Chapter Forty-Three
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Emma showered and changed in record time and marched down the stairs, not intending to stop until she was back at Michel’s side. As she reached the living room—where her dad sat cradling a mug between his hands—the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get that.” Her dad put his tea down on the coffee table and squeezed her shoulder as he passed. A moment later, he said, “Emma, you have a visitor.”
“Is Auntie Soo back?” She hurried to the front door, thinking she should’ve called her. But it wasn’t her godmother who stood in the entryway. “Gabriel, what are you doing here?”
“I need to speak with you,” he said in a low, tense voice.
Her stomach swooped to her feet, then clogged her throat. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, he’s fine.” Gabriel dragged a hand through his hair. “ Fine isn’t the right word. He’s a right mess. Let’s just say he’s alive and unhurt.”
“That’s good.” Emma almost sagged with relief. “Dad, this is Gabriel, Michel’s cousin.”
“Mr. Yoon, I’m sorry for barging in like this,” Gabriel said with impeccable manners. “But I need to speak with your daughter quite urgently.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Her dad clapped him on the shoulder. “Go on. You can talk in the living room.”
Emma led him there with hurried steps. She took a seat on the sofa and waved her hand toward the armchair. Gabriel shook his head and paced instead.
“It might be a good idea for you to start talking,” she said, her legs bouncing with nerves. “Since it’s quite urgent and all.”
“Michel left for Rouleme.” He stopped in front of her, his hands clasped in front of him.
“He… he had more than a week left. He said… he said…” The blood drained out of her face, and her mind turned dull and empty. He left her. Without even a goodbye. But he loved her. Didn’t he? “I see.”
“No, I don’t think you do.” Gabriel knelt in front of her and took a breath to continue. “He—”
“Did Sophie leave with him?” She spoke over him, afraid of what he might say. Did Michel change his mind? Did he decide to marry perfect-on-paper Isabelle, after all? She didn’t want to know. It felt safer to focus on her friends.
“She did, but”—Gabriel actually blushed—“she’s coming back once she sorts everything out.”
“Really?” Emma gasped. “So you finally came to your senses and asked her to stay?”
“Actually, she told me to stop being an utter wanker and to empty out her side of the closet.” His wide, open grin made him look young and hopeful.
“Oh, Gabriel.” Emma laid her hand on his shoulder. “I’m so happy for you guys.”
“Thank you.” He gave his head a sharp shake. “But Sophie will not hesitate to kick my arse if I mess this up, so let me explain everything.”
“Okay.” She had to be brave. No more halfways. She took a deep breath. “Tell me.”
“Michel was… He fell apart when you left. I’ve never seen him so… It wasn’t good.” Gabriel’s throat bobbed as he swallowed. “He loves you, Emma, and Sophie thinks he might do something very reckless to win you back.”
“I… I love him, too.” She pressed her fingers against her trembling lips. It took her a few moments to be sure she could speak. “But why did he leave? And what do you mean something reckless? What would he do?”
“He went to Rouleme to tell his father about his decision to…” Gabriel scrubbed a hand down his face. “To abdicate.”
“What?” Emma shot to her feet and knocked the distraught man on his ass. “What in the literal fuck is he thinking? He loves Rouleme. He loves his people.”
“He loves you more.” His quiet sincerity came through even as he pushed himself off the floor. “But please don’t make him choose.”
“I would never make him choose,” she shouted, too agitated to modulate her tone. “What is he thinking ?”
“He’s thinking that if you can’t leave your life behind, then he’ll leave his.” He got to his feet and dusted off his slacks. “I told him to do whatever it takes to hold on to you because he would regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t. I had no idea the fool would go so far as to abdicate.”
“We have to stop him.” She fluttered her hands, eyes darting around the room. Even through her panic and outrage, her heart sang with happiness—with certainty that she came first to Michel. But abdicating was far too extreme for a grand gesture. She did not want that. “But how?”
“Ah, I’m glad you asked.” Gabriel had the gall to wink at her. “I’m under orders—by the love of my life—to bring you to Rouleme as soon as humanly possible even if I have to kidnap you .”
“Sophie said that?” Emma crinkled her nose in disbelief.
“No, I added the last bit myself for dramatic effect.” He grinned.
“Well, there’s no need for kidnapping.” She rolled her eyes. “I would be on my way to the hotel right now if you’d come ten minutes later. But he’s not at the hotel, is he? He’s in Rouleme to freaking abdicate .”
“Which is why we need to leave right now. My car is out front.” He glanced at his watch. “We can make it to the airport in half an hour if we hurry.”
“But I don’t have a plane ticket. And my passport expired ages ago, and I never got around to renewing it.” Emma felt faint with panic. What if she didn’t get to Michel in time? “Oh my God. What are we going to do?”
“Leave all that to me.” Gabriel smirked and tugged her toward the front door. “All you need to do is come. Of your own free will, preferably.”
Her dad jumped when they rounded the corner to the entryway. Before Emma could tell him she had no time to explain, he said, “I heard everything. You need to hurry, baby girl. Stop that silly, wonderful boy from doing something he’ll regret.”
Emma gave her dad a rib-cracking hug before he practically shoved her out the door. She managed to say over her shoulder, “I’ll call you as soon as I can. I love you, Appa.”
She didn’t even remember how she got in the car, but Gabriel drove like the devil . She hung on to the grab handle for dear life. “Do you always drive like this?”
“I did a stint in Formula One in my early twenties…” When he caught a glimpse of her pale face, he quickly averred, “It was a very brief stint. I can slow down. I’m just anxious to get on that plane.”
“You bought my plane ticket ahead of time?” she asked, loosening her grip on the handle.
“No.” He looked a bit sheepish. “We’re taking a private jet.”
“A private jet?” She swiveled in her seat to stare at him.
“It’s not something the royal family does often, but this is an emergency. Sophie asked Michel’s personal assistant to arrange it.”
“I… I see,” she said weakly, both impressed and flummoxed.
Emma had a lot of figuring out to do before they landed in Rouleme. Like coming to terms with the fact that the royal family had a private jet at their disposal—but more importantly that she might become a member of the royal family. No, she would become one, because she was marrying the crown prince.
“Oh my God.” She looked down at the slightly rumpled shirt and jeans she’d thrown on. “Am I meeting the king? Wearing this?”
“Not to worry.” Gabriel screeched into the airport. “Marion will have something suitable for you to change into.”
“Something suitable for saving the future of Rouleme?” A faint smile lit her face. “I’m thinking the occasion calls for a cape.”
“But please, no underwear on the outside,” he deadpanned, pulling up in front of a sleek white airplane. “Underwear should be worn under the clothing even when the fate of a nation lies in your hands.”
Emma burst into a fit of giggles fueled by nerves and anticipation. And she kept laughing as she and Gabriel ran to the waiting plane. She had to hold on to her aching side as she climbed on board—as much from the laughter as the unexpected cardio.
The opulent interior of the private jet lived up to the expectations created by TV shows and movies. But as the reality of the situation sank in, Emma felt too distraught to enjoy any of it other than to notice that her leather seat was really, really comfortable and that their flight attendant was super competent and nice.
With only two passengers, the plane took off in no time. Emma stared sightlessly out the window as her stomach settled and her ears popped, her body adjusting to the altitude. Even though they were on their way to Rouleme as fast as humanly possible, she felt like a windup toy ready to snap with just one more creaky turn of the knob. She closed her eyes and prayed…
Please don’t let me be too late. Please.