The Billionaire Prince and His Secretary

Chapter 7

Ember POV

The wedding of Alya, one of the most anticipated events of the year, was fast approaching. I was taken aback when I received an invitation to her bridal shower, a surprise for the bride, delivered by her secretary, Emily. Seeing Emily back in her old role made me genuinely happy for her.

As I pondered what to give to Alya for her bridal shower, John walked into my office. “Don’t forget about the wedding rehearsal and dinner on Friday,” he reminded me casually.

My eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what? This Friday? I didn’t realize it was so soon.”

John chuckled. “Yes, four nights from now. I already bought you a dress for the occasion, remember?”

I nodded, recalling the beautiful cocktail dress he had chosen for me back in New York. “But why am I even attending? I’m not part of the wedding party.” The audacity of me to question my boss. Even with years of working for the prince, these events still made me nervous - rubbing elbows with the royals.

John’s eyes met mine, a glint of something unreadable in them. “You are my date, Ember. It’s important for you to know where you’ll be seated, and it would do you good to meet the rest of the people in the wedding party, to expand your circle.”

My heart raced at his words. His date. Not just his assistant but his date. The realization hit me like a wave, leaving me both excited and nervous. “Oh,” was all I managed to say, quietly acknowledging his words and making a mental note to adjust my schedule.

.

.

.

The bridal shower was not planned, and it was a spur-of-the-moment decision, as Emily had told me. That was why the invitation was released only two days before the event. Wednesday arrived with a whirlwind of tasks and deadlines. The office buzzed with its usual activity, but I was on edge. Alya’s bridal shower, organized by her maid of honor, her friend from her university days, was set for that evening. Yet, I still didn’t have a gift.

I tried to finish my work quickly, darting from one task to another, and talking faster than usual. John must have noticed my unusual behavior. As I hurried past his office, he called out, “Ember, is everything okay? I hope nothing bad has happened.”

I paused, taking a deep breath. “Sorry, John. I just…I still need to get a gift for Alya’s bridal shower tonight, and I’m running out of time.”

John’s expression softened. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? You should have told me. We can figure something out.” He then mumbled about his sister’s wedding already getting on his nerves.

I was about to tell him it was not his sister’s fault and the bridal shower was a last-minute decision. Her friends thought even if Alya was already pregnant, she still deserved to have a bridal shower.

“Let’s get this sorted out. What does our afternoon schedule look like?” John asked as he looked at his computer monitor.

As I had memorized his schedule for the day, I recited it to him. There were only two short in-house meetings and both were not that important. John was invited, but he did not hold a vital position in the meetings.

“Okay. Free up the afternoon. Tell them to send you the presentation and a report. You need to review them for me. Understood? After that, we’ll go shopping,” John instructed.

“Are you sure, Sir?” I asked shyly.

“Leo invited me to the shower. I don’t know why. Maybe he needs support.” He chuckled as he shook his head.

“Thank you! I didn’t want to bother you with my personal errands–”

“Nonsense,” he replied, standing up from his desk. “Do it now. The faster we get out of here, the faster we can buy something for my evil twin sister.” Of course, John didn’t mean that. He always loved his sister.

After doing the instructions John told me to do, we left the office together, heading towards the nearest high-end boutique. As we walked through the bustling streets, John kept a watchful eye on the time. “Do you have anything specific in mind for the gift?” he asked.

“I want to get her something unique,” I said, scanning the window displays for inspiration. A thought suddenly popped up in my mind which made me blush.

“What is it? I know there’s something in your mind right now,” John said, amused.

“lingerie for pregnant women,” I said hesitantly.

John paused in his steps, then took my hand, dragging me to the other direction of the road. We then entered a boutique that specialized in lingerie. It was obvious that they were expensive, on the same level as La Perla, an Italian brand, one of the oldest and most luxurious lingerie brands in the world. The saleswoman greeted us warmly and guided us through the selection. I was embarrassed to be seen there with John, to be honest, as I knew rumors might start. However, I made sure to let the saleswoman know that the lingerie I was about to buy had to be wrapped as a gift. I was happy with what I chose–a couple of babydoll lingerie sets. John instructed the saleswoman to add more colors to the set with varying designs. There must have been at least a dozen on the counter after a few minutes.

“Aren’t you going to buy anything for yourself?” John asked, which made me blush. The saleswoman was ready to guide me to more sets, but I declined. I would not let John see what kind of underwear I bought. The items in the shop were not exactly in my price range either.

“No. I, uh, I don’t need more right now. I have just acquired a new bra, remember?” I murmured to John, which made him laugh out loud, knowing what I meant.

John was about to pay, but I stopped him. It was my gift and I should pay for it. If he wanted to buy a gift for his sister, then he had to go and buy it himself. However, I would like to faint as I calculated in my head the total of everything on the counter. My savings would have a big dent in it.

“But I thought these were our gifts to her. You and me? Our gift?” he asked. “Remember, I’m also invited to the party.”

I was dumbfounded. I froze for a second, and he took the opportunity to give his card to the saleswoman.

“Come on. Let’s buy another gift,” John whispered as he tugged me to his side after the gift was wrapped. I couldn’t do anything else but follow him.

As we stepped out of the shop, I took my hand from him and stayed a foot away. He didn’t notice as he walked ahead. I followed him, and then we entered another boutique, a jewelry shop. John told me to look around and see if there was anything I thought would be great for Alya.

“You know that wedding saying?” John asked.

“Hmm…” I stood still, remembering the words to the rhyme. “Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue, A sixpence in your shoe.”

“Good, you remembered. Maybe we can go for something new or something blue?” he mused.

He didn’t have to say anything more as I was immediately drawn to a delicate white gold bracelet adorned with tiny diamonds and a sapphire, Alya’s birthstone. Of course, I knew her birthstone. She was the twin of my boss, and I knew when his birthday was.

“This is perfect,” I said, pointing at the glass shelf for John to see.

He nodded approvingly. “I think she’ll love it.”

After making the purchase, John dropped me at my apartment so I could get ready for the evening. I was really grateful to him. If we did not shop that afternoon, I would have gone to the bridal shower in my office clothes. At first, I didn’t think it would be an issue. However, I thought of the other invited guests, whom I was sure would belong in the upper social circle in Solandia. I didn’t want to embarrass John, so I used one of the cocktail dresses he bought me. It was a sequined, long-sleeved bodycon dress. It reached mid-thigh, which I thought would not be a concern. John also approved of it, so I was good to go.

John picked me up two hours after dropping me off, and we arrived at the event thirty minutes later. The bridal shower venue was a charming, upscale lounge with soft lighting and elegant decor. Why it was not held in the palace, I was not sure. We arrived just in time, our gift carefully wrapped and tucked under John’s arm. Alya’s maid of honor, Sasha, greeted me at the door.

“Ember, you made it!” she exclaimed, giving me a warm hug. “Alya will be so happy to see you.” It was a surprise she knew my name! Perhaps being with John gave it away.

“Thanks, Sasha. I’m excited to be here,” I replied, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

The room was filled with Alya’s closest friends and family, all chatting and laughing. When Alya arrived with Leo, the room erupted in cheers and applause. She looked stunning in a simple yet elegant white dress, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

“Ember!” she cried, rushing over to hug me. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said as I hugged her back.

“These are our gifts,” John said, snaking his hand around my waist. The action did not go unnoticed. Alya c****d an eyebrow and then looked between us.

“Is there anything you are not telling me?” she asked as she accepted the gifts.

“Not that I know of,” John answered nonchalantly. “Ember chose the items. I’m sure you will like them.”

I was feeling the heat of the nearness of John and of the brewing questions in Alya’s mind. John, though, was able to redirect Alya’s interests to the gifts. She laughed when she saw the lingerie brand and then her lips formed an ‘O’ when she saw the package from the jewelry shop.

“Congratulations, Alya!” I said, beaming at her.

“Thank you,” she said. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“It’s a little something to celebrate you,” I replied, smiling.

The evening was filled with games, laughter, and heartfelt toasts. I found myself relaxing and enjoying the company, grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Alya’s happiness. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

As the night wore on, I found a quiet corner to take a breather. Sasha joined me, holding a glass of champagne. “It’s been quite a night, hasn’t it?” she said with a big smile on her face.

“Definitely,” I replied, taking a sip of my own drink. “Alya looks so happy.”

“She does,” Sasha agreed. “And she deserves it.”

Just then, Alya came over, her eyes sparkling. “I wanted to thank you again, Ember. Your gifts were beautiful! Now, I have something blue to wear to my wedding. I can’t wait! The lingerie though.” The three of us giggled at the thought of it.

“I’m glad you like them,” I said, feeling a warm sense of satisfaction. “It’s also John’s gift, so you also have to give him credit.”

“About my annoying brother, I hope he’s not bullying you into anything,” Alya said, her eyes rolling when she mentioned John. “If he’s bothering you, let me know, okay?”

“John is nice to me and it is his right to bother me, as I am his assistant.” I chuckled. “Don’t worry. I can handle your brother.”

“That’s good to know! So, aren’t you going to tell me something?” she asked as Sasha excused herself. “You know news spreads fast. I just haven’t had the time to reach out to you or my brother.”

“Well, depends on the news that reached you,” I replied nervously.

“Mom told me about what happened in New York.” Alya narrowed her eyes, but her lips remained smiling.

“Oh, that. The auction was an awesome experience. I was happy I could help,” I answered curtly, but I knew Alya wanted more details.

Alya sighed dramatically. “Ember, are you and John dating?” She asked the question that was itching her the whole evening. Her eyes were still narrowed, waiting for my answer.

How I wished I could answer yes, but it was not the truth.