LITMIR.BIZ

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security. “Alonzo? I’m looking for Princess Christina. Find out where she is and let me know ASAP. I want surveillance on her twenty-four-seven starting now.”

      “Yes, Your Highness.”

      He put off ordering dinner and hurried downstairs to the palace’s main office. “Did anyone here see Princess Christina’s father arrive?”

      One of them nodded. “The princess asked that he be shown to your apartment. About twenty minutes later he passed by the office and left the grounds in a limousine.”

      More than frustrated at this point, Antonio headed for Alonzo’s office. “Any news about her yet?”

      Alonzo shook his head. “We’re still vetting everyone on the force. Some of them went off shift at five o’clock and we’re still trying to reach them for information.”

      He frowned. She wouldn’t have gone to his parents’ apartment, would she? He called them on the chance that she was there for some reason. But they had nothing to tell him.

      Definitely worried now, he put through a call to Christina’s parents. He should have tried there first. Her father got on the other extension. “Your Highness?”

      “I’m looking for my wife. If you have any idea where she is, I’d like you to tell me now. The last anyone saw of her was you.”

      “You mean she’s missing?”

      His anger was approaching flash point. “What did you say to her?”

      “The only thing a good father could say to his daughter. Do the right thing.”

      Antonio saw red. He clicked off and spun around in fury. It was almost nine o’clock. Could she have flown to Nairobi without telling him?

      Frantic, he asked Alonzo for his men to check the airport to see if she’d flown out. Within a few minutes the news came back that she hadn’t boarded any planes going anywhere.

      “Hold on, Antonio. There’s another report coming in. The guard at the west gate saw her leave the palace grounds in a red Fiat before he went off duty just before five. He had no idea you were looking for her. She told him she was going to the charity foundation to take care of an emergency and didn’t want you to worry.”

      His hands balled into fists. “Find out if she’s still there! We need to call all the girls working there to find out who drove the Fiat.”

      Before long the report came back that the building was closed for the night. No sign of Princess Christina anywhere. In another minute they had a woman on the line. Antonio took the call. “Arianna?”

      “Your Highness. I didn’t realize you were looking for her. When I dropped her off in front of the building, she said she was going to work in there for a while and that I should go home.”

      “So you have no idea where she went, or if she even went inside.”

      “No. I’m so sorry.”

      “What state was she in?”

      “She definitely had an agenda and asked me to hurry, but that’s all.”

      “Thank you, Arianna.”

      He handed the phone back to Alonzo.

      Where are you, Christina. What did your father say to turn you inside out?

      While he stayed there in agony, wondering where to turn next, the press secretary, Alonzo, came hurrying into the office. “Your Highness?”

      Antonio turned to him. “Do you have news about the princess?”

      His face had gone white. “I do. She told me if I said anything I’d lose my job, but I can’t let you suffer like this.”

      “What do you know?”

      “She handed me an envelope and wanted the television anchor to read her statement during the ten o’clock news.”

      “She what?”

      He nodded. “It’ll be on every network in five minutes in every country in the world.”

      Alonzo turned on the big-screen television in his office. Antonio felt so gutted he started to weave.

      “Better sit down, Your Highness.”

      “I’ll be all right.” His heart plummeted to his feet as he saw the words breaking news flash across the screen.

      Suddenly the female news anchor appeared. “There’s huge news breaking from the royal palace in Voti, Halencia, tonight, threatening to rock the already shaky monarchy decimated by scandal. It is struggling to stay alive in a nation so divided that one wonders what the ultimate outcome will be.

      “I have in front of me a statement that Princess Christina, recently married in a private ceremony to Crown Prince Antonio de L’Accardi, has asked the press to read. These are her words and I quote. ‘Dear citizens of Halencia. It is with the greatest sadness that I, Princess Christina de L’Accardi, am removing myself from the royal family to end the bitter conflict. I confess that although my relationship with Prince Antonio started out as a publicity stunt for reasons I don’t intend to go into, I want everyone to know I love my new husband with every fiber of my being. A man with his integrity doesn’t come along every day, or even in a lifetime. I knew him when we were both teenagers. Even then he showed a love and loyalty to his country that put others to shame. I want everyone to know he’s the light of my life and my one true love. But I’m sorry that it isn’t enough for the people of Halencia.’”

      Christina...his heart cried.

      “Wow! How’s that for a heartfelt confession from the ‘Cinderella Bride’ as the nation has called her? Her charity in Africa has gained international attention. I have to admit I’m moved by her sacrifice and graciousness. That doesn’t happen to me very often. Stay tuned for news coming from the palace as the fallout from her surprising statement is felt throughout the country and the world.

      “There’s no word from the prince or his family about this shocking development. You’ll have to stayed tuned when more news will be forthcoming.”

      The television was shut off. Alonzo eyed Antonio with concern. “We’ll find her. Just give us time.”

      “Thank you, Alonzo.” But he knew the damage had been done when her father talked to her. He’d done such an expert job of destroying her that Antonio doubted Christina might ever come out of hiding.

      As he left the office and started up the staircase for his apartment on legs that felt like lead, his phone started ringing. He looked down. Good old faithful Zach. He clicked on.

      “Antonio?”

      “Si?”

      “What a hell of a mess.”

      “That doesn’t even begin to cover it,” he half groaned.

       CHAPTER NINE

      September, Voti, Halencia

      AFTER HIS SPEECH, Antonio stood before the divided government assembly to answer questions.

      “With all due respect, Your Highness, Princess Christina has graciously stepped aside to appease those voices who still want you to rule, but with someone more befitting to be your consort. Why won’t you listen to reason?”

      His anger was acute. “What princess on your short list has devoted half her life to charity and worked among the poverty-stricken in Africa with no thought for herself? What princess would willingly give up the title of queen in order not to stand in the way of her husband?”

      The room grew quiet.

      “My wife hasn’t made excuses or defended herself, so I’ll do it for her. This so-called affair of hers was in truth a friendship, nothing more, but trust evil to find its way

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