Popov had confirmed that the former Queen had been the one who had instructed him to take out the restraining order, based on trumped-up testimony supposedly supplied by him. After extracting further disturbing details from the palace lawyer, Konstantin had instructed the man to arrange an immediate flight to New Mexico.
Konstantin felt betrayed and furious and a lot of other negative emotions he was doing his best to keep a lid on. He had to keep his head for both this discussion with his brother and to figure out where to go from here with Emma.
“Supposed testimony,” Konstantin reminded his brother. “I would never lie about Emma that way.” His brother should know that about him.
“Are you sure?”
“What the hell? Nikolai, I know you and I don’t agree on everything but you know me better than that.”
A sigh came over the phone. “You are right. I do. Sometimes...” His brother let his words trail off in very uncharacteristic fashion.
“What?”
“Sometimes, I get jealous and it makes me look at you differently.”
“Jealous of what?”
“You were practically engaged to Nataliya.”
Was his brother serious right now? “Are you kidding me? She’s only ever had eyes for you, and I knew it. Why do you think I dragged my feet so hard on going through with the marriage?”
Who wanted to be married to a woman who would probably fantasize he was his brother on their wedding night?
“You weren’t ready to get married.”
“When we first signed that contract, she was eighteen, I was only a year older. Of course I wasn’t ready to marry her then. But five and a half years ago, I broke things off with Emma so I could marry Nataliya.” His father had been putting the pressure on and Konstantin had realized that things with Emma were getting too deep.
“And then Tiana died.”
“Da.” And Konstantin had grieved the loss of his sister-in-law and friend, or so he had believed her to be, but part of him had been relieved.
Because the formal period of mourning meant their father would stop harping on the marriage contract for at least a year.
“Listen, whatever you think of me, believe me when I tell you that the thought of marrying a woman who had a thing for my brother was never something I wanted. I was prepared to do my duty, but that’s it.”
“And that duty had you abandoning the mother of your child,” his brother said on a sigh.
“I did not know she was pregnant.”
“Of course you didn’t. You would never have let her disappear otherwise.”
At least his brother trusted him that much. “She did disappear. I think she changed her name because of the restraining order, but I don’t know how she managed to hide so well.”
“Did she say she was hiding?”
“No, but Emma said she spoke to Tiana.” He told his brother what Emma claimed Tiana had said. “It’s still hard for me to believe she threatened Emma like that.”
Even knowing Tiana had been behind the TRO, Konstantin had believed she was his friend.
“Is that what you said to Emma?” Nikolai asked in a tone that implied a yes answer was the wrong one.
Konstantin experienced a sinking feeling deep in his gut. Because while he hadn’t said that to Emma. Exactly. He had sort of implied she’d exaggerated Tiana’s desire to take their baby away.
“I hadn’t spoken to the lawyer yet, Nikolai. Look, I know you and Tiana didn’t always agree on the lifestyle of a royal, but she was approachable.”
“Where I was not?” Nikolai asked stiffly.
“Hell, Nikolai. You took on the mantle of King at twenty-seven. You became my sovereign and the brother relationship didn’t feel as real after that.”