Married for His Secret Heir

When he was a child, his mother was the only one to guide him—to tell him what needed to be done. His sister had been too little, his father too busy and Elena too awestruck by the fact that he was a part of the royal family.

In the years since his mother’s murder, he’d been doing his best to navigate life on his own. Was it possible that in his efforts to avoid another loss that he’d built these walls around himself that Elena mentioned?

He supposed it was true. He’d never really stopped to think about it. But it was the only way he knew how to be. He didn’t even know how to change.

But if he didn’t do something, he was going to lose the woman he loved. It was the first time he’d allowed himself to admit his intense feelings for Elena to himself. And instead of it being scary, it was freeing. It was like stepping out of the shadows and into the sunlight.

He knew she still had the ability to hurt him, but by denying his feelings, he was hurting himself more. But was it too late? Would she give him a second chance?

He had to prove to her that he’d changed—that he was willing to let people into his life. And he knew how to do it. He would start with his father and sister.

He had an idea of how to save the lemon grove, but he couldn’t do it by himself. Finally, he was hearing what Elena had been telling him. He wasn’t in this battle alone. There were people around who wanted to help, if he’d let them.

First, he would speak to his father, Annabelle and the newest member of the family, Grayson. When Luca went to Elena, he was going to show her that family meant everything to him.

Elena and the baby were his everything.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

ELENA HAD ARRIVED home early for dinner.

She had nowhere else to go and nothing she wanted to do. And since she was leaving in the morning, she thought she would spend the extra time with her mother.

“Dear, you really don’t have to help with dinner. I can manage,” her mother insisted as she tried to prepare food while balancing on her crutches.

“Mother, why don’t you sit at the table and I’ll bring you whatever you need?”

“Well, that probably would be easier. Thanks.” She moved to the table. “But something tells me you have more on your mind than worrying about me. For a newlywed, you’ve been spending a lot of time at home. What’s going on?”

Elena didn’t know how to respond. She just wasn’t willing to admit to anyone that her brief marriage was a bust. Every time she thought of vocalizing the words, the backs of her eyes started to sting. She couldn’t avoid the subject forever, but for just this moment, she wanted to pretend that her heart wasn’t breaking in two.

Elena started slicing cheese. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure. Does it have to do with sex?”

The knife slipped, barely missing Elena’s finger. “Mother!”

“Okay. I was just kidding.” Her mother sat at the table cutting orange wedges for the fruit and cheese tray.

Elena kept her gaze on the task at hand, not wanting her mother to read too much in her gaze. “When you first got married, did you—well, was Father a little distant?”

“Your father? No. He’s always been romantic and passionate—”

“Mother, I thought we said we weren’t going there.”

Her mother laughed. “Passionate about his feelings, daughter. I’ve always known where I stood with him.”

Which just reinforced her decision to end things with Luca. She never knew where she stood with him, and she couldn’t live like that.

“I take it you and Luca are having some problems adjusting.”

“Something like that.” Maybe if she opened up a little more, her mother would be able to give her some helpful advice. After all, her mother knew how to maintain a successful marriage. “It’s just that he won’t open up and let me in. And now that I’m—”

She stopped. How could she just go and almost blurt out that she was pregnant? Now wasn’t the time for that news.

“You really are pregnant, aren’t you?” The glee was obvious in her mother’s voice. She got to her feet in record time and rushed over to put an arm around Elena. “I’m so happy for you.”

When they pulled apart, Elena said, “No one knows.”