That afternoon, Henry sat in his office, weary fingers rubbing his temples as he reviewed documents. His eyes, tired and strained, scanned the papers, his mind a million miles away. Dressed in a black polo shirt and white trousers, and leather shoes, he seemed utterly preoccupied.
So all this time Lita has been using me to get close to the Crown Prince… to get revenge? Revenge for her father, who was imprisoned ten years ago? Is she crazy?
A hint of anger within Henry while his thoughts goes to Lita.
A sharp rap on his sturdy oak door startled Henry from his work, his gaze suddenly goes to the oak door of his office.
"Who is it?" Henry asked, his voice calm but his eyebrow raised in question.
The oak door creaked open, revealing Vanessa. A practiced look of concern masked her expression, though Henry remained unconvinced.
"Oh, it's just you," Henry murmured, resting his head in his hand on the arm of his office chair.
"Henry, dear, you look exhausted," Vanessa said, her voice laced with unconvincing concern. "Why don't you take a rest?" She approached him slowly.
"I'm fine, dear," he said, shaking his head slightly. "Just need to finish these documents. There's nothing to worry about." His voice held a trace of weariness.
"Come now, there's no need to be stubborn, dear," Vanessa said, circling around to stand behind him. Her hands settled on his shoulders, her gaze darkening. "It's bad for your health."
Vanessa's touch sent a shiver down Henry's spine, a controlling pressure that unnerved him. A ghost of a smirk played on her lips as she looked down at him.
"Fine," Henry sighed, his left hand rising to cover Vanessa's hand on his shoulder. His right hand kept the documents pressed to the table. His gaze locked with hers. "I'll rest, as you say."
"Why don't I give you a little gentle... massage?" she purred, her hazel eyes narrowing, her expression darkening before snapping into an innocent smile.
"That would be relaxing, I suppose," Henry murmured, a tired smile touching his lips as he let out a small sigh.
Vanessa's touch, while gentle, held a subtle, manipulative control as she slowly massaged his shoulders.
"I can't believe what happened last night," Henry said, turning to Vanessa with a serious expression, his eyebrow arched. "Are you sure you were telling the truth in front of everyone? Or was it an act, to humiliate Lita?"
Vanessa stepped back, hand to her chest, eyebrow raised. "Me? Humiliating Lita? Acting? Everything I said was the truth, Henry!" she scoffed, feigning offense.
Ugh, Henry, Vanessa muttered, her annoyance barely concealed. Are you really going to side with that trashy commoner? You should remember how she left you.
Henry stood from his creaking black leather office chair. "What I meant was," he said, "why did you need to reveal such private information in front of everyone?"
"I know she's wrong, choosing revenge over me," Henry said, walking closer to Vanessa, his tone and expression serious. "But where did you get this information? How do you know about this? Tell me, Vanessa."
"This idiot duke..." Vanessa muttered under her breath.
"I've known Lita since we were children," Vanessa said, frowning and clenching her fist until her knuckles whitened. "Don't you remember what happened between them? Come on, Henry."
"Vanessa I-" Henry was cut off by Vanessa suddenly.
"No, Henry," Vanessa said, her expression darkening. "Are you actually siding with Lita after what she did to you... to the royal family?"
"We all make mistakes, Vanessa," Henry scoffed, shoving his hands into the pockets of his white trousers. "Don't do that again, or you'll undermine your own position."
"Fine..." Vanessa murmured, a sigh trailing her words. She crossed her arms, looking down, a silent, eyebrow-raised disagreement evident in her posture.
"Good," Henry said softly, giving her shoulder a gentle pat before heading for the door. "Now, I'll be back. I just need to call my advisors."
Vanessa watched Henry leave, the office door closing silently behind him. Alone in her chambers, she knew she hadn't given up her plans to bring Lita down.
A fake agreement in front of Henry would be perfect, she silently smirked. Ha... That's just a fake agreement, my dear, she thought, but I won't give up easily and throw away my plans.