Leo laid in bed as the early morning rays peeked through his pulled drapes. He couldn't get Marianna's reaction out of his mind. He hadn’t been thinking when he’d hinted to her that Gisella was in his room. And before he could tell her why, she had stormed off to her bedroom and refused to come out.

He didn't blame her. She'd given up everything to come to Caro and go along with his ridiculous plan to get Gisella out of his life, just to find out that Gisella was staying with him. It had to be quite a blow.

Especially when her ex-boyfriend had done the same.

He scrubbed his face and turned toward the window. The heavy snores of Gisella could be heard coming from the cot that had been set up in his room.

If only he had been able to tell Marianna that it had been his mother's idea. All in the hopes that Leo would remember who he was really supposed to marry and call off his engagement with Marianna.

That was the only reason Gisella was in his room. He couldn't tell his mother no, because he wasn't even supposed to remember who Gisella was. If his mother wanted a strange woman to stay in his room, why should he care?

At least, that was the rationale she'd given him last night when he’d told her he didn't want Gisella in his room. She had brushed his concern aside, saying that even if he didn't remember who Gisella was, it didn't mean she wasn't important. He could say what he wanted to, but he was going to remember Gisella and marry her by month’s end.

So she had a cot brought up, and Gisella happily took up residence in his room.

As soon as his alarm went off on his phone, Leo grabbed it, shut it off, and climbed out of bed. He grabbed the change of clothes that the maid had laid out yesterday and headed to his shower. He wanted to be clean and dressed before other people started waking up.

Well, before Gisella was awake.

He wanted to catch Marianna and tell her what had happened. Leo knew if he could just explain, then everything would be okay. They would be okay.

He showered in record time and slipped on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. His mother allowed him lounge clothes while on the plane, but as soon as they landed, he would need to change into a suit for the press that always waited for them to return.

And this time, appearances were of the upmost importance. He was coming home an engaged man. The woman on his arm would be the ruler right next to him. The country would want to see who would be leading them.

And he was beginning to want that woman to be Marianna. Was that terrible? The last few days he'd spent with her had been the best he'd ever experienced. She was real. She was open. And she was everything all the stuffy women in his social circle were not.

Maybe that was what Caro needed. And just as he thought the words, he pushed them out. Why was he thinking about the ruler that Caro needed? He wouldn’t be the King. His cousin, Ermes, would.

Ermes wanted to be king. He was born to be king. Not Leo. That was not the life Leo wanted. It had never been.

No. He was going to be faithful to the promise he made with Marianna. They were going to fake a relationship and push off the marriage until his birthday came and passed, making Ermes the next king. Then they could separate and live their lives without the weight of their past hovering over them.

He had to do that for Marianna. He couldn't drag her into his mess. Sure, his mother was a patient woman, but she wasn't going to take kindly to being duped. And if Leo insisted that Marianna stick around? It would be deadly for everyone involved.

So for now, it was better to play the lie then try to uncover some truth. Marianna had to believe that he didn't have feelings for her.

She couldn't know that it broke his heart that she thought he would pick Gisella over her. If this was going to end with everyone intact, he was going to have to keep her at arm’s length—now more than ever.

When he walked into the living room, he saw Filippo sitting on the couch, reading a newspaper, dressed and ready for the trip back to Caro. Marianna was not up yet, and her door was closed as tight as it had been last night. He tried to keep his gaze from making its way over to her room and his thoughts from wondering what she was doing.

Wondering if she hated him.

"Good morning," Filippo said, turning a page.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?" Leo asked, walking over to the coffee machine on the counter and pouring himself a mug.

"Very." There was a rustling sound, and when Leo glanced behind him, he saw that Filippo had folded up the newspaper and was now staring at him.

He widened his eyes as he took in Filippo's gaze. "Yes?" he asked, hoping that his bodyguard didn't notice how rattled he was.

"Last night, I needed to use the bathroom. On my way, I heard a very peculiar conversation…" Filippo let his words linger in the air.

Leo's stomach sank. Filippo knew what was going on. There was no use hiding it. And if he did lie, it would just make him look that much worse. But, just in case he was wrong, Leo said, "Oh, and what did it entail?"

Filippo quirked an eyebrow as if it surprised him that Leo didn’t just confess. He sighed. "Something about a relationship not being real? Your relationship?"

Leo scoffed as he lifted his mug. He hadn't expected Filippo to be so direct, and it made Leo forgot about the scorching liquid, dumping all of it to the back of his mouth. After he downed a cold bottle of water, Leo looked over at Filippo, who was watching him with an incredulous look.

That was probably not the smoothest thing he could have done. Especially since he was trying to play it cool. "I don't know what you are talking about," Leo rasped.

Filippo sighed and stood up from the couch. He made his way over until he was a few feet away from Leo. "It's okay, sir. I'm not going to tell anyone." His forehead crinkled as if he couldn't believe what he was about to say. "I'm here to support you. You understand that, right?"

Leo studied his friend. He knew Filippo was loyal, but he also knew his friend had sworn allegiance to his country. Leo was pretty certain helping the prince get out of being king went against that vow.

"But, what about the country?"

Filippo folded his arms. "Gisella is not right for my country. So, I am helping both of you at the same time."

Leo's stomach lightened at Filippo's words. It felt good to have someone else to go through this with, especially with Marianna being upset with him.

After fifteen minutes, Filippo was up to speed about what had happened and what the plan was now. He promised to help in any way he could.

The rest of the morning flew by as Marianna and Gisella woke up and got ready. By the time they both left their rooms, the limo had arrived to take them to the airport.

Leo had hoped to get Marianna alone to explain himself, but she insisted on riding up front with the chauffeur. Gisella piped up that it was probably for the best and almost dragged him to the back door where she stuffed him into the limo.

Leo had to ride the whole way to the hangar that held the family's plane with Gisella practically draped over his lap. Filippo didn't say much, which Leo was grateful for. He didn't need Filippo's help; if anything, it might tip off Gisella that something really was up, and then she'd make it her life mission to bring Marianna down.

His parents were already on the plane when they climbed up the stairs and got situated. Leo tried to catch Marianna again, but she brushed past him and sat in the far back corner.

Leo's mother grabbed his arm and motioned toward the seat across from her, stating that they needed to discuss the plan for when they got home. Leo had to settle for a quick glance in Marianna's direction before he was forced headfirst into discussing whatever party his mother insisted they talk about.

When the plane was in the air and things had calmed down, Leo took that moment to get up and make his way to the bathroom, which was, luckily, right next to where Marianna was sitting. As he approached, Marianna didn't look up and his heart sank. Instead, she kept her gaze focused on the magazine in front of her.

He went into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and splashed his face. After patting it dry, he stared at himself. What was he doing? Why was he forcing this so hard? Marianna was being smart. She was playing the part of a nurse who got swept up in the crazy scheme of a prince with amnesia. Why was he so hell-bent on making her like him?

That's not what someone with amnesia would do. Or was it? Perhaps, it was time he admitted to himself that he had no real game plan. He was flying by the seat of his pants. And Marianna might be the one to get hurt in the process.

His chest squeezed at the thought of Marianna hurting. It was the last thing he wanted, and yet, it was the only thing he seemed to be doing.

He pulled open the bathroom door and peeked out. Most of the passengers were reading or sleeping. Taking this moment, he reached around the divider and grabbed Marianna's arm. She yelped and turned to look up at him.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

He widened his eyes. There was no way he was going to let her push him away. There had been moments between them. Moments when they had confessed things about themselves. He may not be allowed to have romantic feelings for her, but they could still be friends.

"Can I talk to you?" he asked.

She stared at him and then sighed, unbuckling her seatbelt and standing. She glanced around and must have felt that the coast was clear because she turned to face him "What?"

He shook his head. "Not out here." He reached out, grabbed her hand, and pulled her into the bathroom with him.

It was small and cramped, and he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of her so close to him again. When she widened her eyes, taking in the space between their bodies, he smiled. He knew she felt more for him than she was letting on. It felt good to see that he wasn't the only one affected by their relationship.

And then he scolded himself. That was not what a friend thought about another friend. If he truly cared about her, he wouldn't revel in the thought that she liked him. Especially since he knew they could never be anything.

So he forced the feelings from his heart and stared down at her.

She tried to place her hands on her hips, but there wasn't any room, so she settled on folding her arms. "What do you need, Leo?"

"I've been trying to talk to you all day."

She sighed, bringing up a hand to brush a strand of hair away. "Why?"

He studied her. Why was she acting so coy? Was she serious? "Because of what you thought was happening in my room last night."

"I don't know—"

"With Gisella."

She hesitated and glanced up at him. "Okay."

"I wanted you to know that she wasn't there because of me. Mother insisted she stay with me. I think she's hoping I'll remember who Gisella is and then call everything off with you."

Marianna's cheeks hinted pink as she studied him. There was a pain in her gaze that made his heart swell. Did those words hurt her? He studied her. Was it wrong that his heart picked up speed at the thought?

But before he could interpret her reaction, she sighed and glanced around. "That makes sense. It's best to keep those you have a history with around you. At least, that's what I would do." She met his gaze. "Is that what you wanted to tell me?"

There were tiny gold flecks amidst the blue of her eyes. Leo couldn't help but focus on how beautiful she looked, all irritated and annoyed, peering up at him. She was inches away from him. Inches away from his lips. How easy it would be to dip down and kiss her again.

"Leo?" she raised her eyebrows.

Snapping back to reality, Leo blinked and pulled back—well, as far back as he could in the tiny airplane bathroom. "What did you say?" This time, he was going to focus on her words.

She studied him, narrowing an eye. "I said, is that what you wanted to tell me?"

He nodded. Was it? His chest felt like it was squeezing his lungs. But there was no way he was going to say the words that were floating around in his mind—that he liked her, more than their agreement allowed. So he smiled and reached for the door handle.

"Of course. I just wanted to clear the air. I wanted you to know…" His voice trailed off. Was what he was about to say true?

She raised her eyebrows. When he didn't continue, she said, "Know what?"

He reached up, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. It had been instinctual, and he didn't notice he was doing it until he felt her warm, soft skin against his own and the desire to feel her lips pressed against his filled his mind.

Her lips parted as if they were sharing the same thought. Could she want it as much as he did? Was their close proximity doing the same things to her? His heart pounded so hard that he heard it in his ears. But it didn't drown out the fear that crept up inside of him. The fear that he would hurt her and, in turn, hurt himself.

"Know what?" she asked again, as if she were prodding him for information. Did she want him to say what he saw in her gaze?

Pushing his feelings to the side, he smiled. "That I'm not Samson. I won't hurt you."

She winced, and he realized that was not what he should have said. But saying the things she wanted to hear wasn't an option either. So he winked at her and pulled open the bathroom door.

"I'll help you get over him so you can start your life fresh," he whispered as he walked past her and back over to his seat. Once he was buckled in, he leaned his head back on the headrest.

His mother opened her eyes and glanced over at him. "What was that about?"

He swallowed, realizing just how deep he'd gotten himself into this situation. But, there was nothing he could do about it right now. They had a mission and he was going to accomplish it. He was going to keep Marianna at a distance to keep her safe and keep his promise to her that he wasn't going to be like Samson. And then he was going to set her up nicely. She was never going to want for anything.

He'd make sure of it before he lost his inheritance. Because that was what Marianna deserved. Well, she deserved more, but Leo was pretty sure he wasn't included in that.