Twisted-Games

vulnerability entered her eyes. “It’s not exactly aboveboard.”
“What is it?”
Pink tinged Bridget’s cheeks before she straightened and said, “Blackmail
the ministers into opening the motion and voting for a repeal.”
Wait one fucking second. “Repeat that.”
She did. “Like I said, it’s not the most aboveboard strategy, but—”
A strangled noise emerged from my throat, cutting her off.
Her brow knit into a frown. “What?”
“Have you been talking to Andreas?” If she hadn’t, it was too ironic for
words.
Her frown deepened. “No. Why would I talk to Andreas about this? He
wants to steal the crown.”
Not exactly. Andreas and I had spent a fair amount of time together
hashing out the plan, and while I still trusted him only as far as I could throw
him, I knew he didn’t want the crown. He enjoyed his carefree lifestyle as a
prince without responsibilities too much.
“Because he has a similar idea, though his only applies to Erhall, not all
of Parliament.” My mouth tipped up. “You always were an overachiever.”
“Why are you talking to…” Bridget’s eyes widened. “You know.”
My surprise mirrored hers. How did she…then it hit me. Her blackmail
on Erhall. It must’ve included information about me and Andreas.
But before I said anything, I wanted to make sure we were on the same
page. I’d been working up to the reveal about my parentage; I didn’t want to
just drop the bombshell on her in case I assumed wrong. “I know about
Andreas.” I watched her carefully. “That he’s…”
A tense silence vibrated between us.
“Your brother.”
“My brother.”
We spoke at the same time, and there it was. My secret, out in the open.
After thirty-four years of no family except my mother, who’d barely
counted as family, it was strange to think I had a brother.
“So, it’s true.” Bridget released a long breath, the vestiges of shock
lingering on her face. “How did you find out?”
“Christian did some digging and told me. I confronted Andreas.” I filled
her in on what happened at his townhouse, as well as Andreas’s plan to
blackmail Erhall with the information about me being his son. Erhall couldn’t
afford a scandal ahead of elections, and a long-lost love child fell squarely