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“You love my son”

She didn’t deny it What would be the point? Everyone in that room knew the truth about her emotions And his now, no

“But I don’t even like you,” she told Demyan’s adopted father very succinctly

The king flinched, his face slackening in shock as if he’d never had anyone speak to him in such a way before Maybe he hadn’t

“Chanel” That was Demyan, the tone in his voice not one she wanted to hear or could even begin to trust right then

Definitely not admonishment for her rudeness to his father, but what it was, she refused to name

She spun to face hiht pain with each indrawn breath “Don’t Just don’t, Demyan However horrible their intentions, the duke and duchess were more honest with me than you’ve been”

“No” He lurched forward, as if he’d been yanked by a string attached to his chest

She stepped back quickly, sure of one thing She could not allow hiht now “Stop I said later I meant later”

“Perhaps you two should speak now,” the king said, sounding less certain than he had to this point

Chanel made no attempt to hide the utter dislike she felt when she faced hiain You say maybe we should talk and all I can think is howto be any ”

“You are a contrary woman”

“You have no idea how contrary I can be, but spend a fewwith my stepfather and he’ll fill you in”

“I have spent some time in his company already”

And heard an earful, Chanel was sure For the first tied to turn soht off her “I’m sure he enjoyed that”

“He’s an opportunistic man”

“He is” Soether to forle conclusion “He’s the one, isn’t he, the reason you had to act now?”

The king’s face smoothed over into an emotionless uess

Because she was right

“My great-great-grandfather Tanner died, apparently with a very different will to the one randmother believed to have been in existence Yet no one froenerations to secure Baron Tanner’s shares in your precious company”

“It is not just a company—it is the financial cornerstone of an entire country”

“Your country”