Surprisingly Royal

👸Chapter 24: Something more to this Jerk

I tiptoe silently towards his bedroom door, hesitating as I reach for the handle. Should I knock? Or just go in? But knocking would be a dumb move . it'll just warn him, and whatever he's hiding will be long gone before I even step inside.

Honestly, this was a dumb idea from the start. I should just turn back and join the girls downstairs before they start making up stories I don't want to hear.

Just as I'm about to walk away, I notice something — the door isn't locked.

Wait, what?

Is this some kind of trap? Matilda told me herself that he never leaves his door unlocked. Like, ever. So why is it today of all days?

Maybe he didn't come to his room at all. Could be off doing something else. I press my ear against the door to check if he's in there.

Silence.

Looks like I was right. He's not inside. So where is he then?

You know what? Forget where he is . this is the perfect chance to find out what he's up to. I might not get another one.

I slip into the room quickly, making sure no one sees me.

The room's bigger than I expected. actually, it might even be bigger than Matilda's. And full of paintings, too. Since when did he like art?

There's definitely more to this jerk than I thought.

I always assumed he was just some attention-seeking guy who loved girls chasing after him. But this? This makes me question everything.

Still, I need to focus. I didn't come here to analyze his taste in art.

As I rummage through one of the drawers, I feel something move beneath my fingers. At the same time, I hear the sound of a door opening behind me.

But I'm too busy figuring out what just brushed my hand to pay attention.

I start pulling the sheets away and then I freeze.

There's a lizard in the drawer. A weird-looking one.

I leap back in fear and end up bumping into something or someone. Something hard. And... wet?

Next thing I know, we're both on the floor. And I'm on top of him.

My eyes are squeezed shut as I silently beg the universe to spare me the embarrassment. Please don't let it be him. Anyone but him.

After what feels like forever, I slowly open my eyes... and there he is.

Carlos.

Shirtless.

I instantly shut my eyes again and bite my lip in panic. I hear him chuckle before he mutters something under his breath.

"Do you want us to spend the whole day like this?" he says.

Oh crap. I'm still on top of him.

I scramble off and make a run for the door. But before I can escape, strong arms yank me back and I crash straight into his bare chest.

"W-what do you think you're doing?" I stammer.

"That's my question," he says, staring down at me with this intense look that makes me swallow hard.

"I... uh... I was just..." I fumble, trying to wipe the sweat off my forehead. But he catches my hand mid-air.

"Yeah? Go on," he says, clearly not buying it.

"I came to... look for... um, you?" I say, barely holding it together.

"And what exactly were you looking for in my drawer?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I try to wriggle out of his grip, but there's no point — he's way stronger than me.

Just because he looks all hot and shirtless doesn't mean he gets to win this.

I force my gaze away from his eyes, only for them to land on his abs... and then lower. Oh lord, he's only in boxers.

I quickly snap my eyes back up to his face and there it is. That smug smile.

He totally caught me staring.

Crap.

I pull away and focus, trying to act like I wasn't just mentally screaming.

"I was looking for the visitor's washroom," I say nervously, fiddling with my fingers like I always do when I'm anxious. He notices and smirks.

"Why not just ask Matilda?" he replies.

"She was busy downstairs with the others... and I saw you come up here, so I figured I'd ask you instead."

"Hmm, fair enough. But I've got one more question," he says. "Why were you searching my drawer?"

Oh gosh. Not this again.

"I... I heard something weird coming from there and just wanted to check it out," I lie straight through my teeth.

"And that's how you met my little lizard friend, huh?" he teases.

"Wait, so you knew there was a lizard in there?" I ask, still grossed out.

"Yep. Only it's not real, it's a toy," he says, clearly amused.

"What do you mean it's not real? I felt it move!" I protest.

"Well, I never said it couldn't move. It does. But it's still just a toy." He goes back to the drawer and pulls it out to prove his point.

He offers it to me and I back away immediately, refusing to touch the creepy thing. He laughs and puts it back.

I keep staring at the drawer, still not convinced.

"So," he says, smirking, "are you planning to just stand there and watch me get dressed, or are you going to use the bathroom like you said?"

"I'll be leaving now. Don't feel like peeing anymore," I say and storm out.

He laughs again and locks the door behind me.

Well... that could've gone way worse.

Honestly, I didn't expect him to be that chill about me snooping around. But now I'm even more confused. What's going on in that mind of his?

And more importantly... what's he planning now that he's seen me in his room?
Am I being paranoid about this whole thing?

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