Page 111 of Knox

“Knox… why does it look like you’re about to break my heart?”

“Because this might break it…”

A chill crawls down my spine and hits me in the gut as a sense of rejection fills every inch of my body.

He regrets it.

He regrets touching me.

“Fine… then just say it fast,” I say, glaring at him. Because fuck that.

If he’s going to drop me, at least I’ll fall with dignity.

Knox looks at me, takes a deep breath, and finally speaks. “Who gets your inheritance if you die, or if you aren’t here?”

“I agree—wait… what?” I stammer. “Why?”

“You agree to what?” he asks, confused.

“I agree to having tacos for dinner…” I say, saving face. “Now what about the inheritance?”

“Who gets your inheritance if you die, or if you aren’t here, Cil?”

“Everything Arthur invested in the company goes back to him. The rest is divided among eleven charities, and my personal share goes toward founding an art institute with minimal tuition.”

“No one else gets any money? No board members, no family friends, no hidden clauses?”

“No… why are you asking me this?”

“Prince…” Knox leans in and holds my hands in his. “The stalker ran a DNA test on you.”

“Oh, my God…” I gasp as nausea and fear flood my chest.

Suddenly everything feels suffocating, crushing in on me until I can’t breathe.

I feel so vulnerable.

So damn violated.

Fuck!

Whoever this stalker is, they were close enough to me to get my DNA.

They touched me… or at least something of mine.

Don’t puke, Cillian.

Don’t you dare puke.

“How?” I whisper, my voice trembling.

“We don’t know how they got the sample yet,” Knox says as gently as possible, his hands sliding down to rest against my knees. “But we think they were trying to prove you aren’t the legitimate heir.”

“Okay…”

“But you are,” Knox assures me, as if I would think otherwise.

I know without a doubt that I am.