24 The reveal (3)

Quince interlocked his fingers together before staring at her. He said nothing as he simply looked at her.

One moment went by....

Two moments went by....

Nth moments went by...

He still did not utter a word. Queen kept quiet as well. She crossed her legs as she examined her nails. 'Maybe I should get a manicure' she mused.

Quince was trying to pressure her by using silence as a weapon. Little did he know that it had no effect on her. Mind games like these were child's play for the most evil prime minister of the Rhitol kingdom. She faced different kind of peoples in her previous life so Queen wasn't intimidated or pressured at all.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"Don't you have something to tell me?" He clipped each word.

"Hmm?" Queen murmured in reply as she continued to examine her fingers.

"Miss Vancroft, while I am delighted to have the representative from one of our company's most prominent partners here, it doesn't mean that I appreciate being lied to." Quince bit out those words.

"Lied to?" Queen gazed at Quince confusedly. 'My my, still so very grumpy!' She secretly laughed in her heart.

Quince narrowed his eyes as he saw amusement flashed in her eyes before it quickly disappeared.

"Your name for one Miss Vancroft."

"I didn't lie. My name is indeed Queen de la Meilleure. But the surname is from my grandmother's side and I go by that sometimes." Queen shrugged innocently.

"Also," she added, "It's a well known fact that my mother side is French. Most of our partners are aware of that and some even specially research about that to impress us."

It was an understatement to say that the room went into dead silence.

Quince kept quiet after he heard her explanation. He was trying his best to keep his temper in check. What kind of nonsense explanation was that?!!!

While it was true that it was common knowledge for the public in regards to her French maternity side, no one in the society had ever seen her face before.

She was the sole heir of the Vancroft family. Rumor had it that her family was so protective of her, they refused to introduce her into the society. Not even her name was heard of before.

Quince tapped his fingers on the table before opening his mouth to say, "So what is the sole protected heir of the Vancroft family doing on this cruise?"

Queen laughed lightly before she said,"Let's say I suddenly found out about having a fiancé and decided to come greet him."

"Suddenly found out?" Quince repeated her words in a questioning tone.

"Don't mind the little details Master Quince, just know that I'm here to see you." Queen waved her hand as she said those words to him.

"By pretending to commit suicide?" Quince asked dangerously.

Queen rolled her eyes at his statement. 'Oh boy! We're back to this again.'

"Honestly, at that time I didn't know you were my fiancé. Moreover, I already apologized like a million times!" Queen said exasperatedly.

"Do not exaggerate Miss Vancroft. Does that mean you wouldn't have done it if you knew who I was?" Quince growled the question out. He was seriously beginning to wonder how the Vancrofts disciplined their daughter.

"Of course not! Since I believe in equality,

I would have done it regardless." Queen smiled charmingly as she gave her answer.

Quince abruptly stood up from his table and walked around it to stand in front of Queen.

Queen turned her body to follow his movements and wounded up sitting sideways on the chair.

The table was now on her right side, whereas her left arm casually hung over the back of the chair, while the other one rest lightly on her lap.

She quirk one of her eyebrows up at Quince's actions.

Quince slowly strode forward towards her, like a predator stalking its prey. He kept eye contact with her without moving his sight away. Queen didn't even bother with his look as she stared right back.

"Are you saying," he slowly enunciated each word, "That you would have pulled that dangerous prank regardless of whom it was?"

At this moment, Queen suddenly felt the atmosphere around him change as she continued looking at him. It was as if her cat was transforming into something more...dangerous.

Queen's senses were on alert but she chose to ignore them as she simply let out a laugh.

"Yes I would, so what?" She taunted him.

At that moment, Quince moved so fast and when she came to, she realized she was trapped.

Quince placed one hand on the table beside her and the other on the back of her chair, where her hand was now resting beside his.

Grey eyes gazed straight into her golden ones, and Queen could feel the palpable heat in front of her. His breath fanned lightly on her face as he whispered the next words.

"Queen Rosalie Vancroft, it seems you need to be taught a lesson."