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She had been wrong Finding out she had no option but to let Claudio go had hurt, but discovering he wanted out…that he was bored with her had destroyed her She no longer had any doubts about whether or not she was a survivor of their private war She knew she had not survived, that her heart was dead inside her

Only if it was dead, why did it still hurt so rabbed her ar out of the limousine “Therese…”

She didn’t look at hih stress right now”

“Yes” So was she, but he’d made it painfully clear he didn’t care about that

She’d had the audacity to ask for a divorce and that rata where he was concerned

“I do not want them further distressed by news of our imminent breakup”

Did he have to put it that way, as if he couldn’t wait to be rid of her? “Of course”

“I expect you to behave as you always have towardthe status quo” She glared at hie like your brothers No one expects us to be affectionate”

She shook his hand off with an angry jerk and stepped out of the car, her publicthat she had indeed been raised by a mother who had drilled her to the point where she had once sat out the whole second half of a girls basketball garade with a broken ankle rather than cry in public and let the coach know the extent of her injury, she waited for Claudio so she could ith him into the hospital

It was expected of her She would do her part to display the outward appearance of solidarity She directed her gaze straight ahead, her body only a few inches froht as well have been a mile

How many times had she walked beside him and wished he would put his arm around her or take her hand…to show her in some way that he felt the connection between them? But he never did It made her furious with herself, but she wished for that physical support even ht now

She had no idea what they would find inside that hospital and she was scared, her heart bleeding and battered froh a barrage of noisy reporters and flashing caot right into her face “What will itVincente dies, Princess Therese? Are you looking forward to being queen?”

She put her hand up and averted her face, but her feet faltered and she had to force herself to keepThe insensitivity of the question shouldn’t have surprised her She kne intrusive the press could be, but she was in no way up to handling that thoughtlessness right now She did her best to hide it, but she flinched when another reporter got close with a flashing ca her fro around her shoulders and his voice barking orders at the security tea the paparazzi away

Despite feeling like she was leaning on the enemy, she turned into the comfort his hu reporters and continuously flashing ca it would be like this, or worse if the press got wind of her inability to get pregnant without IVF What kind of rotten questions and accusations would they throw at her and Claudio then?

It didn’t bear thinking about Not if she wanted toVincente’s health

Once they were inside the hospital and the solid steel door had closed behind the close to her for another second

They walked down the hospital hallways in silence The head of the hospital hi area designated for King Vincente’s family He and Claudio talked, but when she realized he was saying nothing she hadn’t heard before about her father-in-law’s condition, she tuned the two men out

Somewhere within these quiet walls, her father-in-law lay in a bed fighting for his life Stabilized, or not, his condition hat could hardly be terery was necessary She’d read of people, perfectly healthy people dying of a second heart attack before the surgery could be perforive thanks that the first one had not killed the country’s ruler

CHAPTER FIVE

MAGGIE cah the archway that led to the waiting roorabbed Therese, hugging her hard “It’s going to be all right He needs a bypass as I’ man He’ll be fine”