Asher smiled. “How would you have described him?”
William lifted an eyebrow and seemed to think it through. “Brave, kind, resilient . . . stubborn,” he said with a twinkle in his eye, then added, “A natural-born leader who got better with age, that’s how I’d describe him. He made hard decisions—decisions I’d never envied—and it takes a strong person to be able to do that.”
Asher nodded, the smile slowly fading from his face.
“But I’m not here to talk about your father. I did want to check in on you . . . and then talk business,” William said.
Abi gave a barely audible groan. William didn’t miss it—but he did ignore it.
“I’ve been waiting for the right time to sit down with you. Today hardly seems like it, but never does any other day. And maybe you need a distraction now more than ever. So, I’ve made a few notes I’d like you to look over and then we can discuss them. I know business, Asher, but you know politics, so these are just notes,” he said, passing Asher a notebook. “Santina needs money to thrive, and if you can secure international funding within the next six months—combined with the executions—you’ll have the highest ratings of any king Santina has ever seen.”
Asher nodded. “Leave it with me. I’ll review it over the next two days and get back to you.” His eyes dropped to the notebook as turned page after page of handwritten notes. “On further thought, give me a week and I’ll get back to you.”
William beamed a smile. “Sounds like a good plan,” he said with a nod. He turned to leave, but then looked over his shoulder. “Asher, if you need anything, please call me. You’re family now, and I will do anything for my family.” He turned to Abi. “You should call me more often too,” he said with a smile before walking out.
Abi looked to Asher, almost surprised. “My father is not normally so . . . warm. You’re the son he never had. Call him if you need anything—he truly means that. I know he’s not a replacement for your father, but he’ll be there for you.”
“I will. I appreciate that.” Asher sat opposite her, and Abi noted they’d switched roles—she was the one behind the desk.
Abi tilted her head for a moment. “If our firstborn was a girl, would you let her lead?” she asked suddenly.
“Yes,” he said without pause. “In fact, if we have a daughter who is anything like you, I might let her lead regardless of any older siblings,” he said with the first real smile she’d seen him wear in a while. “And that’s a decision we would make together.” Asher’s gaze swept over the office. “It looks good.”
“Alistair gave me this painting,” Abi said, turning to look at the wall behind her.
“Alistair?” Asher asked with wide eyes. “I’ve seen this painting before . . .”
Abi grinned. “It’s by a local artist, and it was a big exhibition piece six months ago. Apparently Alistair went on a binge and decided it was a good buy.”
“Alistair is full of surprises at the moment,” he said with a smile, leaning over her desk. He placed a finger under her chin, tilting her lips to his. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“Sure,” she said. “Where?” Abi couldn’t imagine Asher wanting to go out for dinner, but that didn’t mean there weren’t options.
“The gardens,” he said, his eyes locking on hers. “I have to go—I have an important meeting—but I’ll see you in a few hours.”
She closed her eyes as he kissed her goodbye. She couldn’t say she loved the idea of any execution, but Asher had been different since last night. Calmer, more at peace, and more attentive to her. It wasn’t that he’d necessarily said or done anything different, but the way he looked at her had changed. It had brought them closer together, and she knew if they could handle the pressures they were under right now, they could make it regardless of what life threw at them in the future.
Asher
Asher kissed her forehead, inhaling the scent of her perfume. “I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said, before turning to leave.
James was waiting outside the door for Asher.
“Is he here?” Asher asked.
James nodded. “He’s waiting in the sitting room.”
Asher walked in that direction, both excited and a little nervous for what he was about to do—not because he was unsure of his decision, but because this was something Abi would wear for the rest of her life, and he wanted her to love it.
“Mr. Golding, thank you for coming on such short notice,” Asher said, extending his hand.
The Royal Jeweler stood, his handshake firm and confident. “For you, Your Majesty, anything.”
Asher simply nodded. “Please come with me,” he said as James Thomas lingered close, like a shadow.
Asher took Mr. Golding to his office and motioned for him to sit.
Mr. Golding opened his bag, laid out some velvet trays, and put on a pair of white gloves.
“I have something special I want to show you. This piece only came to me yesterday—it’s interesting how things work out, isn’t it? I almost wasn’t going to buy it, but . . . call it intuition . . . I decided to.” Mr. Golding opened the velvet box and Asher’s jaw fell open.
“Wow,” Asher whispered.
“Eighteen carats, emerald-cut on a platinum band. A simple yet breathtaking design,” he said, placing the ring on the velvet tray.
Asher stared at it. “That’s . . . huge,” he said, lost for a more eloquent word.
“It’s beautiful,” James Thomas said, leaning in.
Asher bit his lip, looking up. He didn’t expect James to have an opinion.
“You like it?” Asher asked.
James chuckled. “Well, not for me. But for Abi, sure. That’s a spectacular diamond.”
“How much do you know about diamonds?” Asher asked, genuinely interested.
“Not that much except for the research I did before buying Mak’s,” he said, still looking at the ring.
“How much is it?” Asher asked Mr. Golding, who seemed particularly pleased with the direction of this conversation.
“For you, a deal,” he said with a sparkle in his eyes. “The budget you gave me—it’s right at the top. Not a dollar more,” he said, clasping his hands on the table.
Asher almost laughed at the way he seemed pleased with himself for coming in on budget, even if it was a larger-than-usual budget. “I’ll take it,” Asher said.
James nodded his approval.
Mr. Golding picked up the ring, put it a box, and pressed it into Asher’s hand. “Congratulations, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you,” Asher said. “Regarding payment—”
Mr. Golding shook his head. “None is required. Your mother recently donated some items we auctioned off, raising over half a billion dollars for a local charity. This ring is our gift of appreciation.”
Asher all but picked his jaw up off the floor. “When did she do this?” He hadn’t been aware of any such auction.
Mr. Golding gave a sad smile. “About a week before your father’s death. She said she hated for them to sit in the drawer unused. So, we auctioned them off for her, and any stone that has belonged to a royal family is worth ten times the retail value of the actual stone. We donated the proceeds to her charity of choice: one for orphaned children. The auction was kept silent, out of respect for your family and the buyers. They are typically very wealthy and private people who do not want their names in the papers.”
“I don’t know what to say other than thank you,” Asher said simply.
“It is my pleasure. I am certain it will be the correct size given the measurements you provided, but please do let me know if any adjustments need to be made.”
“Of course,” Asher said, feeling nervous carrying such an expensive item. How was Abi going to feel with it on her finger?
“And as per your friend’s request,” Mr. Golding said, shooting James a look. “This is the replica ring that she can wear when there are security concerns.”
Asher’s eyebrows lifte
d. He took the ring, studying it. He opened the box and placed them side by side. He could barely tell the difference. “This isn’t a diamond?”
Mr. Golding chuckled. “Amazing, isn’t it? I had a customer bring her ring in to sell after a bitter divorce. It became even more bitter when she realized the ring she’d been wearing all those years was a fake. That man may contact you in need of your services,” he said to James with a small laugh.
James grinned. “He’d better start running now.”
Mr. Golding continued to chuckle while he picked up his bag. Asher put the fake ring aside, careful not to mix them up. Then he tucked the box into his jacket pocket.
James escorted Mr. Golding out while Asher reviewed the new stack of mail on his desk—it was never ending. He’d barely managed to sort through half of it before James returned, taking a seat opposite him.
“Media is good this morning,” James commented.
Asher nodded. “I read some of it. Any sighting of Aunty?”
“No,” James admitted. “We think she’s gone underground—into hiding. We have alerts set up for her on multiple systems, including voice and face recognition systems. We’re also backtracking her activities for the last twelve months. She had help escaping her home and I think someone is still helping her hide now—which indicates she’s involved in the revolt, we just don’t know to what degree. I think she’ll try and get out of Santina completely. That would be her best move.”
Asher nodded. “How are you backtracking her movements?”
“Telephone calls, appointments made online and appointments noted in the paper diary we found in her home, facial recognition matches. Anything we can. Samuel and his team are working on this full time.”
“Good. Any other news?” Asher asked.
“Not regarding the revolt or Abi’s tape. Most of the chatter is about the executions, which is exactly what we want.”
“I responded to the voicemail today,” Asher said with another nod. “I advised the king there would be no meeting to discuss the Lithe Ruins and my oil wells.”
“Good,” James responded. “The teams there have completed the additional testing this morning, and there’s twice as much oil as was estimated in the sale contract. I’m not sure what that means . . . probably that Troy was trying to screw Alistair on the deal so his friends could pay half the price they should’ve if it was a legitimate deal.”
“I am not handing over this land. It is part of Santina, and I will not sell it,” Asher said, adamant.
“I wouldn’t either,” James said. “But you will need to be prepared for some kind of fallout over this. Adani wants this land, or more correctly, they want a piece of your pie. This is probably more of a political statement than it is about the oil.”
“I agree,” Asher said, “and I’ll deal with that soon. I need to review William Bennett’s notebook of plans and confirm a strategy, because the stronger my international relationships are, the less of a problem Adani will be.”
James nodded but there was hesitation in his eyes.
“What?” Asher asked.
James sighed. “Almost certainly, Adani has the tape of Abi—or a copy at least. I suspect they’ll release the tape in its entirety within the next few days.”
“And I’ll punish them for that by releasing details of how they poisoned their poor,” Asher said, raising an eyebrow.
“So then we need to be prepared for any form of backlash,” James said. “I’ll leave you to it. Enjoy your dinner,” he finished with a grin.
Asher
Asher walked around the table his mother had taken upon herself to decorate. She was appalled at Asher’s first proposal and had done her best to ensure this one would impress her future daughter-in-law. A tall vase overflowed with cascading flowers and the surrounding trees were lit up with fairy lights. Every detail was immaculate and intimate and perfect. Asher owed his mother for this one, but he also thought it had been a good distraction for her this afternoon.
He put a hand on his chest, feeling the box tucked inside—making sure the ring was still there.
“They’re here,” Jesse said, tapping his shoulder. “We’ll be nearby.”
“Thanks, Jesse,” Asher said as Abi walked into view.
She came to a stop, her jaw dropping open as he held out his hand.
“What is this?” she asked with a beaming smile.
“Dinner,” Asher said with a wink. He cupped her cheeks and brushed his lips over hers. The kiss sent a shiver through him.
“This is . . . I have no words,” she said, putting a hand on her chest.
Asher chuckled. He tugged her hands and she fell forward but he caught her. “I’ve got you,” he said, and he meant every word.
Abi straightened and wrapped her arms around his neck. “And I’ve got you,” she said as he pressed his lips to hers again.
She deepened the kiss but he pulled back before he cancelled dinner altogether.
“Have a seat,” he said, pulling out a chair for her.
He sat beside her, wanting to be close. His parents had always sat side by side, rather than across from each other, even when it was only the two of them dining. Asher had never thought much about that until now.
“Who organized this?” Abi asked. “It’s amazing.” She suddenly turned to him. “Are we getting married tonight?”
Asher laughed heartily. “No. My mother asked me how I proposed and she was most disappointed. She told me it was completely unsatisfactory and I must do it again, better this time. So, clearly she didn’t have a lot of faith in me, and here we are. She organized this table today—this afternoon.”
“I owe her a thank you,” Abi said, looking over the table.
Asher stood, reaching for the bottle of champagne.
“Vintage Dom. Oh, we are celebrating tonight!” Abi said in appreciation.
“I found this in the cellar,” Asher admitted. “I think it must’ve been a gift because my mother doesn’t drink a lot of champagne. And it’s the one thing Alistair didn’t drink.”
“Well, thank you to whoever bought us this very nice bottle,” Abi said, clinking her glass.
Asher stretched out his legs and took a sip of his champagne. “Not bad,” he said, taking her hand and threading their fingers together.
“What did you do this afternoon?” Abi asked.
“I looked over your father’s notes,” Asher said with wide eyes. “He has detailed quite the plan. I’m busy groveling for money over the next few months,” he joked, but it wasn’t far from the truth.
Abi whistled. “He is relentless,” she admitted with a strained laugh, then looked into his eyes. “Santina is lucky to have you,” she said more quietly.
He smiled sadly. “I just want them to be proud—proud to be a Santinian. We were once regarded as the greatest kingdom in the region.”
“Many still think that, Asher. Santina has always been highly respected because we stand up for what we believe in. Sure, there’s been a few corruption issues and a few traitors, but Santina and our people have always rallied. And although we may not be as wealthy as our neighbors, we are proof that money doesn’t solve all problems. Actually, if you have weaknesses, money will amplify them. Adani is proof of that.”
“And yet they’ve gotten away with it for so long,” Asher said bitterly.
“Perhaps their luck has run out,” she said, looking into Asher’s eyes.
He nodded. “We’ll see what cards they play.”
“Anyway, let’s talk about that another day,” she said, her voice suddenly bubbly and light. “Let’s talk about something fun.”
“Fun?” Asher asked with an amused laugh. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d done something fun. “Like what?”
“Like when are we going to get married?” Abi asked, leaning in to kiss him.
“Tomorrow,” Asher answered without hesitation.
Abi laughed. “I hope your mother can plan a wedding in five minutes, then.
”
“Oh she could, I’m sure. I don’t think she thought this day would ever come,” Asher mused.
“No, I don’t think she did,” Abi said with a smile. “Neither did Santina, I’m sure.”
“There’s hope for everyone yet,” Asher joked. “Seriously, though, when do you want to get married?”
“As soon as we can,” Abi said. “Let’s set a date by the end of the week.”
“Deal,” Asher said happily.
Abi paused for a second, biting her lip. “Let’s play a game,” she said suddenly, her voice a notch higher.
Asher gave her a wary look. “What kind of game?”
“A fun one,” she said, laughing. “We would often play it when on IFRT business . . . when there was a lot of downtime sitting around waiting for things to happen. This is how it works: I’ll ask you a question and you have to answer it immediately. You can’t think about it—just say the first thing that pops into your mind.”
Asher eyed her. “This could be dangerous.”
“I’ll ask good questions. Do you trust me?” she asked.
“Yes,” he responded immediately. “Was that the start of the game?”
Abi laughed. “No, first question: an easy one . . . what’s your favorite food?”
“Italian. Pizza,” Asher said.
“Dream job,” Abi said.
“Being Mr. Abigail Bennett,” he said with a smirk.
She scoffed. “Flattery will get you far,” she said, then looked thoughtful for a moment. “Favorite thing about me?’
“You’re brave,” he said without hesitation.
“Hmm,” she said. “I’ll take that. What did you love most about your father?”
“He stayed true to his values,” Asher said.
“And what did you love most about Noah?”
“He was funny—especially as a kid. It’s sad that we lose our humor as we grow older,” Asher mused, then smiled. “Now it’s my turn.”
“Okay,” Abi said with daring eyes.
“Favorite thing to do on the weekends?”
“Sleep,” she said, and then added, “and watch home-renovation shows.”
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