Husband With Benefits

Lord Rupert Minney scowled at the stack of papers in his hands, flipping through the pages with increasing frustration. He had spent the better part of the night poring over these files, expecting to find something—anything—he could use. But to his utter disbelief, there was nothing. Not a shred of scandal, not even the faintest whiff of impropriety.

Princess Isidora Rosalind Sterling, heir to one of the strongest royal families in this part of the world was as spotless as a white sock! It was absurd. A woman in her position, a princess no less, hadn’t managed to get her hands dirty at all? No whispered rebellions against her family, no rumors of treating her servants poorly, no secret wild parties held behind palace walls. Not even so much as a parking ticket. The files were maddeningly clean. If they had handed him blank pages, it would have made no difference and would have actually saved him some time and sleep more.

How could this be? The girl was only twenty. She was young, rich, and privileged—there should have been something. A youthful indiscretion, a hidden vice, even a secret lover—anything that would hint she was more than the dull image these files presented. Instead, they made her sound like a cloistered nun, not a modern princess. A boring, prudish widow of eighty would have had more life in her than this!

Rupert pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to quell the rising tide of irritation. This was the girl Kael had fallen for? That spoiled, headstrong boy who had everything handed to him on a silver platter—this was who he had chosen?

"What is the meaning of this? I asked you to find dirt on her, and this is what you bring me? Do you think I will hand you over the money for something like this? She must have something. Three years away from the limelight, living quietly at university, and not a single blemish on her record? No dating rumors? No scandals? Nothing?"

Detective Preston cleared his throat nervously, fidgeting with the edge of his clipboard. "Well, sir... there was one rumor. We couldn’t confirm it, but it’s something."

Lord Rupert’s interest piqued, and he leaned forward slightly. Finally, a lead. Something he could work with. "Go on."

The detective shifted uncomfortably. "There were whispers that she might have been in a relationship."

Rupert’s thin lips curled into a smile at the revelation. So, she wasn’t as pure as she seemed. Perfect. A secret lover would be just the ammunition he needed. "An ex, you say?" Rupert’s voice dripped with satisfaction. "Good. Very good. Who is he? A commoner? Someone inappropriate?"

Preston swallowed, looking more uncertain by the second. "Actually, sir... the rumor is that she was dating Prince Kael. And it seems to match. He was there around that time last year..."

Rupert’s smile faltered. He stared at Preston as though he hadn’t heard him properly. "Kael?" he repeated slowly, incredulously. "She was dating Kael?"