The Weight of Royal Secrets

Chapter 4: The Weight of Royal Secrets

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Prince Liam Brightmore, standing across the ballroom like he owned the world—because, in a way, he did. The man I’d met at the bar, the one who had completely upended my thoughts and thrown me into a whirlwind of confusion, was royalty.

I felt like the room had started spinning, the opulent chandeliers and finely dressed guests blurring around me. My heart pounded in my chest, and my palms were sweating despite the coolness of the ballroom.

How the hell had I not recognized him? Prince Liam—his piercing blue eyes and sharp features were identical to Leo’s. My mind scrambled to make sense of it. I should’ve known. The confidence, the air of authority, it all made sense now.

But why had he hidden it? Why pretend to be someone else?

I shifted my gaze, trying to avoid looking at him directly. The last thing I needed was for him to notice me now, standing there like a deer caught in headlights. But it was too late. I could feel his eyes on me, the heat of his gaze burning through the sea of people. My breath hitched, and I clenched my fists by my sides, trying to regain some composure.

“Alex, are you even listening to me?” My mother’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I blinked, turning toward her, my stomach flipping as I realized I hadn’t caught a word she’d said. She was staring at me with that look—disapproval mixed with exasperation.

“You’re completely distracted tonight,” she continued, her tone sharp. “Is there something wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I forced a smile, the kind that didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m fine, Mother. Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

She narrowed her eyes, clearly not buying it. “You need to pull yourself together. This summit is important, and your father expects us to make the right connections tonight. You can’t afford to look lost.”

Right. Connections. The summit. As if any of that mattered now.

“I know,” I muttered, rubbing a hand over my face, trying to steady my thoughts. “I’ll be fine.”

But I wasn’t fine. How could I be? Every time I glanced across the room, there he was—Liam, laughing, shaking hands, moving through the crowd like a natural-born leader. My chest tightened with each passing second, and the knot of anxiety in my gut grew heavier.

I needed to get out of here, away from him, away from this entire scene. But as I shifted on my feet, searching for an escape, I caught his eyes again. This time, there was no mistaking it. He saw me. His gaze sharpened, and a slow, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

I froze.

Before I could react, he started moving toward me, weaving effortlessly through the crowd. My pulse skyrocketed, and I took an involuntary step back, bumping into a passing waiter.

“Watch it!” the man snapped, barely keeping his tray from toppling over.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, my eyes locked on Liam as he closed the distance between us.

Panic surged through me. What was I supposed to say? How was I supposed to act now that I knew who he really was? My mind raced with a million questions, but none of them prepared me for what came next.

“Alex,” his voice was smooth, like velvet, as he stopped just a few feet away from me. Up close, he was even more striking, his presence commanding, almost suffocating. “We meet again.”

I swallowed hard, trying to find my voice. “Prince Liam,” I said stiffly, my throat dry.

His smile widened, and for a moment, I could see the man from the bar—Leo, the charming stranger who had thrown my life into chaos. But now, the weight of his title hung between us like a barrier, and I didn’t know how to navigate it.

“Liam, please,” he corrected, glancing around to make sure no one was listening too closely. “No need for formalities, right?”

I couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped me. “I think the circumstances have changed.”

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Circumstances? You mean the fact that I’m a prince?”

“Yes,” I snapped, the frustration bubbling to the surface. “Exactly that. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Liam’s eyes gleamed with something unreadable, and he stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low murmur. “I didn’t think it was necessary at the time.” He paused, then added with a smirk, “Besides, you lied to me too. You told me your name was Taylor, but I knew it wasn’t.”

My heart stopped. He had known all along. I felt like an idiot.

“I didn’t lie—” I started to protest but stopped myself. I had lied, hadn’t I? “Okay, fine. I didn’t give you my real name. But how did you—?”

“Recognize you?” He chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “I knew who you were the moment I saw you. Your face is hard to forget, Alex.”

Heat flushed through my cheeks, and I suddenly felt exposed, vulnerable. “So, what was this? Some kind of game to you?”

His smile faded, and for a moment, his expression was serious, almost regretful. “No, it wasn’t a game. I just wanted to know you without all the... expectations.”

“That’s not the point,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair, still feeling the weight of the entire ballroom pressing down on me. “You didn’t give me a choice.”

Liam’s expression softened, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of something—regret? Vulnerability?—cross his face. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

“I didn’t lie to you, Alex,” he said quietly. “I just… left out certain details.”

“Details?” I scoffed. “That’s one hell of a detail.”

He sighed, glancing over my shoulder as if to make sure no one was eavesdropping. “Look, I didn’t come here to argue.”

“Then why did you come?” I challenged, my voice barely above a whisper now.

His eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, everything else in the room seemed to fade away. “I wanted to see you again.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I didn’t know how to respond, my mind still racing from the revelation and the way he was looking at me now, like I was the only person in the room that mattered.

But before I could say anything, my mother’s voice cut through the tension once more.

“Alex,” she said sharply, appearing at my side again. “Your father is about to speak. We need to be front and center.”

I turned to her, my pulse still pounding, and gave a tight nod. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

She gave me a long, suspicious look, her eyes flicking between me and Liam before she finally walked off, her heels clicking against the marble floor.

When I turned back to Liam, he was still watching me, an unreadable expression on his face.

“I need to go,” I said, taking a step back, trying to distance myself from the mess of emotions swirling inside me.

But before I could fully retreat, he reached out, his hand brushing my arm. “Meet me later,” he murmured, his voice low and urgent. “We need to talk.”

I froze, my heart hammering in my chest. “Talk? About what?”

He didn’t answer, just gave me a look that sent a shiver down my spine. “You’ll find out.”

And with that, he turned and disappeared into the crowd, leaving me standing there, torn between the

overwhelming urge to run and the equally overwhelming need to find out what the hell was going on.