The Pretender and The Prince novel Chapter 40

Ondine’s lashes fluttered, and she offered a small, noncommittal smile. Seth didn’t have a girlfriend, but he did have a legal wife. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Zaria that.

For her move to Boreal, Ondine had packed just two suitcases with clothes and essentials. Seth had already arranged for a moving company to transport the rest of her belongings to his villa in Lavender Estates.

Zaria had just flown in the day before and was exhausted, but with both Seth and Ondine leaving for Boreal today and her parents living abroad, she didn’t want to be left alone in Riverdale. Besides, it had been ages since she’d seen Ondine, and with everything her friend was going through, Zaria wanted to be there for her. So, she’d booked a ticket on the same flight.

As Ondine and Zaria were chatting, Ondine’s phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and saw Ellis’s name.

Zaria peeked over. “Your ex.”

“Yep.” Ondine declined the call and blocked his number without a second thought. Then she opened WhatsApp and did the same.

“Wow, straight to the point,” Zaria remarked. “What did he do to make you cut him off so completely?”

Ondine glanced over at Seth, who was a short distance away. He had headphones on and was focused on a video conference on his laptop. He probably couldn’t hear them.

Lowering her voice, Ondine told Zaria the whole story.

When she finished, Zaria exploded. “That Ellis is a real piece of work! And his mother is just as bad, asking you to be his mistress? Is she out of her mind?”

Ondine nodded. “I agree.”

“I used to see your pictures on Instagram and be so jealous of your perfect relationship,” Zaria fumed. “I can’t believe he’s such a scumbag. I leave the country for a little while and this is what happens? I’m so pissed.”

Ondine looked down. “It was my fault for being a bad judge of character.”

Three hours later, the plane landed at Boreal City Airport.

Without even stopping to rest, Ondine went straight to the hospital to see her mother. Yvaine had just finished dinner, and her eyes grew misty the moment she saw her daughter.

While mother and daughter chatted in the hospital room, Seth and Zaria stood out in the hallway.

“So, bro,” Zaria began suddenly, “what do you think of Ondine?”

Seth’s breath caught in his throat. “What do you mean, ‘what do I think’?” he asked, his voice carefully neutral.

“Don’t play dumb,” Zaria said, her eyes twinkling. “How about I set you two up? She’d make a great girlfriend, don’t you think?”