Lisanna Moore's P.O.V

"It's complicated."

"Is it really?" Thaddeus quips back as he resumes his previous position, the epitome of ease and nonchalance as he lays against the edge of his desk, arms crossed.

I huff at his outright bluff, hating how he's right. It's not complicated at all.

Choosing to ignore Thaddeus' remark, I make myself comfortable on the leather upholstery, trying not to make too much noise as I clasp my hands together.

"It's not something I regret," I begin slowly, feeling the words as they leave my mouth and adamantly standing behind what I say. "If I had to do it again, I would one hundred and ten percent."

Thaddeus nods in understanding, edging me to continue.

"Nearly six months ago now, we had this huge client. An A list celebrity that the top representatives wanted to get their hands on. They were incredibly important so Samantha Cunningham, my boss, chose to put two representatives on the team. That way if anything goes wrong, two heads put together will help and come up with good enough strategy to get the celebrity out of whatever mess. Samantha decided to put me and a friend on the team, Katy."

"I'm guessing Katy has something to do with the shit hitting the fan," My eyes fall away from his as I take in a steadying breath. The image of my friend comes right before my eyes with her pale skin and shocking red hair, offset by her dark eyes.

"We were doing good for around five months and whatever rumours were stemming up, we'd shut them down or add fuel to the fire if it would go in their favour. Then we hit the mother load of all rumours. Except it wasn't a rumour. Someone from the public had found our picture perfect celebrity doing a line of cocaine at one one of their friends party. Considering this celebrity was though to be this perfect angel, it absolutely fucked everything up."

To my surprise, Thaddeus grins roguishly and shakes his head in amusement as if I've just said something hilarious.

"Cocaine?"

"Yup. Not only that, but more reports came out that it wasn't only a one time thing but the nations beloved celebrity was the ultimate crackhead. It was a downward spiral if I've ever seen one."

"So that's it? You messed up one of your biggest clients and now facing the consequences?" He asks after a long beat of silence.

"Nope. Katy did. We had split our tasks because it was literally a PR crisis. We both had things to work on and her part was to reach out to the public and put forward a press release. It was a rookie mistake but she just went mute. Everything was sorted, our team got the relevant information and it was ready to go, just sat there waiting to be sent out and then it never did-"

Thaddeus clearing his throat causes me to cut off as I look at him in question. The man appears increasingly confused as he leans off of the desk and approaches me, stopping only a few feet away.

"But that's Katy's fault. Why are you in this position now?"

I roll my eyes at his words, almost as if it's unfathomable to him that some people put others first.

"Because she would have been fired. Katy didn't do it on purpose. It was taking a toll on all of us but especially her. She was having complications with her pregnancy. Very serious ones and it just caught her off guard. Before Katy could end up going to Samantha and telling her about it, I stepped in. Katy would've been fired then and there. Her partner and her couldn't afford it. Not with everything going on. I knew I wouldn't have been terminated. Put in the firing range and nearly getting sacked, sure. But I have a lot of clients. Katy didn't have that many at the time but she had a few strong clients which helped put her on the project with me."

"That's why you're here. On a trial period with me and trying to right wrongs that aren't yours. That's an outlandish situation to be in."

I nod while looking at Thaddeus, meeting his unwavering stare, "One that I'd do again if it helped to protect a friend."

"Even if it meant risking the one thing you hold close to you? Sacrificing your job?"

"Even that," Slowly, I stand up and take the few steps till I'm close to Thaddeus. "That's why I need you to believe that I'm willing to risk everything again. I promise you that I'll help you with whatever you need. Not only because my job asks for it but because I made a promise to myself that I'm going to put shit right and not let Theodore have his way. Not after all the shit he put you and Isadora through."

We both stay silent, taking each other in but me being weary while he seems curious beyond belief.

"Why? Katy was your friend. My mother and I are tied to your job. The very thing that is hanging over your neck. Theodore is a piece of shit but he's still the King. A PR agent can't do much."

"I know. But bad publicity can ruin people's lives. It's not the first time that a King has had to step down after receiving backlash from his people. You're already on your way to being King but why let it happen because it's meant to. Make it happen because he isn't fit to lead and you're the perfect one for the job," My conviction falters midway because of the uncertainty I feel.

Thaddeus is a paradox and I still can't get around him. Who knows how he'll take this situation?

"Are you willing to let me help you?" I finally ask the question I'm so hesitant to ask. The one thing that's been plaguing my mind since the moment I made my mind up to help him not because of my job but because it's the right thing to do. That and because I'm invested in this more than a mere PR agent or friend. Even though I told myself to stay clear of that, I've failed in more ways than one.

"Who was it?"

The question takes me off guard and I splutter out a "huh?"

"Who was the a list celebrity?"

Raising a brow, I shake my head in exasperation at his train of thought.

"You haven't already figured that out?"

Thaddeus shrugs in a nonchalant manner.

"I don't follow all this stuff. I have no idea."

"Indigo Lacroix."

"Who the fu-,"

*******

"How about a tea party?"

"A tea party?"

"What are we? Six year old girls with their teddy bears?"

With each frustrating idea and comment, my migraine seems to worsen. Rubbing at the soft skin in between my eyebrows, I sigh loudly.

"What about that ball we were planning to have? That is on the Friday is it not? Why not use that as a chance to put this all together? Set our plan in motion," I speak up while fiddling with my pen.

I'm met with three pairs of eyes each holding their own emotion. Thaddeus' dark green ones with disdain, Samantha with recognition and the pitiful assistant with the expression of a deer caught in the headlights.

"What's with the expressions?" I start off hesitantly, "The ball is a must. It's an annual gathering with all the important upper class present. The King and Queen will be there, Members of Parliament, people with wealth and power. It is a given for the Prince to be there."

My tone of voice comes out drawn out and I'm sure to speak in a slow fashion so that they don't mishear me. I can tell by their behaviour that there was something going on. Something they tried to leave me out of.

"What's going on?"

"The Prince deemed the Ball a petty frivolity and that he doesn't want to go," Samantha says with an edge in her voice.

I splutter for a few second, only barely noticing the way Samantha's assistant excuses himself as he hightails it out of the animosity filling room.

"Frivolity or not, this is important," I say rather sternly, pinning my gaze onto Thaddeus who looks more disdainful than ever.

The man in question plays with a stray sheet of blank paper as he gazes from Samantha to me.

"I don't like Balls. We won't even be able to have a proper discussion. Do you think my attendance will allow me to rally support for myself? I won't be able to get in a word edge ways with all the nonsense you find at these parties."

"This is tradition, Mr Sinclair. You might not like it but the commoners of this kingdom are as equally important if not more than the big wigs sitting in their estates. Commoners value traditions above all else and if you're not there at the annual ball where they expect you to be, this whole charade will be difficult than ever."

I'm adamant on this fact and Samantha seems to be right up there with me as she nods her head exuberantly.

"She is correct there, Mr Sinclair. It would be unwise to not attend. You will have to put personal discomfort to one side."

Thaddeus let's out an uncharacteristically long groan as he throws his head, tapping his fingers against the desk in a staccato as he thinks for a few short seconds.

"Fine. I guess there wasn't any way for me to get out of it anyway."

Letting out a sigh of relief, my shoulders drop from their tense position but that sensation is only fleeting as Samantha says something.

My stomach churns as the words leave her. "You will need a date. It is custom to bring a partner and it will be unseemly without one. Do you have anyone in mind?"

Keep your mouth shut, Lisanna. Do not overstep because you've done that one times too many in just this one day.

Thaddeus opens his mouth to speak and I clutch my pen tighter. Unfortunately he isn't able to speak when Samantha's phone blares. With a sigh, she motions to us to wait for a moment as she picks the call and steps out of the room. Leaving the two of us in perpetual silence and awkwardness.

"I'm assuming this is something you agree on. The custom must be followed," Thaddeus speaks up as he lays his gaze on me.

Clearing my throat deftly, I nod.

"The people love customs and traditions."

Why was that so painful for me to say when I was so adamant about traditions just a few moments before?

"I don't like to play games, Lisanna."

I'm left befuddled at the sentence as I slowly straighten myself out.

"I'm sorry?"

Thaddeus stands up from where was sat in front of Samantha and I, only to sit in the seat next to me after his long strides.

"I don't like playing games of cat and mouse. Not always, at least. I set my sights on what I want and in due process, I get that."

"How does this relate to the ball?" I ask while swallowing harshly, my throat drying out quite a lot today.

Thaddeus slowly starts to lean in to me and yet I'm frozen under his gaze. We're only a few inches a part as he cocks his eyebrow up and smiles lopsidedly.

"I don't know. You tell me."

I stammer for words, anything to come out other than weird garbled sounds but luck appears to be on my side when Samantha barges back in.

"Sorry about that. It was an important call otherwise I would've ignored it," So focused on her phone, she doesn't even notice the sheer closeness between me and Thaddeus as she sits down on the chair once more.

"So, what have I missed?"

——————-

AN: I really enjoyed writing this chapter and it's made me so happy because I'm finding my pace with this book!

I hope you noticed a few changes, mainly the cover! It was once again thanks to some amazing insight by the one and only @RababFikry5!

Question: What do you think of the new cover?

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