Chapter 5

Audrey

“So, who is that little boy?” Roman asked in a demanding tone. He looked at me as if I owed him an answer.

“What? What little boy?” I glared at him. That was definitely some way to start a conversation. He had a lot to explain, and the last person he should be asking about was Mars.

Roman sighed. “We both know it wasn’t a ghost, I meant the little boy who just went with your sister.”

“Oh, that’s my little brother.” I couldn’t help but smile at his remark. The way he carried himself hadn’t changed much. He sounded just as demanding, but back then in Vegas, I had found it to be attractive. He had a doubtful expression and looked me up and down, judging me. Maybe it was my T-shirt, perhaps my ripped jeans or the sneakers underneath? Who knew?

“Y-your brother?” Roman spoke, relieved. By his reaction, I could tell the idea of Mars being his son would be like a nightmare to the prince. “He looks so much like…for a second I-I thought—“ He laughed loudly. “Anyway—it’s good to see you again, Audrey Sinclaire.”

“Yes, I wish I could say the same.” I held my own, folding my arms. I wasn’t exactly jumping at the idea of seeing him, and he still had a lot of explaining to do.

“So, your royal highness, Romanonus Edguardo Maximilian—something, something?” I hit my best shot. Roman took a breath and chuckled at my hopeless attempt to pronounce his never-ending name. “Something like that, or you can just call me Roman.”

“Ah yes—Roman!” I spoke, irritated. “For some reason, that is not the name I read on the marriage certificate.”

“We never had a marriage certificate,” Roman spoke defensively as if he was almost embarrassed to recall the past. Why did he want to see me in the first place if he was just going to be like this? Was this all really because he thought Mars might’ve been his?

“You’re right. We didn’t.” I spoke. “Because after annulling the marriage, which I had no issue with, by the way—you vanished into thin air, and I kept wondering if perhaps I was the issue—but I’m glad to know that it wasn’t me.”

“I’m glad you have enough brains to figure that one out.” Roman snorted. “Since that boy is not related to me, you must’ve come to Penevia to blackmail me for money—so give me your price, and then you can go.”

“I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“Just give me your price and promise me you won’t run to the local papers. It’s okay. I’ll give the money to you in cash, and maybe you can even buy yourself a new pair of jeans, one without the holes.” Roman pointed to my ripped skinny jeans.

I froze at his disgusting words and shook my head in disbelief before grabbing a hair tie to put my curls into a ponytail. I didn’t care whether this was his palace or not, but he was not going to disrespect me.

“Roman, I think you’re onto me.” I blinked my eyes seductively. Roman fixed his collar with a proud smirk on his lips. “Really?”

“Yes, really!” I swayed my hips, walking towards him. “I just couldn’t stop thinking about you, and I’ve been looking for you for all these years.”

Roman nodded. “I guess that does happen quite a lot.” He cleared his throat. The amount of confidence he had bothered me, and I could tell no one dared putting him in his place—but I wasn’t just anyone.

I placed my hands on his shoulders and tilted my head to look at him. “You just can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” Roman teased me with a playful smile on his lips. What the hell was his issue?

“No.” I shook my head, smiling. “I just can’t keep my hands of you, and that’s why I’ve decided for you to catch these hands instead.”

“Hmm, catch these hands?” Roman beamed. “Is that some foreign term with a secret message?”

I threw my arms around Roman’s neck and leaned in closer. “Yes, I’ll show you exactly what it means.”

It only took a second for me to give Roman a headbutt and a knee in his balls, making him whimper in pain as he stumbled backward. “Ow!” He yelped before falling to the floor.

I ran up to him to give him another strike against his waist. “How the hell do you dare accusing me of something like that!” I spoke in between kicks. Roman protected his stomach with his hands and screeched out in pain.

“Is everything alright out there, your highness?” I heard Dalton’s voice. “It’s fine, I’m fine!” Roman yelled back. One thing was clear, all he cared for was his pride.

“I really didn’t want to do this to you, but you brought it upon yourself,” I spoke as I turned my back to step away from him. “I’m only here because of a stupid cruise, and I didn’t really want to go in the first place, but my sister dragged me along—and then we ended up in Penevia, which I didn’t even know was a country, and then our tour guide brought us to the palace and then my son, wanted to see the crown prince from up close and none of this was planned!” I ranted.

“Ha!” Roman suddenly called out. Shocked by his tone, I turned around and faced him with big eyes. “What?”

“You said, son!”

Crap.

“No, I didn’t.” I denied it, but Roman wasn’t buying it anymore. “Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t,” I repeated.

“Yes, you did.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“No, you didn’t.” He said.

“Yes, I did!” I fell for his trap. “Liar!” Roman called me out as I buried my head in my hands.

Game over.

“The kid clearly looks like me, and unless my long-lost brother is the father—I’m just going to take my chances and say I am.”

Defeated, I looked at Roman and was unsure of what to say. Mars looked like Roman, and anyone with a healthy set of eyes would’ve been able to put two and two together.

“He is mine, isn’t he?” Roman whispered. For the first time since we had met, I could see some sincerity in his eyes. He seemed confused, surprised and hurt, while all I could feel was guilt. He was an ass but still, he deserved to know the truth, right?

“He is yours,” I confirmed.

Roman sighed, taking in the news. “You were never going to tell me, were you?”

He was right. I wouldn’t—but in my defense, I had not expected to see him again.

“His name is Mars.” I changed the subject. “You said you wanted to name your child Mars...so I named him Mars,” I told Roman. “He’s five years old, energetic, intelligent—“

“So he’s like me?” Roman chuckled, not missing an opportunity to praise himself. “I didn’t know you were five.” I joked to test the waters. Roman laughed along and shrugged his shoulders. “That’s not what I meant.”

He seemed a bit more serious after receiving the confirmation that Mars was indeed his. “Can I meet him?” Roman asked. “Can I please spend time with him?”

“T-time?” I mumbled. “Our cruise is leaving in two hours.”

Roman frowned sadly. “Oh, I see.” He spoke. “How about...you give me one hour with him?”

“One hour?”

“Yes, one hour,” Roman nodded. “I want one hour with him, I want to know my...son, and we can discuss things from there.”

“Discuss things?” I cackled, surprised. I knew he wasn’t the only one to blame, but he hadn’t even been here for the past five years. “What are you saying?” Roman asked. “Are you saying I can’t be in his life?”

“I never said that!”

“Then what are you saying?” Roman raised his voice. I rolled my eyes and shot him a daring look, telling him to watch his tone. Roman, who got the idea, lowered his head. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m just saying.” I took a breath. “Mars may be five, but he also has an opinion, and if he doesn’t want to meet you or if he doesn’t want you to be in his life—we should respect that and—“

“Mommy, is it my turn to meet the prince now!”

Roman and I flinched at the loud thud and the five-year-old who stood in the doorway. “M-Marsie?”

I looked behind him and noticed Ashley, Brandon, Dalton, and even Lenny. Dalton grabbed Mars’ hand and stepped forward. “I’m sorry, your highness, I tried to stop him but—“

“That’s okay!” Roman interrupted him. He didn’t waste a second and rushed over to Mars, kneeling in front of the boy. “Wow,” Roman whispered. He moved his hand to Mars’ face and stroke his finger up and down his fluffy cheek. “It’s like I’m looking in the mirror.”

His personal butler, Lenny, who probably thought Roman was just being friendly—stood back with a proud smile, while Dalton and Brandon were visibly confused.

“Are you really the prince?” Mars asked. A laugh had escaped from Roman’s lips while I wondered what his next move was going to be. How did you even explain all of this to a five-year-old?

Was it even up to him to tell him, or did I have to do it?

Roman took a deep breath and caressed his hand through Mars’ hair. “Mars, I’m your—“

“Aunt Ashie said you need to pay child support!” Mars nodded proudly, not even giving Roman the chance to finish his sentence. “And lots of it!”

And there it was—the honest mind of a five-year-old.

The room went silent, while Mars looked up at the prince with a big grin. Also, Ashley had a satisfied smirk on her face, while Dalton, Brandon, and Lenny were close to fainting.

“C-child support, your highness?” Dalton commented.

Brandon's soft snickers turned into loud fits of laughter as he held his hand against his chest to catch his breath.

“Child support?” He chortled. “Well, damn!”