Dumped By A Hockey Star, Crowned By A Secret Prince

Five years with Jeremy Higgins, and Cathryn Carter was still celebrating their anniversaries by herself.

She'd planned to surprise him during his break, to hand him the gift she'd carefully picked out.

Instead, irritation and impatience filled his response. "Don't make this into some big drama. It's just an anniversary. I told you-championship first, then marriage. This year is everything to my career. So stay away from the rink."

Jeremy was hockey's star forward-the backbone of the national team.

On the ice, he was unstoppable-the MVP everyone feared.

But to Cathryn, he was the fiancé who couldn't spare her ten minutes.

Her gaze fell on the gift she'd wrapped herself. A bitter laugh escaped her.

His coach kept reminding her how stressed Jeremy was. So she swallowed every complaint, every disappointment. She'd just drop the gift and the lunch with security, and leave. She wouldn't be that girlfriend-the one who "gets in his way."

Then a news alert popped up on her phone. "BREAKING: Hockey Star Jeremy Higgins Ditches Championship for Romance. Title Hopes Crash?"

Cathryn froze. Her fingers trembled as she tapped the link.

The video showed the same man-the one who swore he didn't have a single second for her. In his number 6 jersey, he burst out of the locked-down training facility, swarmed by cameras.

He shoved past reporters and pulled a pale woman in a white dress against his chest.

Cameras flashed around them as he faced the press with red-rimmed eyes. His voice cracked as he said, "I'm sorry to the fans, but I've let her down enough. She needs me. More than any of you."

Cathryn couldn't move. Her fingers kept shaking, numb and ice-cold.

The woman was Lydia Clayton, Jeremy's childhood sweetheart and the one he had never truly left behind.

For three years on the national team, every time he lost his shot at the title, Lydia was somehow in the middle of it.

Year one. Lydia caught a cold overseas. Jeremy flew halfway around the world to hand her medicine. He missed the final check-in.

Year two. She wanted to watch a meteor shower. He took her rock climbing, broke his leg, and sat out the rest of the season.

Year three. She fought with her ex. Jeremy stepped in, got into a brawl, and landed himself arrested-banned for six months.

Now came year four. Cathryn actually believed she'd see him lift that trophy and then marry her.

She never imagined she'd watch him abandon the competition and clutch another woman right outside the facility he'd forbidden her to come near.

Just then, the villa door swung open.

Jeremy came inside with the cold air following him, his arms loaded with grocery bags.

Lydia hung on his arm, eyes red-rimmed.

Her voice was barely audible. "Jeremy... do you think Cathryn will be okay with me staying here?"

His arm tightened. His voice, softer than Cathryn had ever heard, murmured, "Don't even think like that. You're everything to me. This is your home now. No one gets to say otherwise."

Cathryn watched them in silence, her nails digging into her palms. It should have hurt, but she felt nothing.

So Lydia came before everyone. Then where did that leave Cathryn, the woman who'd spent five years waiting to be his wife?

Jeremy didn't even glance at Cathryn. He set the bags down and ordered casually, like he was asking for takeout, "From now on, cook lighter. No lamb, no seafood. Lydia's allergic. And make her some soup. She's been out in the cold, and she's fragile. She needs something hot right now, before she..."

His mouth kept moving, but Cathryn stopped listening. Her eyes moved from him to Lydia-still pressed against him. The pain faded, replaced by a hollow numbness.

Five years of waiting. Five years of running his life. And this was what it all came down to?

The words scratched out of her throat. "So you're really walking away for her?"

Jeremy had already grabbed Lydia's suitcase and headed for the stairs. He stopped at Cathryn's voice, annoyance flashing across his face.

He shot her a cold stare. "Are you seriously guilt-tripping me right now? Her depression spiraled after the divorce. She almost died this morning. If I hadn't gone-" He broke off, breathing hard. "And you're standing there judging me? There's always next year's championship. She doesn't get another life."

"Another year?" Cathryn let out a bitter laugh, her eyes stinging. "You said that last year. And the year before that. Jeremy, every time you promised me marriage after the championship, you were just feeding me a promise you never intended to keep. Weren't you?"

"Enough!" Jeremy's voice thundered, disgust twisting his face. "Is being my wife that important? You have to squeeze it out of me right this second?"

No answer came from Cathryn. Instead, she raised her hand and slowly slid off the plain ring she'd worn for three years.

She dropped it onto the cold marble table-careless, final. The ring spun across the surface and came to rest at Jeremy's feet.

"What the hell are you doing?" His chest tightened, a sudden, unexplainable unease washing over him.

"You're right about one thing. A life does matter more than any title." Cathryn looked up at him, and there was no love left in her eyes. Just emptiness. "So I'm done wasting mine on you."

She turned toward the door and walked away, never once hesitating or looking back.

"Cathryn! How much longer are you going to pull this stunt?" He roared after her. "Walk out that door, and don't you dare come back!"

Cathryn kept walking. She didn't even slow down when she answered him. "Don't worry. I'm not coming back. Never."

The instant Cathryn cleared the villa gates, she pulled out her phone and dialed.

A deferential voice came through. "Ms. Carter, you've seen the news? This is bad. Containing it won't be cheap, but we'll pull every string to shield Jeremy."

"Don't. Handle it by the book," Cathryn said, a cold smile touching her lips. "Kill every endorsement. Pull every coaching resource we gave him. If he wants to burn his career, let him."

Her order clearly caught the man off guard, but he didn't question it. After a brief pause, he quietly agreed.

Cathryn ended the call, and her smile turned even colder.

All those years, Jeremy had leaned on his mystery investor, never knowing it was Cathryn all along. What would his face look like when he finally found out?

Six years ago, a car accident had left Cathryn bleeding out on the roadside. Jeremy stopped and saved her. But that stop cost him his national team tryout.

She'd carried that guilt for years. But Jeremy had just laughed it off. "Don't feel bad. It was one tryout. If I'm good enough, I'll get another shot. You mattered more than that team roster."

She never forgot what he'd given up or how genuine he'd been about it. That was why she'd chosen him. Why she'd spent years bankrolling his career, clearing every hurdle, all from the shadows. She never told him. His pride would've choked on it.

And now all that devotion had turned into a sick joke.

Suitcase in hand, Cathryn headed off to look for a hotel when her phone rang once more.

She picked up, and an older man's amused voice greeted her. "Well, my dear, it seems you lost our bet. You know the agreement. Once you leave him, the first man you meet becomes your husband, and the marriage has to last at least three years."

Cathryn's temple throbbed. Looking back, she could only ask herself-how had she been this stupid?

She'd walked out of the organization for that bastard Jeremy and screamed at Elias Thorne, the man who'd raised her since she was a child.

The organization's rules were brutal. Betrayal meant losing your tongue and your ability to walk.

Elias had gone against everyone to keep that punishment from touching her. In exchange, he demanded a single promise. If Jeremy never married her, she would have to wed the first man she encountered after leaving him, regardless of who he was or what kind of man he turned out to be.

Cathryn cursed her past self in silence.

She took a breath, gritted her teeth, and forced the words out. "Fine. I gave my word. I'll honor it."

She had barely finished speaking when her eyes landed on a long haired, disheveled man sprawled beside a dumpster.

For a moment, she could only stare. Of all people, was this really the man fate had chosen for her?

He looked half-dead-a homeless man, probably. Matted hair covered most of his face, revealing only a sharp jawline and bloodless lips.

His white shirt was torn and grimy, with dark blood spreading across his chest. The wounds were deep.

Shootouts between gangs had been happening around this area often lately. Had this poor man just strayed into the crossfire?

Cathryn pressed her fingers to her temple, unable to make up her mind.

Marry some homeless guy...

The whole idea was ridiculous.

Still, her pride wouldn't let her go back on her word.

Eventually, she gave in. Maybe marrying a homeless man wasn't the worst thing. At least she wouldn't have to worry about him refusing to cooperate.

For three years, he could play the role of her husband. Once the time was up, she would pay him enough to leave, and her life could carry on without any real change.

Decision made. Cathryn hoisted him up, hailed a cab, and took him straight to one of her own hotels.

Only after he had been cleaned and examined did Cathryn finally relax.

Thankfully, nothing was critical-just multiple bullet wounds from stray shots.

Once the bullets had been taken out and the injuries wrapped, Cathryn remained beside the bed, looking over the man who might soon become her husband.

Without all the dirt covering him, he was unexpectedly handsome. Thick lashes framed his eyes, his nose was straight, and his Adam's apple shifted faintly whenever he breathed. Even his lips stood out.

The doctor had stripped his shirt off, revealing a broad chest and chiseled abs. His build was better than Jeremy's.

At least fate hadn't been completely cruel. It could've stuck her with some worn out old man instead.

The TV was murmuring in the corner. Jeremy's withdrawal? Barely a blip. Every channel was buried in coverage of the Crown Prince being attacked and missing during his royal tour.

Cathryn couldn't help thinking that Jeremy's luck was almost absurd.

She took a shower. When she came out, wrapped in nothing but a towel, the man hadn't moved.

She reached for her clean clothes, intending to sleep in the room next door. Before her fingers could touch them, the man's eyes flew open, and an icy stare fixed straight on her.

A second later, a veined hand burst from beneath the blanket and locked around her wrist. He dragged her toward him, moved with frightening speed, and turned her beneath him before pinning her down.

His hand tightened around her throat, his touch cold against her skin. "Who the hell are you?" asked him, his voice rough and strained.

Cathryn's instinct screamed to strike back, but she paused. His gaze was sharp, sure. But wounded like this? He was barely a threat.

His technique was another matter. Even half-dead, the man clearly knew how to fight.

She caught his wrist before he could tighten his grip and studied him with open amusement. "This is how you say thanks? You'd still be rotting next to that dumpster if I hadn't stepped in."

Brian Marsh kept his eyes on her, his gaze dropping briefly to her bare neck and shoulders before returning to her face. His expression gave nothing away.

It all came flooding back. Wounded. Stumbling down an empty street. Looking for a place to hide and collapsing before he found one.

So she was the one who'd found him?

Brian searched her clear eyes for any sign of deception and found none.

Silence passed before he finally let go of her. "What do you expect from me?"

Cathryn blinked, caught slightly off guard by the question.

For a homeless man, he certainly spoke as if he had something worth offering. What exactly did he think she could want from him?

Still, the more she considered it, the less strange the question seemed.

Nobody went out of their way to rescue a homeless stranger for no reason. At least, that was probably how he saw it.

Since he had asked what she wanted, she saw no point in pretending otherwise. Her eyes moved over him once before she gave him a direct answer. "Then marry me."

Brian froze, his eyes narrowing.

Had this woman lost her mind? Did she honestly think pulling him off the street made him her husband?

Still, she seemed completely at ease, almost as though she had no clue who he actually was.

He raised his chin and studied her more carefully. "You do realize we're from completely different worlds, don't you?"

Cathryn nodded. "Good. At least you're aware of that."

She missed the disbelief on his face as she secured the towel around herself tighter and rose from the bed. "I don't care that you're a beggar. Besides, I don't need you to be my husband forever. Three years will be enough."

She stepped closer, meeting his eyes. "Say yes, and we're getting married today."

Brian held her stare, his face unreadable.

News stations were still reporting his disappearance, yet the woman in front of him had mistaken him for a beggar.

The misunderstanding was so ridiculous that he couldn't help finding it entertaining.

He lifted an eyebrow and asked, "What if I say no?"

Cathryn looked him over with a hint of sympathy. "Then you'll lose your hands and feet. And your tongue too."

Elias had made sure Cathryn had no way out. The first man she met had two choices-marry her, or suffer something far worse than death.

Brian's expression darkened.

Plenty of people wanted him dead, but no one had ever looked him in the eye and said it.

This woman had guts.

He had every reason to turn her down. Still, the confidence on her pretty face amused him, and he suddenly wanted to see how far she would take this.

How would she react once she learned his true identity and understood what being his wife actually meant? Would she still be so cocky?

Besides, the royal family had been pushing him to marry for years. Bringing home an arrogant woman like her? That would shut them up.

The thought brought a knowing smile to his lips. "All right. I'll marry you."

Satisfied with his answer, Cathryn picked up her clothes and headed for the bathroom. "Good. We still have enough time. Get dressed, and we'll go and make the marriage official."

She asked the hotel staff to deliver a suit for Brian. After he changed, she took him directly to the city hall.

Once they received the marriage certificate, Cathryn didn't bother reading it. She took a quick photo before tossing the document to Brian. "I'm leaving. Don't call me. I'll call you when I need you."

Brian caught the certificate and studied her unconcerned face. "You never planned on treating this like a real marriage, did you?"

Cathryn glanced at him before casually pressing one finger against his firm chest. "What, you were hoping to play husband? Sleep together? Act like a real couple?"

Her fingertip burned through his shirt. The boldness of it caught him off guard.

He glanced down at her manicured nails and had to admit that she'd made a fair point.

For years, women had thrown themselves at him-for his title, his face, his money.

But his new wife? She just wanted a placeholder.

Before Brian could answer, Cathryn gave him a teasing smile. "I can't deny that you're my type, but this is only a contract marriage. I'm not going to make you do anything. No pressure. Gotta go. Later."

She turned and headed toward a sleek black sedan waiting by the curb. Its design was luxurious without drawing too much attention.

Brian watched the car pull away before lowering his eyes to the marriage certificate in his hands.

So, Cathryn Carter was her name.

He tucked the certificate away and calmly pressed a button on the silver bracelet around his wrist.

Within five minutes, rotor blades roared overhead.

People nearby looked up in alarm. Before anyone understood what was happening, several rugged black SUVs pulled in and sealed the block.

Trained guards poured out and swept the street clean. Kolton Miles rushed to Brian and dropped to one knee. "Your Highness, we failed you. Punish us however you see fit. Your jet is waiting at the airport, and we can inform His Majesty that you're returning right away."

Brian raised one hand to stop him. "No. Find me a place here first."

Confusion crossed Kolton's face. "You plan to stay here? But Their Majesties are waiting; they want you to choose a bride."

"Not anymore." Brian handed him the marriage certificate. "I've already chosen my wife. Start the wedding preparations."

He opened the car door but paused. His voice was quiet but absolute. "I'm staying. I need time with my wife. No one disturbs me. And not a word leaks until I say so."

Kolton watched the car leave before staring down at the marriage certificate. His knees almost gave way beneath him.

How the hell was he supposed to explain this to the royal family?

The Crown Prince had vanished for one night and somehow gotten married before anyone found him.

Cathryn Carter?

Kolton couldn't remember a single noble family in the country with a daughter by that name.

The Crown Princess wasn't a noblewoman at all. She was someone no one in the royal family had ever heard of.

Sweat gathered on Kolton's forehead when he imagined the punishment waiting for him back at the palace.

Still, he didn't dare challenge the Crown Prince's decision. He could only watch the car disappear before giving the others their orders. "Find His Highness a place to stay. And dig up everything on Cathryn Carter. Everything."