They Chose The Real Princess Not Knowing I Am The QueenChapter 2

After I ended the call, my assistant knocked politely on the office door.

“Ms. Ashbourne, it’s time for your follow-up appointment.”

“Have the jet prepared.”

He did not move.

He stood in front of me, visibly uncomfortable.

After a moment, he lowered his voice.

“Julian and the others took your private jet.”

“They said they were taking Livia to the Bahamas to help her relax.”

I frowned.

I had suffered from severe asthma since childhood.

To make it easier for me to fly to a specialist pulmonary center in Denver every month, my parents had purchased a private jet equipped for my medical needs.

Whenever Julian or the other two needed to travel urgently on company business, I had allowed them to use it.

Eventually, they began treating the jet as though it belonged to all four of us.

Now they had taken it without permission simply because they wanted to take Livia on vacation.

I opened the cabin’s security feed.

Livia was sitting between the three men, hesitation written across her face.

“We took Camille’s jet without asking. Are you sure she won’t be angry?”

“What if yesterday’s meeting was postponed for some other reason? Maybe she wasn’t trying to humiliate me.”

Julian looked at her with concern.

“You’re far too generous, Livia.”

“Even now, you’re still making excuses for her.”

“Camille never lets go of a grudge.”

“She resented us for having security keep her out of headquarters, so she deliberately made sure the meeting could not proceed. She wanted to humiliate you in front of every director.”

Tristan placed a blanket over Livia’s legs.

“You are the real Ashbourne daughter.”

“One day, everything this family owns will belong to you. That includes this jet.”

“You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

“If Camille decided to embarrass you in public, she can live with the consequences.”

“If she wants to see her doctor, she can book a commercial flight.”

Even though I had already lost faith in them, something still ached inside my chest.

They had worked beside me for ten years.

Together, we had survived hostile takeovers, coordinated attacks from competitors, and the most brutal project crises of our careers.

One of them had even been in a serious car accident on his way to a negotiation.

While he was being rushed into surgery, his only concern had been making sure the project did not collapse because of him.

I could not understand it.

Only a week earlier, they had still been checking on my health and reminding me to use my inhaler.

At the time, I had been worried that no matter which of them I chose to marry, I would hurt the other two.

I drew in a slow breath and activated the cabin intercom.

“It’s ten-thirty.”

“I want that jet turning back within thirty minutes.”

All four of them went still.

They looked up at the security camera.

Tristan spoke first.

“Camille, have you been watching us?”

The tightness in my chest was beginning to build.

I had no desire to argue with them.

“Julian, tell the pilot to turn the jet around immediately.”

“If he doesn’t, you will deal with the consequences.”

Julian laughed coldly.

“What authority do you think you still have over us?”

“You deliberately derailed the successor confirmation meeting yesterday and humiliated Livia in front of every director.”

“We’re taking her away from New York to deal with the mess you created.”

“When Livia officially takes over Ashbourne Holdings, don’t expect anyone to protect you.”

Livia’s eyes turned red.

“Forget it. Don’t fight because of me.”

“We can go back.”

Tristan immediately stood and placed his hand over the intercom switch.

“If Livia hadn’t stopped us yesterday, you would already have been stripped of every position and thrown out of the Ashbourne estate.”

“What makes you think you can still give us orders?”

I smiled coldly.

They thought Livia’s blood gave her control of the company automatically.

But she had never attended a board meeting.

She had never managed a company or learned how the Ashbourne family trust operated.

Handing the entire conglomerate to her would destroy everything my parents had spent decades building.

They were about to learn how little blood meant without power behind it.

I did not argue further.

I sent a message directly to the pilot.

[If they refuse to return, land on my private island in the Caribbean.]