Please revisit chapter 1 to 20.
Penelope's POV.
I was there when Christopher came home for the first time in a long while, and I was so excited to see him. I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but at the royal dinner hall where my father announced that Christopher and Mia would be married next month, my jaw tightened. Then Christopher stood up to my father about Felicity, and I smiled. The next day, at the Oxford lounge, Felicity explained everything about her and Chris. Mia heard it all, every word, every truth and I wanted her to. I wanted her to understand that no matter how hard anyone tried, you couldn't fight what was destined. Felicity and Christopher belonged together.
When we finished eating and paid the bill, I pulled Felicity into a long, lingering hug goodbye. After brunch, I held her tight. She felt fragile in my arms, like she was holding herself together with pure determination. I wanted to tell her everything. To warn her. To shield her. But I didn't. Not yet. Felicity hugged Mia stiffly. Mia hugged back, but her eyes didn't meet Felicity's. She stayed stiff, distant, and unreadable. The silence stretched, sharp and tense, as if something unspoken waited beneath the hug.
Then Mia and I slid into the backseat of the royal car. The tension was thicker than the Queen's secret chocolate pudding. You know that feeling when you sense smoke before the first flames appear? That quiet warning that something bad is coming? That was exactly what it felt like sitting beside Mia as she flipped her hair and sipped her milkshake like she owned the entire country. The English countryside blurred past the tinted windows, but every passing minute felt like a countdown. Mia sat beside me, cross-legged, calm and flawless in her tailored burgundy coat. Her diamond nails tapped lightly against her phone screen, flashing like warning signals.
She looked peaceful. Too peaceful. Her face was perfectly composed and unreadable, but the smugness she carried was louder than any royal announcement. Something felt off. Felicity barely spoke at brunch, nibbling her fries like she had a lot on her mind. Chris had stormed off. And Mia? Mia had been too pleasant, too nice for someone who'd just been publicly rejected. No music. No conversation. Just awkward silence and rising tension. I sighed and cleared my throat. She didn't look up.
"So," I said lightly, "how long are you staying in town for?"
She gave me a tight smile. "A while. Depends how things unfold."
"Hm. Mysterious," I muttered, twirling my straw.
I dropped the politeness, the act, the pretending.
"Let's not do the fake smiles or polite nonsense," I said, folding my arms. "You're angry. Fine. But pretending Felicity doesn't exist? That's not confidence. It's delusional. It's tragic."
She blinked slowly, then turned to me.
"I beg your pardon? Excuse me."
"You heard me. Don't play dumb," I said plainly. "Christopher and Felicity are in love with each other. So don't go there. Never ever go there. Do you hear me?"
Mia leaned forward, brushing a curl behind her ear. "Listen very carefully. Chris and I have known each other since childhood. There's always been something between us."
"Really?" I raised a brow. "Because what I saw back there didn't scream fairytale. It felt like a warning. That hug… was it affection, or a message saying, 'I'm going to deal with you'?"
She gave a dry laugh. "Oh, Penelope. Sweet, naive Penelope. Love doesn't matter. Not in our world. Men get confused and distracted. They chase the wrong women. But in the end? They always come back to what's best for them."
She smiled sweetly. "Affection. Something you wouldn't understand, unless someone actually chose you. Love is temporary. Legacy is not."
Ouch. Low blow. That one landed fast.
I smiled back, colder. "You mean like how my brother chose Felicity?"
Her face flickered just for a second. "What?"
"You heard me," I said calmly. "They're in love. And yeah, maybe it's messy. But it's real. You don't get to walk in here with your titles and your designer heels and try to undo that."
I narrowed my eyes. "He chose her. Wildly. Completely. Desperately. You're wasting your time."
She tilted her head. "That's adorable. But love isn't enough."
She smiled and said it casually like she was announcing a coronation. "Christopher will marry me. Not Felicity. That's already been decided."
I scoffed. "By whom? The delusion committee?"
"No. By our parents. The monarchy. His future and legacy," she said coolly. "Your friend is temporary. I'm permanent."
I laughed. "Permanent? You couldn't even keep his attention while talking to him."
Mia narrowed her eyes. "Really? Then tell me this, does Felicity even know who Christopher really is?"
My breath caught. "What are you talking about?"
She smiled slowly. "I take it that's a no. I thought so. He hasn't told her, has he?"
Silence. Mia leaned back, victorious. "He's been playing peasants and pretending to be ordinary. How romantic. But once the truth comes out, her little love story might come with a royal heartbreak."
"You wouldn't—"
"Wouldn't what?" she cooed. "Tell her? Blackmail him? Ruin everything if he doesn't do what he's supposed to do, his duty?"
I stared at her. "You mean do the right thing?"
She leaned closer, voice low and poisonous. "Marry me."
There it was. The royal bombshell.
"You're insane," I spat.
"I'm strategic," she replied. "This isn't about butterflies and sunset walks. This is about legacy. Power. The crown. And Christopher is part of that equation."
"You're going to trap him."
Mia's smile faded. "Our marriage was arranged years ago. Your friend in her thrift-store dresses and doe eyes? She's a phase. I'm the future."
I leaned forward, shaking with anger. "You're disgusting."
"And you're irrelevant," she said sweetly. "Don't get in my way."
"Oh honey," I said with a tight smile. "Too late for that. I'm already in your way. And so is Felicity."
Her eyes glittered. "Let's see how long that lasts once the truth is out."
I narrowed my eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm going to tell her," she said simply. "She deserves to know she's been kissing England's crown prince. Let's see how she handles that."
"You wouldn't dare."
"I already have," she said with a grin. "And if Christopher tries to stop me or fight it. I'll leak everything myself, release the story, and make him the villain. Headlines love it. The press loves a royal scandal. That kind of scandal goes viral."
"You're blackmailing him."
"Welcome to the real world, Penelope. I'm securing my future. This isn't a love story. It's chess. And I'm the queen."
I leaned in, furious. "Felicity isn't a pawn in your twisted game. She's strong. She's kind. She shines without diamonds. And Chris? He may be scared, but he's not yours. His heart belongs to her. And no amount of blackmail will change that."
Mia gave a slow smile. "We'll see how much of his heart is left when I'm done with it."
I wanted to slap her. Instead, I clenched my fists and leaned back, breathing through the fury. Christopher hadn't told Felicity yet. That much was clear. But Mia was going to use that truth as a weapon. Not on my watch.
"Here's the thing. You know what your problem is?" I said calmly.
"Oh, do tell," she said, sounding bored.
"You think you're the queen in this story. But every villain does."
She smirked. "And every best friend thinks she's a fairy godmother and can change the outcome."
I met her gaze without flinching. "Maybe. But some fights don't need permission. Just loyalty."
The car pulled to a stop at the royal entrance. As we stepped out, I turned to her one last time.
"Word of advice, Mia—don't underestimate a woman just because she wasn't born in a palace or into privilege. Some queens don't need crowns to be powerful; they're born that way."
We walked inside in silence and in that moment, I knew two things with terrifying clarity:
1. Felicity needed to hear the truth from Christopher. And soon.
2. Mia had declared war.
Because this crown came with claws and I wasn't afraid to use them. Mia was about to feel every single one. But what she didn't realize? So had I. No matter how messy or ugly things got, I was going to fight for Felicity and for the love she didn't even know she already held. No crown gets to decide who deserves love, and I would fight for her, with or without permission.
>>>>>>>>>>>
Noah's POV.
Her name is Laura Smith.
I told her she was going to be my fake girlfriend just long enough to make Felicity jealous. I laid out my plan clearly. Phase 1: Make her jealous. I was halfway down the street when I heard my name.
"Noah."
I slowed, already knowing who it was. I should've kept walking. I tried to. But my feet betrayed me. Felicity stood a few steps away, eyes searching my face like she expected answers I didn't have the strength to give.
"Hey," she said softly. "Why are you ignoring me? What did I do wrong?"
She rode down the street on her bicycle, her face flawless. But my mind was crowded, too many thoughts I couldn't say out loud.
"I just need a distraction," she continued, nervous now. "There are too many things on my mind right now, and it's only you who can do that, to cure my boredom. Why are you being so distant? How are you so moody toward me? Did I do something?"
We were both in sync, our heads full of too many thoughts. I opened my mouth to answer but a voice came from behind.
"Hey, babe! I've been looking everywhere for you."
The voice cut between us. I stiffened, and just like that, whatever I was about to say stayed trapped in my chest. Before I could react, Laura slipped beside me, grinning wide and way too confident for a fake girlfriend. She kissed my cheek lightly, quick and familiar. My body went stiff as she handed me a milkshake. "Thought you might need this," she said, playful.
Felicity froze. Her gaze flicked from the kiss to the milkshake, then back to my face. The smile she tried to hold didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Oh," she said softly. "I didn't realize you were busy."
I swallowed, my mouth suddenly dry.
"And who is she?" the girl asked.
"This is Felicity," I said. "Felicity, this is Laura."
"Oh, okay. Nice to meet you!" Laura said brightly.
"Likewise," Felicity replied.
But Laura's arm was already looped through mine—casual. Possessive.
"Ready to go?" she asked cheerfully, like this was normal. Like she belonged here.
Felicity stepped back and nodded once. "I should go."
And just like that, she turned and rode away, leaving me standing there with a milkshake in my hand and a mess in my chest. I stood there long after she disappeared into the street and my thoughts alike. The milkshake was melting down the side of the cup, cold against my fingers, but I barely felt it. I'd messed up.
I froze for a second. This was supposed to be easy—no feelings, no real complications. But watching her ride away, I felt my chest tighten. What am I doing? I asked myself. Is this really going to make her jealous, or am I just making a fool of myself?
Beside me, Laura laughed softly, clueless. "You okay, babe?"
I pulled my arm free. "Don't call me that. You can drop the act now?"
Her smile faltered, mild annoyance flashing across her face. "What? Okay, fine. But we have to sell it. I don't like you anyway but I have to do this for my mom. She's in the hospital, and I need quick cash to pay her bills. So I pretend to be your girlfriend."
Laura leaned in, nudging my shoulder. "Relax. You're acting like this is a real relationship or something."
"This was a mistake," I said, already stepping back. "All of it."
She scoffed, offended, but I wasn't listening anymore. My eyes stayed fixed on the direction Felicity had gone, my chest tight with regret.
I managed a small, forced smile. "Yeah… just acting," I muttered. But inside, every instinct screamed that this was a bad idea.
I'd told myself I was protecting myself that pretending, lying, was easier than being honest. But watching Felicity walk away like that? That hurt worse than the truth ever could. Her face flashed in my mind, the one I couldn't stop thinking about. And yet, here I was, letting Laura do all the things I should have been doing for her. Letting her see me with someone else.
Laura laughed lightly, sensing my hesitation. "Okay, okay… I get it. You're overthinking this. Don't worry. I'll play my part. Perfect fake girlfriend, got it?"
I nodded slowly, still uneasy. "Yeah… perfect."
I crushed the cup in my hand and tossed it into the bin. Too late. Too late to explain. Too late to stop her from believing the wrong thing. Too late to tell her that every time she smiled, every time she laughed, every time she looked at me like I mattered, I felt it. And now Chris was there. Alex too. Two people who didn't hesitate. Two people who stepped in while I stood frozen, hiding behind excuses. I ran a hand through my hair.
I wasn't cool. I wasn't smooth. And I sure as hell wasn't winning. Even as Laura walked beside me, chatting lightly, pretending everything was normal, I couldn't shake the feeling that Phase 1 might blow up in my face and sooner than I wanted. But one thing was clear as the storm above me. I wasn't done fighting for Felicity. Not even close. And deep down, I knew Phase 1 was already messier than I'd ever imagined.