Page 37 of Shattered Crown
"I know." I smiled. "Looking forward to our date, Miss Kealoha."
I turned and walked away before she could respond, collecting Evie from where she'd been watching with wide eyes and a barely suppressed grin. She didn’t say anything, just shot me another weird look. I was glad she hadn’t asked any questions though, because I wouldn’t have been able to answer them.
We stepped out of the warehouse to find Stuart already waiting, holding the back door open.
“Evening, Mr. Dubois.”
“Evening, Stuart.”
Evie climbed in first, then I settled in beside her. The car pulled away from the curb. Through the window, I watched the warehouse grow smaller, the lights inside still glowing warm against the night.
My phone buzzed. I pulled it out from my suit jacket, expecting Margaret with some work emergency. It was from an unknown number.
Unknown Number.
Mr. Dubois, this is Nani Makoa, assistant to Lono Kahale. Mr. Kahale has confirmed your suite at the Kahale Grande and looks forward to receiving you next week. Please advise on your travel dates at your earliest convenience.
I sighed, locked the device, and slipped it back into my pocket. This acquisition was proving harder than I thought it would. The more effort I put into this, the higher the payoff had to be.
"Dad?" Evie's voice was drowsy. "Tonight was really fun."
"I'm glad."
She was asleep before we reached the house.
I carried her inside, past Mathilde, who took one look at the sleeping child in my arms and stepped back with a soft smile. Upstairs, I settled Evie into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin, brushing the hair back from her forehead.
She murmured something in her sleep. Smiled. Turned toward her pillow.
I stood in her doorway for a long moment, watching her breathe. Things were better between us. I could tell whatever had driven us apart was being set aside, and the trust was coming back. I had a very good feeling as to what had changed.
But I wasn’t ready to acknowledge it yet, I didn’t want to give her credit.
Downstairs, Mathilde met me in the foyer. Her gray hair was pulled back in its usual neat bun, her apron still on despite the late hour.
"Your brother is in the living room, sir," she said. "He arrived about twenty minutes ago."
I pinched the bridge of my nose. I was in no mood to deal with Xavier tonight. "Why didn't you call me?"
"I apologize, sir. He was quite insistent, and Miss Evie's bedtime…"
"It's fine, Mathilde. Thank you. You can retire for the night."
She nodded and disappeared toward the servants' quarters. I loosened my tie, unbuttoned my collar, and walked toward the living room. Xavier was sprawled on the leather sofa, a glass of my best scotch in his hand. He'd kicked off his shoes and propped his feet on the coffee table, something our grandmother would have had a stroke over.
But he always managed to get away with it, just as he managed to get away with a lot of things.
"Brother!" He raised his glass in salute. "There he is. The man of the hour."
"It's nearly midnight, Xavier."
"Is it? Lost track of time." He took a long sip of scotch. "I heard about your little stunt at the gala. A hundred thousand dollars for a date with Aria Kealoha? Bold move."
Of course. "News travels fast."
"It's all over social media. You're trending." He grinned, but it didn’t have its usual Xavier flair. "Never thought I'd see the day when Sebastian Dubois made a spectacle of himself over a woman."
I crossed to the bar cart and poured myself a drink. "It was for charity."
