Chapter 0566

Knowing the King and Queen weren't responsible for the latest attempt on my life should have come as a relief. But Nicholas and Julian were acting like this only made everything worse.

I didn't know what could be worse than having the most powerful couple in the kingdom, and likely the planet, wanting you dead.

"This is... a good thing, right?" I ventured to ask.

Nicholas hummed low, a noise I had come to recognize as disagreement. Julian shook his head.

"I'm not convinced Prince Ronan was acting alone," Julian said. "He's a right asshole, certainly, and he has the credentials to sneak around. But he's also a buffoon with more brawn than brains. And given enough time to calm down, he typically just moves on to some other woman."

I lifted a brow at Julian, wondering how the hell he knew so much about Prince Ronan, while Nicholas had to get all this same information from Ambassador Zale.

Julian caught me looking and then rolled his eyes. "We used to be in somewhat of the same circles. Or, at least, Ronan thought we were. Two rebellious, philandering princes. While I was in it mostly for the information leakage, Ronan genuinely thought we had a comradery."

"I didn't know any of this," Nicholas said.

"Not like you took much interest in my... extra-curricular activities, brother. Except to scold me for them," Julian said.

He grinned a moment before turning serious again.

"What I'm telling you is, Ronan would not have pieced out how to escape on his own, much less how to replace his way here at just the right moment Piper would be in the water." Content belong to NôvelDráma. Org.

I struggled to think of anyone else who would be in a position to be able to know those things, other than the royal family. "But if it's not the King and Queen, then who could be responsible? One of the merfolk?"

Julian shook his head. "The merfolk, even the most powerful among them, wouldn't know what we were planning here. They would know the location of our island, but unless it was sheer luck, Ronan showing up at just the right moment is too suspicious."

"I don't believe in luck like that," Nicholas said.

"Neither do I," Julian agreed.

But if it wasn't a merfolk, and it wasn't royalty... "Who else could it be?"

Julian glanced sideways to where Bridget rested on a lounge chair on the deck. She was in a skimpy swimsuit, sunning, with big sunglasses and a pink boat drink in her hand.

"You can't be serious," I whispered. There was no love lost between Bridget and I, but... "She didn't even interact with Prince Ronan."

"Not in front of us, no," Julian said.

I didn't want to be skeptical of Julian, but in areas where Bridget was concerned, he was always a bit wonky. Now that he didn't crush on her so much that he could see no flaws, maybe he had taken things too far in the other direction. Was he suspecting Bridget simply because now he could only see flaws?

My skepticism must have shown on my face. Julian caught it right away.

*She's a famous movie actress. Movies aren't big in the merfolk kingdom, but those that know our culture appreciate them highly."

Ambassador Zale did say Ronan would have excelled as an actor. But that wasn't a good enough connection to

accuse someone of murder.

"Mommy," Elva said, tugging on my arm. She'd been incredibly patient so far, with all the adult conversations happening around her. "My shells."

"We'll go back for them in a minute, honey," I said.

"I'm serious, Piper," Julian said. "She's a good lead."

Nicholas frowned harder. All of our glances went to Bridget. Noticing, she waved back in return.

She seemed to be acting perfectly normal.

I didn't know what to think.

"Mommy," Elva said again. I'd held her back long enough.

I excused us from Julian, and tried to from Nicholas.

+15 BONUS

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