The Prince's Christmas Vow

Zoe’s fine brows scrunched together as she shot him an are-you-serious look. “Because painting doesn’t pay the bills. I need a steady paycheck, especially now.”

Now? What did that mean? There was definitely something he was missing and he fully intended to find out what. “Zoe, tell me what’s going on with you. I know that you aren’t telling me everything.”

“I don’t want to talk about it. I’ve got the sketches. Now we can go.”

“No, we can’t. I don’t understand. Why won’t you talk to me?”

“I am talking. And I’m telling you that if you want to get this mural done in time for the ball, I need to get started.” She turned toward the door.

“Not so fast.” He crossed his arms. “There’s something I want to go over with you.”

She sighed and then turned. “Does it have to be right now?”

“Sì.” When she frowned, he continued. “I’d like you to walk me through exactly what happened with the annulment papers.”

“I told you I signed them.”

“And so far my advisors haven’t found any trace of them. I thought since they were last seen here that this visit might jog your memory—something that you’ve forgotten.”

Her mouth gaped open as pain reflected in her eyes. “You really think that I’d forget something that important?”

He raked his fingers through his hair. “I don’t know what to think. That’s the problem. You keep sidestepping things. Sometimes you stop in the middle of sentences and you leave me wondering what you’re working so hard to hide from me.”

“Why should I be hiding something?”

Frustration balled up inside him. He struggled to keep it at bay. “Because I was always able to read you before.”

“You don’t think I’ve changed since then?”

She was doing it again. She was dodging his questions by supplying questions of her own. “Zoe, stop with the questions. Just walk me through what happened to the annulment papers and the check.”

Her gaze narrowed and her lips pressed into a firm line. Seconds passed and at last she spoke. “Fine. You want to know. Here it is. I had the papers. They were over there on the kitchen counter. I signed them. I put them in the envelope to drop in the mail. And then I ripped up your check into tiny pieces which I dropped in the garbage.”

“Is it possible you accidentally dropped the papers in the garbage, too?” When she frowned at him, he said, “Okay. I just had to ask.”

“I can assure you the check was the only thing I trashed.”

“Why would you do that?”

“What? You don’t think this place lives up to your standards and that I was foolish to toss away the money?”

“No, that isn’t it.” He clenched his jaw. He wasn’t going to fall in that rabbit hole with her. What he needed to do was concentrate on the whereabouts of the annulment papers. “So you ripped up the check. What did you do with the papers? We need to make sure they didn’t end up in the wrong hands.”

“If they did, I didn’t do it.”

He believed her. It was highly doubtful, because by now he’d have been contacted for blackmail or it would have been sold to the paparazzi. Demetrius had a feeling the papers were right here in this apartment.

“Where did you last see the papers?”

“I...I don’t know.” Her shoulders slumped. “I’ve tried to remember ever since you told me they are missing, but I can’t remember what I did with the envelope after I signed the papers.”

“Think hard.”

“I am. I must have posted it. That’s the only reasonable explanation. They must have lost it.”

“You didn’t send it by special courier?”

She shook her head. “You have to believe me. I did what you wanted.”

What he wanted? He never wanted this annulment. The only reason he’d issued the papers was because she’d walked out on him. He was about to say as much when he noticed her eyes grow shiny. Were those tears in her eyes? Please don’t start crying. He was never good with women when they became emotional.

He moved to the counter. “Is this where you signed the papers?”

“Sì. That’s the last place I remember having them.” She paused as though she remembered something—something important. “I remember signing them and slipping them in the envelope. Then my phone rang. It was an important client.”