Page 33 of Microburst

“We will?” she checked, seeming a bit nervous.

“Only a fool wouldn’t, and no matter what some people say, I’m not actually a fool,” I replied. “And once it’s handled seamlessly—because I would expect nothing less of anything Queen Rani is involved with—and our renovations are finished here, I will invite her to visit.”

June cleared her throat. “I don’t think the royal family of Fiete has ever visited here—the castle, I mean.”

“They have,” I chuckled. “Just not in recent decades, but Thovudin and the De la Rosas have a long,longhistory of not only being friends with many of the nation’s leaders, but hosting summits and peace talks. I hope to bring us back to that now that the elders aren’t holding us back and poisoning our relationships. Look how one budding friendship can benefit us.”

There wasn’t much to be said after that except there was something else that I wanted to drive home after a few more questions I answered.

“Having a small, intimate visit will also be very informative on the potential of the mating prospects,” I said when she seemed to want to move along. “That is the purpose of them being here. If they never have the chance to dip their toe into the waters being my mate requires… What’s really the point of this besides the spectacle and to pressure me?”

Something like victory danced in June’s eyes, almost like she hoped the conversation would turn this way. “Yes, and too many of them haven’t even traveled outside of Thovudin. I would think it would weed out some of these bottom of the barrel prospects that were decided for you because of who they’re related to and you can move on to actual matches worthy of you.”

Holy shit. June had just said maybe one of the first unprofessional things in our interviews.

“Your mother is the perfect example of the gems we have in our nation, so limiting you to the Alphas families was flawed from the start,” she continued, acting like it was the “contest” that was the problem and she didn’t just shit on the contestants. “There are at least a dozen highly-educated, well-traveled, self-made, and moral men that I would have thought better matches.”

Everyone in the room besides me had trouble covering their reactions.

I simply smiled at her. “Well, as I’ve said repeatedly even if people ignore me. I won’t settle for anything less than the partner that Thovudin deserves for their ruler to have. I knowsomethink I should have multiple mates as if five bland candidates make up one exceptional one, but that isn’t actually how it works. It means five that will probably embarrass Thovudin.”

Myriam made the mic drop gesture from the corner of my eye and it was hard to not react.

“Speaking of embarrassments to Thovudin,” June continued as if we hadn’t shit all over a bunch of people with powerful connections. “Kyle Elmore wouldn’t go on the record denying what you said. His station demanded an interview with a truth dragon that they would put on air or he was fired.”

I chuckled darkly. “I expect an apology from their station and that show specifically. Toni reached out to say he was going over the line and wasn’t making any jokes. They told her we were being too sensitive.” I turned and looked at the camera. “I don’t think we were, and most people would agree with me that maybe you should have asked why he was fixated on me.”

I doubt I’d get much of anything, but my point was made, and at least they looked bad now. Kyle’s career was ruined,and hopefully he had to give back his millions he got from the contract renewal he just had last year or whatever.

Probably not because life was unfair like that.

June gave me a weird look when we finished, so I didn’t leave like normal, asking her to hang back instead. Once the camera was packed up and everyone else stepped out, I simply raised an eyebrow.

“A colleague is looking into your uncle taking over the Gurren family and it was hostile,” she warned me. “He’s trying to make it look dirty and like you’re pulling strings—your grandfather ran his mouth from what I can tell. He wants to look the victim and like it was right to stay out of the royal family’s business and it’s already corrupted your uncle.”

“I appreciate the warning,” I told her honestly, searching her eyes. “You know that’s not what happened, right?”

She snorted. “If it was a story about Darren Gurren getting caught burying candidates who hurt you, I would believe it. But corruption? No. That man—no one in his company has an ill word to say about him except the dirty ones who want him to be immoral. I met a cleaning woman from his company once—randomly doing a story. She praised him more than the gods.”

I snorted, thinking all of that was pretty accurate. “I’ll handle it and figure out how to… You couldn’t have this story and all of the ones you already do with me. Do you have an actual friend that’s clean and would get Darren’s side and be professional?”

“Not from our station, but it will be a problem that it’s not from our station with our connection,” she admitted.

“Get me who he should talk to from your station and your friend. We’ll handle it.”

“Thank you.”

“No, thank you for the tip because Darren is—he’s doing the right thing.”

“He seems the type,” she admitted.

Darren had already flown back out to the Gurren compound because it was the first weekly dinner that he was the head of the family at and apparently everyone was in attendance. I swore under my breath because that meant I couldn’t get to him before his father could do real damage or… A list of things.

But also that Darren might have his phone off.

“Listen to Queen Rani,”Eloise demanded in my mind.

She was right. This wasn’t the time to make a call. It was time to be bold and it was something to handle in person.