Chapter 142 - Raised Suspicions (1/2)

”Hello, hello!” a heavy-bellied Princess Maya greeted upon entering the mansion. The skirt of her wrap dress that fell an inch below her knee swayed as she made her way inside.

She was due to give birth any time of the week and was supposed to stay home but it didn't stop her from crashing into Notios Estate after receiving a text message from Queen Isla that they would be having breakfast with O Sui that morning.

Of course, she didn't want to miss out on the fun, so she left her husband who was still asleep after pulling an all-nighter. Last night, he had to do damage control over his portfolio that was affected by a scandal that hit the front page the following day.

”What the freak are you doing in here?” Maxen pinched his nose bridge, his other hand held onto his hip for support. He could feel his body enter a limbo, spiraling down into oblivion over the fact that his whole family is present.

”Do you know that you can read Olivia Sparks in for free? So head on to to show your support to your lovely author who has three kids to feed. Thank you.”

To him, if King Alistair and Queen Isla were fire breathers, Princess Maya on the other hand was someone who would fan the flames, watching with googly eyes as it set ablaze, eating whatever gets into its path, which was unluckily… him.

”Oh my gosh!” Princess Maya's hand flew to her mouth when Olivia stepped out of a corner. Her eyes shimmered with fascination, drinking in Olivia's form who was wearing a simple dress with tropical embroidery. ”You looked like a fairy who wandered outside a forest, O Sui!”

”Thank you. Wait. O Sui? Who? Me?” She pointed a finger to herself, her head snapping between the siblings. Seeing Maxen rub the skin above his eyebrow, and Princess Maya bobbing her head, she made a guess that it's an inside joke of the Suis.

”Silly me. Who else would be O Sui?” She elbowed Maxen who let out an awkward laugh.

Olivia mirrored Princess Maya's smile, but it turned into a sinister one as she turned her head beside her where Maxen was, asking through her eyes what the heck was his sister doing in their home. Her lips twitched when he just responded with a shrug.

Letting it go, she took a deep breath. ”And you look too wobbly to be walking around by yourself.” She felt an odd knot in the pit of her stomach as she eyed Princess Maya's swollen belly. Fighting the urge to touch her flat one, she offered an arm to Princess Maya who gladly accepted it and happily chirped as they walked towards the dining hall.

The long walk to the dining hall was rather quick all thanks to Princess Maya talking incessantly, giving Olivia a rundown of the king and queen.

”Don't worry about Dad. He may look intimidating but he's a softie deep inside. I remember when I got married he almost never gave my hand away. Well, he did, but then, he snatched it back from Dexter. Imagine Mom's horror upon witnessing that. Why would the king take back what he already gave away? Good thing it was not caught on camera or he would have exposed himself on a live broadcast.”

Olivia responded with a smile, clueless about what to say or talk about. Should she share something about her father too? But won't that story dampen Princess Maya's mood? She didn't want to sound like a party pooper or something.

Although she loved how Princess Maya painted their family in technicolor of words, it was her first time hearing someone talk about beautiful family memories, and she couldn't mask the pang of jealousy that crawled under her skin.

Behind them, Maxen noticed her discomfort, so he squished himself between them, hooking Princess Maya's arm on one arm while his other coiled on Olivia's waist.

”You're talking too much, princess. I bet your little girl is covering her ears inside.”

Rubbing her belly, Princess Maya mused, ”Do you think so? Ughh the wait is killing me. Oh. Hi, Jack! It's been a while.” She waved her hand upon seeing Jack waiting by the dining hall's door.

”Good morning to you too, Princess Maya. Good morning, Ms. Olivia. Your Highness.” With a slight bow, Jack opened the door for them. ”King Alistair and Queen Isla are on their way from the library,” he spoke as the three entered the room in a row.

They stood by the window as they waited for the king and queen to arrive before they could take their seats.

”And I forgot to tell you about Mom,” Princess Maya gasped, clutching her belly. She halted her step and pushed Maxen away from her track. ”Do you know that Mom used to—” However, just as she was about to complete her sentence, a clapping sound interrupted her speech.