"Why are you asking the princess to return the ring?" asked one of the ladies.
"Because Princess Katelyn is—"
"Your Highness, you should return to the palace. The King and Queen may get worried if you stay out too late. Your elder brother called and said I should escort you back to the palace," Sage pronounced.
"Which brother?"
"Prince Gabriel," Sage answered.
"I should take my leave. It’s truly wonderful to see all of you after such a long ti," Katelyn said, walking ahead. Sage snatched the ring from Eleanor’s hand and followed after Katelyn.
"Dude, are you leaving already?" Miguel asked, stopping him.
"Yes. Sorry," Sage said and hurried after Katelyn. As he stepped out of the hotel, he spotted the princess standing at the bottom of the stairs. He slowed down and ca to a stop beside her.
"It wasn’t Brother Gabriel who called ," Katelyn said. "I think we should talk. Let’s go to the garden. It will give us so privacy," she asserted.
Sage agreed. When they reached the lavish hotel garden, they found a grand fountain glowing under the lights. Sitting at its marble edge, Katelyn slipped off her heels. "I feel better," she murmured.
"Eleanor wants you. You already have soone you like, soone you’ve slept with nurous tis. You should consider marrying her instead of wasting your ti on ," Katelyn said, her eyes fixed on him.
"But I don’t even like her," Sage replied. "Let alone love her."
"Then let’s be honest with each other tonight," Katelyn said firmly. "I’ll share my deepest thoughts, and you’ll share yours. You earlier said I needed to give you a perfect reason to tell your father why this should end. If you’re truthful with , I’ll help you. I suppose it’s your father who forced this proposal on you. Am I right?"
Sage walked a few steps ahead before sitting down beside her. The steady splash of the fountain cald his nerves.
"How can I trust you? You have a loose mouth," Sage muttered.
"A loose mouth?" Katelyn tilted her head.
"Yes, you spill everything without anyone’s asking," Sage answered. "How can I trust you?" he arched his eyebrow.
"I promise I won’t," Katelyn answered.
"Look, my life isn’t all roses. It’s all filled with thorns. Whatever I do is because I have to survive. My casual hookups, dating life, shouldn’t define who I am. I may have slept with many without any commitnts, but it’s my way to deal with the stress. That’s all I can say. Maybe when I start trusting you, I tell you more. But not now," Sage explained, looking ahead.
"I liked Karn way back from my high school days. It was a re infatuation in early years, but it turned into love. However, he rejected not once but thrice. I’m not his type. He called naive. I can’t tell my parents or anyone about him. Only Brother Gabriel has fought for his love because Alie was interested too. But in my case, the interest was one-sided. So, I gave up. Karn would’ve gotten upset if I had ever revealed his na. He’s just too perfect in my eyes, but he can’t be mine."
Sage gave a small nod. "I’m sorry for overreacting earlier, and for dragging his na into it."
"It’s fine. I annoy you just as much," Katelyn replied with a faint smile. She tilted her head back, gazing at the night sky before lowering her eyes to him again. Alie’s words whispered in the back of her mind.
’Maybe he’s holding more than you know. Don’t judge him without knowing him.’
Her voice turned thoughtful. "Why did you say your life is full of thorns? Is it because of your stepmother? I’ve heard people say stepmothers are usually cruel."
Her gaze dropped to the ring on Sage’s hand. Gently, she brushed her fingertips over it. "This looks antique. Did you really give it to Eleanor? Sohow, I doubt it. You didn’t even have feelings for her."
Sage’s jaw tightened. He turned the ring between his fingers as if weighing the mories tied to it. "I didn’t give it to her. My stepmother did. I don’t even know how many of my mother’s belongings she keeps hidden away. And the worst part? I only ever find out about them from others, not from her."
Katelyn frowned. "Shouldn’t your mother’s things belong to you? What does your stepmother gain by holding on to them?" She paused, recalling sothing. "Even that amulet she gave , at first I thought it was just a gift. But you told to throw it away."
"Because I thought it ca from her," Sage admitted sharply. He exhaled slowly, his shoulders slumping. "I didn’t care about anything she gave you. But when she said it belonged to my mother, I... Lost it. I couldn’t stand the thought of her handing over sothing so personal, as if she had the right. I’m sorry I lashed out at you. It wasn’t your fault."
"What’s your father role in it?" Katelyn asked.
Sage turned silent as if he didn’t want to share. If he would spill about his Dad, he wouldn’t be able to stop from speaking more. What his Dad to him was worst than his stepmother.
"If he had cared for , all of this wouldn’t be happening. That’s all I have to say," Sage answered.
"Hmm." She opened her clutch and took out her phone. "It’s past dinnerti already."
"Let’s get you back to the palace," Sage stated, standing up and extending his hand for her.
Katelyn grasped it and he drew her up only to find her stumbling too close to him. "We can dine together if you want. I am craving continental food," she asserted.
"Sure." He didn’t let go of her hand and began walking. "Let’s have dinner in this hotel. They do have one of the best continental cuisines in the capital," he answered with a smile, heading toward the restuarant section.
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