also defiance in their depths. She seemed ready to defend her friend against him if the need arose.

Suddenly, he wondered if she was the right woman for his son. Yes, his father was one of the wealthiest people in the world, but money was not the only thing that mattered in their Kingdom. Power was.

“Yes, I will be fine. The Count and I will only talk.” Eida smiled at her friend, seemingly assuring her friends that she would manage just fine.

“We will just be outside.” Evan finally spoke as he guided Amelia outside, but his voice also contained a warning.

Young people nowadays. They always allowed their emotions to control them rather than using their brains.

He quickly moved toward the woman claiming to have his son’s child and confronted her once the two were out of sight.

He had encountered many of her kind before, and she would stop at nothing unless she got a good exchange for her effort. Who would not want to land a good man and a Prince at that?

However, he could not allow her to besmirch his son’s name just because she wanted to trap him in marriage.

“Are you saying you are pregnant and my son is the father?” Count Thomas finally asked, but this time he used a calmer tone.

He realized that losing his temper would not help him resolve this issue. But he would find a way to deal with this problem once and for all. It had gone long enough.

“Yes, I am carrying your son’s child.” Eida finally responded, unafraid to face him as she stood tall in his presence. “And I want him to know that as soon as he woke up.”

Her bravado was admirable, and he would commend her for that. Most people would shake at his presence, especially when they knew he was not pleased with their actions. But he was not here to praise her for being a worthy adversary. He had to find a way to get rid of her.

He stared at her, studying her. He had already offered her an enormous sum of money that most women would have grabbed easily. But not her. She declined it.

“How sure are we that the child you are carrying belongs to my son?” He had to ask since he had reports of her reputation.

She had been sleeping from one man to another. He could see from how her face changed that he had hit a nerve. He had been right about his assumption.

This woman had a terrible past that would never pass with the Council, not even through him. She was not the woman worthy of his son’s devotion. She would only be a disgrace to their good family name.

“I am sure you already had my background investigated. I would not deny that my past was not perfect, but I never tried to hide it from your son.” She stated, not even blinking when she looked directly into his eyes.

Suddenly, he would have liked this girl if only she came from a reputable family with a good solid background, but that was not the case. The fact was, she would not be good enough for the crown.

He was not a monster everyone might perceive, but he had a legacy and a promise to uphold. He saw the opportunity for his son to take the throne that used to belong to them.

He could not allow anything to stand in that way, not this woman and not the child she was carrying. Besides, he would never be sure if the child she was carrying was his son because he had no plan to find out.

“It is irrelevant if my son knew it and he was ok with it. That is not the issue here.” Count Thomas moved closer to his son, staring closely at his sleeping form.

Lance might not realize this now, but he was only looking after his future and the future of this family. But eventually, his son would see the larger picture.

No one deserved the crown more than him. His son had worked hard to be in this position. He was not going to let it go to waste. Not for this girl and her child.

“Then, what is the issue?” She stood before him, determined to fight for her right and her child.

He could see it in her eyes. She was not going to back down easily. Maybe she believed that she loved his son and Lance loved her. If that was the case, offering her more money would never be enough.

But then, that was also something he could use to his advantage. Ms. Harlowe might have a terrible record between the sheets, but her reputation was still impeccable in her professional life.

Could he risk telling her about his secret? But it could be the only way to make her disappear from his son’s life. Still, she was a reporter. She might leak this delicate information. But then again, he could still use it against her.

“How much do you love my son?” The Count finally asked, facing the woman who could ruin everything for his family.

This woman was like a rose. She looked beautiful in everyone’s eyes but underneath, her thorns could be deadly. He could not allow a single rose to destroy what he had worked hard to achieve.