Surrogate for the Alpha Prince in a Coma novel Chapter 271

Chapter 271

Lillian’s POV

After my breakfast with Benedict, I returned to the mansion. When I walked in through the doors, the sound of children laughter greeted me. They must have been on a break from their morning lessons.

I followed the sound of the laughter toward the playroom, where Madison had somehow convinced Alex and Grayson to join in her stuffed animal tea party. Her laughter was the brightest, but Alex laughed tog, particularly as Grayson treated this tea party as seriously as he would any formal occasion at the palace.

The cups had no actual liquid, and he was trying to make conversation with a stuffed frog about her upcoming dinner party, acting as if she was replying to his questions. Both of the children were laughing so hard, they clutched their sides. I couldn’t help but smile, watching them.

A bittersweet feeling filled my chest, half pride, half pain. Grayson would be a really great father, and the children adored him. To hear their laughter healed something inside of me that had long ago broken.

My father had never loved me. My mother had tried her best to fill my life with love and light, but she didn’t always succeed. A little girl wants the attention of her father, but mine never gave it. He treated me as if I didn’t exist, didn’t matter.

And after Mom died, it was like all the warmth in my childhood left with her.

Worry filled me now, watching the children interact with the man who was their true father, that no one else in the room knew about.

Had I been right in keeping this secret? Or had I been doing a disservice to all of them? To my children, in keeping them away from their father, even if it was for all of their protection? And to Grayson, denying him the chance to prove himself the protector I knew he wanted to be?

He was so strong, but how could he possibly protect us against the whole world. It felt so impossible.

“Mommy!” Alex said, finally spotting me. “Come here. Play with us!”

“Play with us, Mommy!” Madison added.

Grayson met my gaze. “There is an open seat beside Lady Penelope,” he said, and gestured to the stuffed frog. Have you two met?”

The children burst into laughter once more, and I couldn’t stay away anymore. I entered the room, took my seat between Lady Penelope and Alex, and accepted my empty tea cup from the hostess, Madison.

“A pleasure to see you again, Lady Penelope,” I said, the sound of children’s laughter chasing away the nightmares of my past, at least for now.

As much as I wanted to push away the reality of my father’s looming execution date, it stayed at the forefront of my mind.

Soon, the children had to return to their lessons, leaving Grayson and I alone in the playroom. The tea set and toys felt less alive now that the children had left us. It didn’t feel right to be here without them, thinking about executions and sorry, rotten childhoods.

“You went to talk to Uncle Benedict,” Grayson said. I didn’t ask how he knew that. He likely had guards assigned to me for my protection. Given the danger we were in, I couldn’t be mad about it, especially because Grayson hadn’t interfered in that meeting. “Did he say something to upset you?”

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“I will tell you, but not here,” I said. “It feels… wrong to taint this place with what I have to say.”

Grayson nodded and stood. He held his hand out to me and helped me to my feet too. Then we both left the room. We didn’t go far, just to one of the alcoves off the hallway near a window that looked out with a view of the city.

Grayson, patient as ever, waited for me to begin. He was as stoic as a statue. He probably would have waited forever for me to start talking. He didn’t try to rush me or push me even once.

“Ben told me that my father’s execution date has been set,” I told him.

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