Chapter 42 Do You Really Want to Marry Him?
Selena's POV
I jolted awake.
My head was resting on something hard and warm. Royce's shoulder.
I had fallen asleep. And I had been leaning against him the whole damn time.
I sat up abruptly and scooted toward the car door, wishing I could phase through it and tumble out.
"Awake?"
He didn't even open his eyes.
He had been awake the entire time.
He knew I was leaning on him, but he did nothing. He just let me stay there.
What did he think I was? Some docile pet cat?
"Don't touch me."
He finally opened his eyes. "You're the one who leaned on me."
"Then you should have pushed me away!"
"A partner who's exhausted to the point of passing out would slow down my project." He spoke like he was assessing an asset. "Letting you sleep served my interests."
Bastard.
He always managed to justify his controlling behavior with cold, calculated logic.
My chest tightened with anger. I turned away and stared out the window, refusing to look at that infuriating face.
At some point, the car had left the city. Finally, it stopped in front of a massive black wrought-iron gate.
The gates slowly opened, and an ancient castle came into view.
This wasn't his modern-style mansion.
It was an elegant countryside estate, built specifically for Royce's grandmother as her Monaco vacation retreat.
The Rolls-Royce stopped by the fountain in front of the main building. The driver got out and opened our door.
Royce stepped out first, then stood by the door and extended his hand to me.
I ignored it. I bent down and got out on my own, standing firmly in front of him.
I saw his smile freeze for a second before quickly returning to normal.
A housekeeper in a gray suit dress, her hair pulled back in a flawless bun, stood waiting at the entrance. She looked to be in her sixties.
When she saw me, her eyes lingered on my black suit for a moment, but her face remained expressionless.
"Mr. Sterling, the Madam is expecting you."
"I know." Royce nodded, then walked over to me, placing his hand lightly on the small of my back in a guiding gesture.
I stiffened, fighting the urge to slap his hand away.
Stay calm, Selena. You're not here to fight. You're here to gather intel.
We followed the housekeeper through a corridor lined with massive oil paintings. The figures in those paintings all gazed down with scrutinizing, imperious eyes.
I felt like an intruder who had wandered into a lion's territory.
Finally, we were led to a sunlit glass conservatory.
The conservatory was filled with orchids of every variety. A delicate fragrance hung in the air.
A silver-haired woman in an elegant beige cashmere cardigan sat in a wicker chair, holding a pair of silver scissors, trimming a Phalaenopsis orchid.
This was Royce's grandmother.
She heard our footsteps and set down the scissors, turning slowly to face us.
Her face was lined with wrinkles, but her eyes were exactly like Royce's. Deep. Sharp. As if they could see through anything.
"Grandmother, I brought her." Royce spoke, his voice carrying a deference I had never heard before.
The old woman didn't look at him.
Her gaze passed right over him and landed on me.
She studied me from head to toe, pausing on my black suit that clearly didn't belong here.
I straightened my back and met her gaze without flinching.
I knew what she was thinking.
A defiant, difficult woman who didn't know her place and refused to wear the pretty dress her grandson had picked out.
I waited for her attack.
But instead, she smiled.
"The housekeeper told me you threw the dress Royce gave you on the floor of the hotel garage." Her voice was slightly hoarse but full of vigor. "Good for you. I've always said my grandson's taste is as terrible as his father's."
I was stunned.
Royce's expression shifted ever so slightly.
The old woman rose and walked toward me.
She was taller than I expected, with impeccable posture. She didn't look like someone who needed help getting around.
She stopped in front of me and looked me over again.
"A black suit," she nodded, a hint of approval in her eyes, "like you're dressed for battle. I like it."
"My dear, your outfit is just as interesting as the first time we met."
She recognized me completely?
Then she extended her hand.
"Child, I wanted to thank you in person for saving my life."
I hesitated, then reached out and took her hand. It was warm, dry, and surprisingly strong.
"I'm glad to see you looking so well." I said. "Though it seems I don't need to introduce myself. You already know who I am."
"Of course, Selena." She smiled. "I know you sent back that five billion dollar order."
How did she know so much? Down to the exact amount?
"A foolish, arrogant man, using a foolish order to try to buy a smart woman." She glanced at her handsome grandson and delivered a blunt verdict. "That's the most unimaginative courtship I've ever heard of."
Royce's composure finally cracked.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
This old lady was actually taking my side?
She released my hand and naturally linked her arm through mine, as intimate as if we'd been friends for years.
"Alright, Royce," she waved her hand at her grandson like she was shooing a fly, "you can go handle your business now. I want to talk to Selena alone."
Royce frowned, clearly unwilling to leave.
"Grandmother..."
"What?" She raised an eyebrow. "Are you planning to stay and eavesdrop on our girl talk?"
She pulled me along and turned toward a small round table deeper in the conservatory. "Go on. Stop being an eyesore."
I let her lead me away, unable to resist glancing back at the "dismissed" Royce. He stood there watching us, and for the first time, that face that always seemed in control showed helplessness and... a hint of defeat.
I actually found it a little funny.
She sat me down in a wicker chair and took a seat herself. The housekeeper quickly brought out two steaming cups of coffee and a plate of fresh pastries.
"Now," she picked up her coffee cup and blew on the steam, those sharp eyes fixed on me, "child, tell me. What are you really thinking? Do you actually intend to marry my arrogant, boring grandson?"