‘I thought I’d cried out every tear in my body last night.’
‘Unfortunately we produce more.’
Peta touched her forehead to Cassidy’s. ‘You’re in love with him, aren’t you?’
All the night before Cassidy had denied having any feelings for Logan, but she didn’t know why she’d bothered. This was her sister, after all. ‘Yes,’ she said simply. ‘Silly of me, isn’t it?’
‘I think you’ve always been a little in love with him,’ Peta said softly. ‘You never let a single person criticise him in your presence. It was as if the man really did walk on water.’
Hearing that only made her feel more miserable. ‘Which means you were right to be worried. Something happened and it was my heart that was broken after all.’
‘Maybe his is too. Maybe he loves you back.’
Cassidy sniffed and wiped her nose with a tissue. ‘No. Desire isn’t the same as love and that’s all he feels for me.’
‘Maybe you’re wrong, maybe—’
A knock on the door startled them both.
‘Sorry to intrude, ladies.’ Dan poked his head around the door. ‘But the twins just pulled this up on the Internet. It’s an official palace statement. And apparently you can’t find a mention of Peta or the girls on any of the main news sites. And believe me, the twins have searched every site known to man.’
Cassidy’s heart beat out a slow, sad tattoo inside her chest. So Logan had closed it all down. She was glad. She only hoped the fallout on his side was somewhat mitigated by the lack of information out there now.
Peta took the laptop Dan held out to her and started to read, a strange smile curving her lips.
Cassidy gave her a quizzical look. ‘What does it say?’
‘It’s a private statement from the King, explaining that his relationship with you is new and deeply private. He’s asked that the media respect your personal space and said he will prosecute any individual or group harassing his fiancée. It then says—’
‘Fiancée?’ Cassidy frowned. ‘Are you sure you read that right?’
‘I do know how to read.’
Cassidy held out her hand. ‘Let me see that.’
She scanned the article, noting the official Arrantino seal and Logan’s scrawling signature at the bottom of the letter. Then her eyes went back to the word fiancée.
‘It must be a misprint,’ she murmured. ‘He must have meant assistant, or ex-assistant. He’s probably furious with the error.’
Both Peta and Dan stared at her.
‘Is it possible he thinks you’re his fiancée?’ Dan asked carefully.
‘No.’ Cassidy thought back to their last interaction. His anger with her and his intention to close everything down. ‘No.’ She shook her head. ‘The concept is ludicrous.’
‘Aunty Cassidy?’ One of the twins poked her head around the corner of the door. ‘Since you’re awake we wondered if you wanted a cup of tea.’
Cassidy swiped at the tears on her face and gave her niece a hesitant smile. ‘Thanks, April. That would be lovely.’
‘And there’s a man at the front door who wants to see you.’ Amber nudged her twin out of the way. ‘He looks sort of like the King of Arrantino, only way hotter.’
Cassidy felt goose bumps run up her arm, but immediately discounted that it was Logan.
‘It’s probably a hateful reporter,’ Peta bit out.’ I hope you didn’t let him in.’
‘No. He’s waiting on the doorstep.’
‘I’ll handle it,’ Cassidy decided, pushing out of bed and throwing a ratty old sweater over her singlet top and boxer shorts. She was tired of being the victim in this scenario. She’d said she was taking charge of her life and so she would. Starting with the hateful press. ‘They need to understand that there’s no story here and there never will be.’