Veronica knew she should honor Liam’s wishes to leave it alone, but she just couldn’t. Call it messed up hormones amping up her feelings of anger, or maybe it was the deep seated need to protect her husband, her family that led her here. She couldn’t be responsible for causing him more pain, the loss of his child, not when he could already have lost one. Her hand briefly touched her stomach, please!
She lied and told Liam she was in Valtoria spending time working in her duchy. She hated that she had to lie to him but she could not allow this woman to break her husband like this. He’d been hurt enough, seen enough pain, he didn’t need more.Let the baby be his.
She stood in front of the small Parisian home, she scowled, it was small, but she knew it couldn’t have been cheap. Bought with Constantine’s blood money. She felt her rage at Constantine and Millie grow, how could they be okay with keeping Liam away from his child? She took a deep calming breath, and knocked on the door, starting out angry wouldn’t do anyone any favors.
A thin slightly taller redhead with creamy pale skin and brown doe eyes answered the door, her eyes slightly narrowed when she spied Veronica. “Lady Veronica, what brings you here?” She asked, not containing the bite in her words.
“It’s Your Majesty, and I believe you know exactly what brings me here Millie.” Veronica replied coolly.
“If Liam thinks sending you to talk to me will do him any favors he’s sadly mistaken.” Millie responded, her voice cold and hard, dripping with disdain. She stood with a hand on her hip as she eyed Veronica up and down, her brown eyes filled with a blind fury.
“Liam doesn’t know. I’m here because we both know what you’re doing to Liam is wrong, Rowan needs her father in her life. Change your mind for her, not Liam,” Veronica stated calmly.
“Don’t even presume to know what my daughter needs! I’ve been doing this on my own from the beginning! He knew the deal, if he told anyone he wouldn’t see her again and he broke it. I guess she didn’t matter that much to him after all.” Millie said snidely, crossing her arms across her chest.
Veronica felt the anger in her rise at the implication that Liam didn’t care about his child, her body vibrating with a controlled rage. She clenched and unclenched her hand into a fist, the anger rolling off her in waves. She took a step closer, “listen here you little bitch, you took his child and ran! You made the choice to raise her on your own so you won’t get any pity from me! You took fucking blood money instead of standing up and fighting against those who may have wished you and your child harm. You hurt Liam more than you will ever know by taking his child away from him and I will not let you hurt him again by cutting him out of her life now!” She started, pausing to take a breath, “You do realize by taking money you were hired to commit a crime, in this case kidnapping—kidnapping a child in the royal bloodline at that. Did you seriously think you could get away with kidnapping his child? Because honey you are sorely mistaken if you think I will just let that go! Oh no honey, you are messing with the wrong person, I am a fucking Queen, and I have an entire nation backing me and you will either let Liam back into Rowan’s life or I will have you tried for every crime that I can possibly charge you with!” Veronica countered, the words dripping from her lips like a poisonous venom. This woman was tearing out the heart of the man she loved, she was hurting him in ways worse than her own infidelity had. She made him lose something he could never get back—time, time with Rowan, and now she was ready to cut him out of Rowan’s life for good, I don’t fucking think so! She hadn’t intended to threaten her, but Millie’s words were the lighter fluid on the reignited flame that was her rage.
Millie took half a step back, her jaw clenching in anger, her eyes widened in shock, “don’t you dare come to my home and try to threaten me! You know just how wicked the court can be and I will not have my daughter raised in that. You can try to charge me if you’d like, but Liam will never see Rowan again!” She shouted, either forgetting or not caring about the neighbors witnessing the display.
“Your home?” Veronica laughed mirthlessly, “honey you paid for this home with the crowns money. You have no leverage here, it’s all in our hands, you took the wrong road, and you won’t come out on top.” Veronica retorted her blue eyes dancing as if they were on fire.
“How can you have so much support for a country that tried to take you down?” Millie spat.
“It was Constantine that tried to take me down, not my country, I don’t pin the sins of one man on the backs of my people. But then I am a stronger woman than you, I don’t tuck tail and run when I’m threatened, no I stood my ground and fought to clear my name. You are nothing but a greedy coward. You do realize that there was no threat to you or your child, right? Constantine played you—he wanted you gone, out of the way, just like what he tried with me. He saw us as threats and he tried to remove us, but he was only successful with one, he wanted you to leave to rip Liam’s child from his life and you played into his hand because you saw a big fat paycheck. You hurt Liam once, I won’t allow you to hurt my husband a second time.” Veronica responded.
“Think what you must about me, but I did what I had to to protect my child. I will not be bullied into putting her in danger now.” Millie growled, turning on her heel and returning inside, slamming the door behind her.
Veronica ground her teeth as she returned to her car, that did not go how she had planned. She prayed she hadn’t made things worse, she couldn’t be the reason her husband lost his daughter. Hot angry tears rolled down her cheeks, fucking hormones! Her hand rested on her still flat stomach the entire trip to the airfield and her waiting private plane. Please be Liam’s. Oh please be Liam’s, I can’t break his heart again. Her hopes repeated like a chanted prayer. Losing Rowan and this child could prove to be too much for Liam and she couldn’t see him in that much pain. No, all of this was her fault, she couldn’t bear to cause him more pain, she needed this all to just work out for them.
The entire trip back home Veronica agonized over wether she had just made things worse. Hormones had amplified her anger at Millie and Constantine, Millie’s words sending her over the edge. Her stomach twisted and flipped, she hoped she hadn’t made things worse, she would never forgive herself and she knew Liam might not be able to either. Would losing Rowan be the final nail in the coffin containing her relationship with Liam? She couldn’t bear to lose him, her body shook as quiet sobs wracked her body, hot tears escaping her eyes. She angrily wiped the hot tears from her cheeks, she couldn’t, wouldn’t let this destroy them—if her cheating with Drake and the unknown paternity of her child couldn’t, there was no way she’d allow this to.
***
Back at the palace, as Veronica and Liam were getting ready for bed Liam’s phone buzzed indicating he got a text. His eyes widening in shock as he read the words, his face quickly showing a mix of confusion and pain.
Veronica looked at her husband, concern etched on her face, “Liam, what’s wrong?” She asked, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Liam looked up from his phone, tears welling up in his eyes, “what did you do?” He asked, hurt evident in his voice.
Veronica gave him a confused look, unsure what he was talking about, “Liam, what’s wrong?” She repeated.
“Why?” He asked, voice breaking as hot tears ran down his face.
“Why what Liam? What is going on?” She demanded, confused and annoyed that he wouldn’t answer her questions.
“It—it’s over, I lost. It’s all over.” He answered, shaking his head softly.
Veronica just stared at him, him body shaking as he sobbed, what was over? What did he lose? Unless…
