Coup D'etat (The Alpha Prince) Book 3 Read Online Free PDF Page A

What did he look like?”
     
    “He was tall. And older gentleman, about fifty years old.”
     
    “Any distinguishing features about this man?”
     
    “I’m sorry, Prince Julian. Nothing comes to mind. He just seemed like a well-dressed older man.”
     
    “It’s no matter. I will find out who sent him. He was merely a messenger boy.”
     
    Our meals appear on a sterling silver trolley with gold inset. It is the kind of opulence that continues to shock me. I mean, the freaking trolley looks like it’s worth more than my car. The Prince is presented with his steak. He insists on pouring himself his own glass of wine. The Prince then pours a glass for me. I grab the glass and we toast. “To loyalty,” the royal leader says as he looks deep into my eyes.
     
    I return the direct stare. “To loyalty,” I repeat. We drink. And in that moment, I no longer fear the Prince’s stark and direct demeanor. For the first time, I feel like we are equals. Powerful forces are plotting against us. We must be strong for each other.
     
    We enjoy our meal with little small talk. After the steak, the Prince’s mood lightens a bit. He doesn’t crack a smile. He does, however, offer me some advice. “People will look at you and see a young girl. Let them think that. There is nothing more cunning than allowing people to underestimate you.”
     
    “Yes, Your Highness.”
     
    As we finish our meal, the Prince’s Chief of Staff approaches the balcony. “Your Highness, the Intelligence Minister has arrived and awaits the honor of your presence.” 

    The Prince stands up. He looks down at me. “Come on, Amy.”
     
    “Prince Julian?”
     
    “You are my confidant and my advisor,” the Prince says in an official tone. Those words send chills down my spine. Prince Julian wants me to attend his meeting with the Intelligence Minister?!
     
    I nervously stand up and escort the Prince to the main parlor. The Intelligence Minister snaps to attention. He is a bald, burly man who would look at home in a motorcycle gang if he were not wearing a tailored suit.
     
    “Good to see you, Lucien.”
     
    “Your Highness,” the Intelligence Minister says in a thick, masculine tone.
     
    “Amy is my advisor. Whatever passes through my ears, passes through her ears as well.”
     
    “Understood, Prince Julian.”
     
    We move to a round table where the meeting takes on a very official and serious tone. Several other members of the Mondorra government sit at the table.
     
    The Intelligence Minister is handed a leather portfolio. He opens the portfolio and pulls out several pieces of paper. “We have been monitoring various people who have been openly critical of your relationship. So far, we have not found any overt plans for regime change,” the Intelligence Minister explains. 

    “Amy. Tell him what happened to you,” the Prince says to me. 

    “A man approached me and offered twenty-five million dollars to leave Prince Julian.”
     
    “That’s interesting,” the Intelligence Minister says as he sifts through the papers. He looks at his men and asks for a specific financial report. “Last week, we detected twenty-five million dollars, in gold bullion, being transferred out of Mondorra by courier. Since our Principality has strict privacy laws, we did not have the owner of the bullion traced.”
     
    “Of course, the bullion could be privately deposited into Geneva and a cashier’s check could be drawn against that amount,” the Prince says.
     
    “Does that mean we are at a dead end?” I ask.
    
“Not necessarily,” the Intelligence Minister tells me. “While there are many wealthy citizens in Mondorra, I know of only ten wealthy citizens or family estates that privately own over twenty million dollars in gold bullion. It must be one of them.”
     
    “So we have our suspects,” the Prince says.
     
    The Intelligence Minister looks over his paperwork. “According to our reports, Your Highness, three of those