The Billionaire Prince and His Secretary

Chapter 15

John POV

After a passionate night, I woke up early in the morning; the sky was still dark outside. Sleeping with Ember for two consecutive nights had made my mornings feel unusually light. She was the first girl I stayed with after having s*x with them. Ember was indeed special. I stared at her as she slept peacefully beside me, finding her beautiful even with messy hair and a face void of make-up. She looked like an angel, and I couldn’t help but gently caress her hair, feeling an overwhelming sense of contentment.

After a while of watching her, I decided to get us breakfast. I didn’t want her to be overwhelmed with breakfast with the family, so I thought of breakfast in bed. It was still early, and I knew everybody was still out cold from the previous night’s celebrations. Wanting to stretch my legs, I preferred going to the kitchen rather than using the intercom. I slipped out of bed carefully, trying not to wake her, and dressed in a t-shirt and jogger pants. Quietly, I left the room and headed straight to the kitchen.

Not surprisingly, the kitchen was already buzzing with activity. The head chef, along with the staff, was busy preparing the day’s meals. I greeted them warmly.

“Good morning,” I said, catching the head chef’s attention.

“Good morning, Your Highness,” he replied with a respectful nod.

“Could you prepare breakfast for two? Something light and simple, please,” I requested.

The head chef nodded again, understanding my unspoken wish for something special yet not too elaborate. He told me they would deliver the breakfast to my room in about twenty minutes, but I told him there was no rush and that I would wait for it. As I sat at one of the kitchen tables, Leo walked in. He gave me a small wave before talking to the head chef, likely about Alya’s breakfast. Leo sighed deeply and rolled his eyes when he caught me looking, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at his exasperated expression.

“Special request from Alya?” I guessed, raising an eyebrow. He could have used the intercom but took the chance to walk away from my sister. I shook my head at how ridiculous my sister was.

“You have no idea,” he replied with a sigh. “Let’s go to the dining room while we wait.”

I stood up, and we walked together to the dining room. It was empty, the grandeur of the room amplified by the early morning quiet. We sat down, and a servant promptly brought us coffee.

“Congratulations again on the wedding. It was definitely grand. It will be the talk of the people for weeks,” I said, lifting my cup in a mock toast.

“Thanks,” Leo replied, laughing. “I’m just glad it’s over. Organizing a wedding is madness. Honestly, if I had my way, I’d have eloped and left the kingdom to you.”

I shook my head, joining in his laughter. “You’re the crazy one, Leo.”

He smiled, but then his expression turned more serious. “So what’s the deal with Ember? It looks like things are getting serious. I’m sure you will be the talk of the kingdom for years. Well, you were and will always be. There’s nothing new to that.”

I took a sip of my coffee, considering my words. “Ember is special. We’re taking it one step at a time.”

Leo laughed again, louder this time. “Just make sure you are serious with her, John. You will break Ember’s heart and also Alya’s. She’s silently rooting for Ember, you know.”

I didn’t respond immediately, feeling the weight of his observation. He continued, “You’ve never brought a woman to the palace before, only Ember. And she slept in your bedroom when there were plenty of rooms available in this palace. You like her, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course, I do,” I admitted, meeting his gaze. “She is different. Special. I don’t know why I haven’t noticed her before.”

“You did, maybe subconsciously or whatever. Alya knew it way before! She saw how special you treated Ember,” Leo said. “Anyway, good that you know now that you like her. I like her for you, too. She seems like the kind of woman who could tame you.”

I chuckled. “Tame me? You make it sound like I’m some wild animal.”

“In some ways, you are. Silent and yet deadly,” he teased. “But seriously, John, she’s good for you. I can see it.”

Before I could reply, a kitchen staff member entered the room with a cart of breakfast. “Your breakfast is ready, Your Highness.”

“Thank you,” I said, standing up. “I’ll take it to my room.”

Leo gave me a knowing smile as I took the cart from the kitchen staff. “Good luck, bro.”

I returned to my room, pushing the cart carefully. Ember was awake, sitting up in bed and looking adorably sleepy with the duvet covering her body.

“Good morning,” I greeted her with a smile, placing the tray on the bed carefully. “I brought us breakfast.”

She rubbed her eyes and then looked at me wide-eyed. “Oh no, you didn’t have to. I’m okay eating breakfast at the staff hall,” she said. The staff hall was where the palace staff took their meals.

“Nonsense,” I replied as I walked away. I thought of getting a shirt for Ember. She might feel uncomfortable eating while naked. “You’re with me now and I want to take care of you,” I added when I came back, helping her put on the shirt.

Dressed, Ember smiled shyly, her eyes lighting up. “Thank you. That’s very sweet of you.”

We ate together, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the moment. The food was delicious, and I could see how much Ember appreciated the gesture. After breakfast, we sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping our coffee.

While we sat in silence, a sudden idea struck me. Ember had been working tirelessly without a break, and I realized it was high time we both took a much-needed vacation.

“Ember,” I began, leaning back with a mischievous grin, “how about we take a week off and go somewhere special?”

She blinked, clearly shocked by the suggestion, then frowned. She was obviously thinking of the work that we would leave behind. “A week off? But, John, we have important meetings to attend this coming week and there are a lot of documents to sign. The schedule for the week is packed.”

I waved her concerns away. “It is always packed. Anyway, we’ll handle everything this morning. We’ll go to the office, do what we need to do, and be out of there before noon. Trust me, it will be fine.”

She looked skeptical but intrigued. “Where are we going?”

I chuckled, enjoying her curiosity. “That’s a surprise. Just trust me on this.”