The air in the living room turned instantly dense, heavy with the quiet tension that followed Prince Ruben’s softly spoken offer.

Tina stood frozen beside the sofa, her fingers clutching the thick wool of her oversized knit cardigan. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. Just hours ago, Prince Ruben had felt like a gentle, unexpected solace in the middle of her darkest night, a royal who made her tea, spoke tenderly of shared grief, and seemed to understand the hollow ache in her chest. But standing in the amber glow of the apartment, flanked by two silent, imposing guards in the shadowed corridor outside, his sudden...