Shock made Amanda numb as she repeated Xavier’s words. She sat in the muted elegance of Xavier’s suite at the Fairmont. A soft blue chair wrapped her in classic comfort. He’d asked her to come by this afternoon after work. She’d been excited to see him and thought they might go to dinner. Instead he sat her down and announced the Prince was her father. He was different this evening, closed off from her, his expression guarded like when they’d first met. And he hadn’t kissed her. Now he’d presented this odd joke. Something smelled off, something that had to do with what upset him last night. She tried for a lighthearted laugh in the spirit of his joke, but it fell short, sounding like a choked gasp. She was no good at pretending. So she went with the truth. “Xavier, this isn’t funny. I’m serious when I say I want to find my father. Yes, my mother traveled through Pasadonia the summer before I was born, but I’d never claim a relationship with the Prince.”
