Royal Princess: Doted On By The Mafia King

Rose could not continue pretending after hearing all the crazy things he said to her about an old man she knew nothing about.

"What do you mean?" she asked him shrugging off his hand that rested on her forehead.

He was taken aback and looked at her coldly. "You were awake," he asked her.

"Yes, I am."

"We are going to leave for Star city as soon as you are strong enough. It is not safe here. We let the world know about the incident," he told her.

She sighed and nodded. "I guess that was for the best."

*******

As he wanted to leave, they left in the private jet the king sent them to pick her up to show he was a worried father and king.

She was pleased with his effort but that only made her suspect he had a hand in what happened to her or what somewhat connected to him.

Liam tried to hint in but she told him off about blaming her father with the claim that a tiger would not harm its child. Perhaps his words were what sowed doubts on her mind but she was suspecting her father now.

"I thought about it," she began to say to Liam on their way to her palace. She saw a video on the internet of how he ran into the building as soon despite the explosion.

He looked very anxious and determined to save her even if he would have to put his life on the line. She was pleased by it all.

She pleased her hand on his hand. She was falling fast into the white ocean that was his eyes from a cliff and she could not see a floating plank she will settle on and float to the shore from but she still fell nonetheless.

The walls she built around her heart from what happened to her mother were offering her helping hands to prevent her from falling but she was still falling into them.

She knew he did not love her, he has never told her those three words many women expect to hear from their man but she was already repeating those words over and over in her mind intending to let them out of her lips.

He looked at her coldly yet she could swear she saw warmth in those grey eyes that reminded her of ice on the ground after a snowstorm.

He moved his gaze to where her hand rested on his. He pulled his hand and took her hand in his larger hand. They were warm perhaps that was the warmth she saw in his eyes?

She wanted to ask him why his eyes felt more unfeeling even after she said those words to her in the hospital. Was he really after the throne alone? Did her see her as his chance to the throne and not a woman?

All those questions remained at the tip of her tongue but she never let them out. She smiled at him and leaned closer to him.

"I almost died," she told him softly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"You survived and you will not get hurt again. That is what I am here to ensure," he assured her as he rubbed the back of her hand with his finger.

"It is funny and crazy how the first person to come to my mind when I heard the explosion was my husband. I thought about you and how my father would most likely not let you step out as my husband when I die.

"He will not let that happen no matter how much he loves. It will be bad for the reputation of the royal family and my inheritance would not be given to you because if he does that, then you will be too powerful," she explained thoughtfully.

"I do not care. You are alive and that is all that matters," he told her firmly.

She almost believed him and that made her shiver. The sincerity in his words and yet the coldness she saw in his eyes when she raised her head to look at him were so different like two sides of a coin.

She rested her head on his shoulders. "I will listen to your words alone," she murmured so low that he did not hear her.

"What did you say?" he asked her.

"I will let them know we are married when we get to A city. I will tell the world that I am married to you and I will support the south as well as the north if they let me.

"You will become a member of the royal family officially and they will know I am under your protection."

"That will only increase the number of your enemies. I have enemies too and when they know you are connected to me, they will come after you too," he tried to persuade her against it.

"You wanted them to know at first, why did you change?"

Change? He felt a strong urge to scoff but he held back and tightened his grip on her hand. "I was desperate then but not anymore," he alleged.

She swallowed as she felt her chest tighten squeezing her heart yet it beat faster. Was this why he had become colder to her? "You don't want me to tell them?" she vacillated and heaved a sigh.

"That is for you to decide," he replied holding back another scoff. Wasn't it too late? He was gone.

She bit her lower lips trying not to act desperate by pressing forward with the issue. He reached his other hand towards her hair and rubbed her hair. She sniffled and tightly closed her eyes to hold back her tears from flowing.

"You will be fine. I will be with you when you tell the world," he told her before pulling his hand after a few seconds of silence.

She nodded against his shoulder and sighed in relief this time. "I love you," she muttered loud enough for him to hear.

She only felt his hand tighten around hers.

*********

The princess returned from the death door.  As people were anticipating what she would say in the press conference coming up, Rose was trying to understand why she had become so close to Liam.

She had faced death before and if anything, she should not feel so sentimental about death anymore although she was not sure if there would be a third chance.