The Untold Story of Prince Charming (Book 2 of Cinderella Series)

Chapter 13

"Dean," Dr. Ren said while she pressed her lips into a thin line when I didn't respond. Worry flashed through her eyes while I looked at her with wide eyes. "What's wrong? What is it?" Her whole body was tense, and she furrowed her brows and cocked her head, studying me. "What happened?"

I sighed and shook my head before I pursed my lips in annoyance and grabbed the lead rope tighter. "Ella's stepmother said that he was a stallion," I said. "Dad bought him thinking that he was so that he could breed some horses out of him."

Dr. Ren sighed and shook her head, not able to meet my gaze. "Unfortunately, he's not," she said and shook her head again. "I have worked with him for a while, and I know that he is not." She pressed her lips into a thin line and cleared her throat, shifting on her feet.

I pressed my lips into a thin line also and slowly nodded before I furrowed my brows when a thought crossed my mind. "Do you know why her stepmother would lie about this?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question, and Dr. Ren smiled sadly before she shook her head.

"I do not," she said apologetically. She cleared her throat and shifted on her feet, not meeting my gaze. "I wish I did, but I do not."

I pressed my lips into a further thin line and narrowed my eyes a little, not believing her. I didn't say a word while I looked at her, hoping that she would tell me something, anything that would give me a reason as to why her stepmother would lie about something so trivial as a horse being a stallion or not.

Finally, Dr. Ren sighed and shook her head, clearing her throat, relenting. "I have a small theory," she said and looked at me, choosing her words carefully. "However, you have to promise me that you will not tell anyone about it, do you understand?"

I nodded in confirmation and moved a hand across Blue's neck, and he whickered and nuzzled my side. "I do," I said before I looked at the men that were gathered around us watching the whole exchange. "This stays between us. Dad doesn't need to know. Ok?" I raised an eyebrow in question, and they looked at each other before they looked at me.

They nodded and murmured their agreements before they looked at Dr. Ren, just as confused and worried as me.

Dr. Ren sighed and shook her head before she cleared her throat again, shifting a little from side to side. "Ella's stepmother is not a nice woman at all," she said. "It has gotten to the point in which she has to stay away from me wherever I am working if they want the same level and care as I had provided them for years."

I furrowed my brows and cocked my head. "But isn't she the one that pays the bills?" I asked, and Dr. Ren shook her head again. I furrowed my brows further, confused. "Then, who? Who pays them?"

"Again, whatever I say stays in this area, ok? No one else needs to know this." She paused and cleared her throat, shifting on her feet, and a pained look appeared on her face. "That also includes Ella and those that work for her. Ok? They don't need to know that I told you this."

Again, my group and I nodded in confirmation and stayed silent, wondering what was wrong and hoping that we would be able to help in some way, even if we had to do it in secret and hide it from the male that I called my father.

Dr. Ren cleared her throat and shook her head before she sighed and moved a hand through her hair. "Ella and Red pay the bills," she said. "There are different accounts in which both Ella and Red control that her mother cannot get into."

Alec scoffed and rolled his eyes, and we looked at him. "That is a lie," he said. "She still gets into those accounts, and Miss Contre has to fix 'er stepmother's mistakes."

I furrowed my brows and cocked my head while I studied the other male. "How do you know that?" I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Red is my friend, an' a little birdie told me," he replied and shrugged with a small grimace on his face. "Bu' 'er stepmother does get into 'em."

Dr. Ren frowned and furrowed her brows, and a look of pain flashed through her eyes. "She's never told me that," she said, her voice barely above whisper before she cleared her throat and shook her head.

Alec smiled sadly and nodded. "Aye, I know," he said. "I am goin' to have to have ye promise me tha' ye won't tell 'em that I told ye all," he said, "'specially Red. Miss Contre doesn't like anyone in 'er business from what Red told me."

I set my jaw and nodded. "Then we won't talk about it and won't tell them that we know," I promised, and Alec breathed a small sigh of relief and offered me a tight smile.

"Thank you, Daniel." He looked at Dr. Ren and raised an eyebrow in question. "Dr.?" he asked and cocked his head, studying her. "Are ye goin' to say somethin' to 'er?"

Dr. Ren smiled sadly and shook her head, even though there was a look of pain on her face. "As much as I want to so that I can help her out, I will not," she said. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Hmph." He nodded and looked relieved. "Good. Now, go ahead a' look 'im over and make sure that everythin' is fine. We'll make sure that he has a nice time here and is safe for Miss Contre whenever she is allowed to take 'im home."

I furrowed my brows and cocked my head while I stared at him. "Are you sure?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't think that my f-"

Alec raised his hand to silence me while he nodded. "Aye," he said. "We'll come across that bridge once we get there, but fer right now, let's let 'er look 'im over. Ok?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line and slowly nodded. "Ok," I said and looked at Dr. Ren. "Go ahead and continue to do what you need to do," I said. "I have him and will make sure that you stay safe."

Dr. Ren nodded and stayed silent before she started to look him over, and I started to pet the horse to make sure that he stayed still and docile while she worked.

Please, don't let my dad be mad when he finds out he is not a stallion like he thought, I prayed while I continued to pet the horse. Please.

I want to make sure that he stays safe for Ella...

It was the least that I could do because I couldn't stop my father from taking him without her permission...