Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 583(@200wpm)___ 466(@250wpm)___ 389(@300wpm)
“We will go through the private exit,” he said as we reached the front doors.
“We will go through the lobby,” Gale said to him with a smile. However, it was not one Iskandar shared.
Iskandar stared at him—maybe that was his way of begging—but Gale just nodded his head to me. “She needs to check out.”
“That can be handled by someone else, sir,” Iskandar said through almost clenched teeth.
“They know we are here. We are not hiding or sneaking away. It is not something shameful, so we leave as guests leave,” Gale stated back.
Iskandar’s jaw still wired shut, nodded. With all the energy in his body, he forced out, “As you wish, sir.”
He walked in front of us, opening the front door. When he opened it, two more men were standing there, neither of them Wolfgang. Both of them bowed their heads, with their hands over their hearts, to Gale. However, it wasn’t just them when we stepped out. There were more people in the hall.
“Were they all here last night?” I whispered to Gale as we waited for the elevator.
“No, only two, but I called for more this morning.”
“They got here fast,” I said when we stepped through the elevator doors.
“You did take almost two hours getting ready,” he whispered back.
“You told me to take as long as I like.”
“And you really did.”
I elbowed him, causing him to grunt and the two new guys to glance back, confused at what happened. Iskandar, however, seemed unbothered. I smiled at them, but it was only when Gale nodded that he was fine did they turn back around.
“I am a very precious person, you know,” he whispered before pushing my back, making me stumble a little bit.
I spun back to him, glaring, but he pretended not to notice, a grin on his lips. “How do we all fit in here with your ego, Mr. Precious?”
“By God’s grace,” he said with base in his voice.
I shook my head, trying to ignore him, which was hard with his hand in mine. However, I focused on the numbers as they went down.
“Ready?” He squeezed my hand.
“Yes.” No, not really. But what else could I do?
The doors opened, and there were guards down there, too, along with a few other guests in the lobby. The moment we stepped out, I could hear the press from outside. They couldn’t just come inside, but that didn’t stop the guest inside from holding up their cell phone, taking photos of us.
“Do not pay any attention to them. Come on,” Gale whispered, walking to the reception desk.
There, I saw the familiar faces of Annalena and Viktor. Yesterday, after they had realized their mistake, they had looked ashamed. Today, looking at me, then at their prince, then back at me, they looked mortified, their faces pale and their bodies stiff. You would think they had died standing up.
“My fiancée and I would like to check out,” Gale said, and I noticed his eyes narrowing angrily, directly on those two.
Was this why he wanted to come to the lobby?
“Of course, Your Highness,” the manager, the woman with short black hair and birthmark on her chin, said to us with a large smile on her face. It was then I looked at her name tag.
“Wera,” I said her name, causing her to look up from her computer.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“Thank you so much for yesterday. The wine you chose for me was delicious. I enjoyed it,” I said.
“Yes, thank you, Wera. I enjoyed it as well.” Gale smiled, nodding to her.
The biggest grin spread across her face. “I am glad. There—you both are all set. I hope you visit here again.”
“Maybe. You never know who could stop by,” Gale said with an eyebrow raised, and he gave another glance to the two still frozen beside her.
“Ummm.” Wera looked at us and then back to him. “I do not know if it is allowed, but may I have a photo? If not, it is fine. I just—my family will never believe it.”
“Sure,” I said even though I was not sure it was fine, either.
“Really?” She grinned.
And I squeezed Gale’s hand.
He just nodded, and she came around the desk. She looked for someone to take her phone, and gave it to Iskandar. He looked down at it and then back at me and then Gale, who again nodded.
“One, two, three.” He snapped the picture and handed her the phone. “Sir, miss, we must be going,” he added quickly.
As we walked, I leaned into Gale and asked, “Did I just break some rule?”
“Yes,” he whispered back. “I am sure many other hotel owners will be upset at the new tourist attraction we’ve created. And the prices will surely go up here. However, since you do not know the rules yet, we might as well break them quickly.”
I couldn’t comment as we were right in front of the entrance doors, and the press were like bloodhounds waiting for meat outside the doors held back by security. I felt my stomach began to turn.