The Pretender and The Prince novel Chapter 59

After the gaming exhibition, Seth and Ondine went to dinner. As they walked toward the underground parking garage, two young women approached them. One of them stopped short, her eyes wide. “Mr. Thorne?”

Ondine paused, looking up.

The woman’s shocked gaze darted from Seth to Ondine and back again.

“It really is you, Mr. Thorne! I thought I was seeing things. What a coincidence!” she exclaimed, then her eyes landed on Ondine. “And this is?”

“My wife,” Seth said, his expression perfectly calm.

“Oh, your wife…” The woman trailed off, then the words sank in and her voice shot up an octave. “What? Wife?!”

Seth gave a slight nod. “Yes.”

The woman looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

Ondine offered a polite smile. “Hello.”

The woman swallowed hard, recovering slightly. “Hello, Mrs. Thorne.”

As Seth and Ondine walked away, the woman grabbed her friend’s arm, shaking her violently. “Oh my god, did you hear that? Mr. Thorne is married! He’s actually married!”

Her friend stumbled, dizzy. “I saw, I saw! Stop shaking me, you’re making me sick!”

“But did you see? He was carrying her bags! Mr. Thorne! Seth Thorne! The man who’s basically an iceberg, carrying a woman’s bags! If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it!”

…

On the thirty-sixth floor of a skyscraper, Seth had booked the entire Celestial Blossom, a members-only, Michelin-starred restaurant, for the evening.

The French head chef was personally preparing their meal. Soft, soothing piano music filled the air, which was fragrant with the scent of roses. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, the glittering city skyline stretched out before them.

“Relax,” Seth’s voice was a gentle murmur.

Ondine picked up her wine glass and touched it to his. “I’m sorry, Seth. I didn’t know it was Valentine’s Day.”

“It’s okay,” he said, his voice a low, magnetic hum. His eyes held an emotion she couldn’t quite decipher.

She quickly looked away, her heart skipping a beat. The deep night outside seemed to have seeped into his eyes, making them dark and bottomless.

He took a slow sip of wine, his gaze never leaving her.

Ondine took a sip of her own. The wine was exquisite, rich and intoxicating, but her mind was too numb to appreciate it.

Seeing her nervousness, a soft smile played on his lips. “You’re still as cute as ever, sweet Ondine.”