Chapter Six
Ash
I knew the moment I saw that self-satisfied grin on Serene’s face that this was a setup. I could have killed her. I would have except the woman she set me up with was not only unaware but seemingly uninterested in being set up.
As strange as it sounds, that was oddly comforting. Knowing this woman wasn’t interested in me meant she had no ulterior motives. It meant she wasn’t interested in my crown or title or anything.
She wasn’t interested in me at all.
At least, that’s what she’d said. I’d felt her lean into my touch, watched her pupils dilate when I kissed her hand. Charlotte was attracted to me and fighting it with everything she had.
Which I found intriguing.
“I appreciate your honesty,” I said, pulling my phone out. “Most people are too concerned with not looking foolish and pretend to know exactly where Trisea is.” I pulled up a map of Europe and zoomed in on the Pyrenees mountains. “See right there? That swath of land with between France and Spain, tucked into the mountains?”
“Oh yeah. How did I never know there was a country there?”
I smiled as she gazed up at me, the question burning bright in her topaz colored eyes. “Trisea makes it her business to keep other’s business. As such, we keep a very low profile, intentionally staying out of international conflict, and keeping our assets close to our chest.”
A wrinkle formed between her lovely brows. “What on earth does that mean?”
I laughed, watching as the sound made the delightful creature before me shiver. She tried to hide it, rubbing her arms as if it had been a cold chill. But I knew better. I could see it in the flush of her cheeks and the way she caught her breath when I leaned in close.
And it was an eighty-degree night.
“Are you cold? Would you like my jacket?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
She pulled the jacket closed around her as I draped it over her shoulders. “Now, where were we?” I asked.
“You were about to explain what that load of bureaucratic buzzwords and jargon meant.”
“Of course,” I said, mulling over how much of the truth I should give her. I gazed at her features, reading her like I’d read so many people so many times before. There was no deceit in her, nothing untrustworthy. Not a single thing about this beautiful woman set off any red flags. “Why is Switzerland so wealthy?” I asked.
“Because of the interest they make off all their banks? Oh, and chocolate, they have really good chocolate.”
“You’re right on both counts, though the latter one to a lesser extent. Everyone knows that the Swiss have the best banks for funneling money that you don’t want your government to know about, right?”
Charlotte nodded.
“Well, Trisea is where you go when you don’t want anyone to know where your money is. Given enough time, a Swiss account is eventually traceable. Banking in Trisea is untraceable.”
Her brow furrowed. “So, your country is rich because they take dirty money from people doing bad things?”
“Dirty? No. We have strict guidelines about where and from whom we’ll do business with. Trisea is also one hundred percent transparent to her people about it as well. Trust me, we don’t let anyone whose background check doesn’t come back spotless bank with us.”
Unconvinced, Charlotte pressed on. “I just don’t see how you could ever be sure the money your kingdom thrives on isn’t coming from a terrible source.”
“The real bad guys, the ones who sell people into slavery or who run guns, or operate drug cartels, they don’t use banks, Charlotte. And if they do, they use the Swiss ones, because we don’t let them in.”
She nodded. “Do you tell everyone you meet for the first time how your kingdom makes its money?”
I paused a long moment, wondering again how honest I should be. And again, her exquisite features showed no signs of deceit. “No. In fact, I’ve learned very few people are trustworthy. Very few are even honest with themselves.”
Charlotte nodded again, lips falling slightly apart as if she were about to say something. She didn’t. She stood there, holding my gaze with those brilliant topaz eyes as a warm glow spread across the freckles on her nose to her cheeks. She turned away, clearing her throat. “So, Serene said you’re a fount of knowledge about opening a charity.”
I didn’t want her to change the subject. Every time she held my gaze like that, my whole world stopped. My pulse raced, pumping so hard, I thought she’d certainly see it pounding in my neck. I wanted to stay like that, relishing the connection, basking in it. I didn’t want her to keep breaking it.
I wanted to ask her what she was afraid of, why every time we shared a moment, she retreated from it.
But I respected her signals and didn’t press the matter.
“I don’t know about a fount of knowledge, but I’ve certainly had experience with all manner of charities.”
“I’d like to start one,” she said.
I nodded. “Well, first you’ll need to speak to your legal team about—”
“No, no, I’ve done all that before. I started a charity to fund clean water programs in Africa, but it very soon turned into a charity with only my name on it. I had no say in the running of it whatsoever. I don’t want to make that mistake again. So, no lawyers drafting documents that tie my hands and end up taking the hard work away. I want to do this on my own.”