Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 37523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37523 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 188(@200wpm)___ 150(@250wpm)___ 125(@300wpm)
But the sheikh went on as if he no longer...he no longer cared about me. "It is always better for a child to grow up in a stable home, with both parents present. Better but not necessary, and now that I know about the boy—-"
"Will you please stop fucking talking about Johnny," I choked out, "and just tell me what the fuck's going on? You love me—-" A pained expression flitted over the sheikh's handsome face, and I could no longer speak.
"Have I ever said it?"
"N-No, but it's because—-"
"Because I don't," he said softly.
I stared at him.
"And to tell you the truth, habibti...it had been getting a little exhausting, pretending to be a devoted lover when all I truly wanted from this contract was a heir to put an end to my father's nagging."
I just kept staring at him.
"Admittedly, it had been fun at first, and when I found out about Dahlia, I confess it made me feel rather protective towards you. But after a while..." The sheikh's shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "In any case, I do believe the boy will soon leave your sister, and once you give me my heir..." He made a rather vague gesture of dismissal, and it almost felt as if he was symbolically throwing me out of his life. "You shall be free to do whoever you want."
Asshole, I thought. He was such a fucking asshole, and I should never have let myself forget that.
Dark eyes touched mine, probably for the last time, and all I could do...all I could do was just fucking stare at him.
Because this time, I knew I was crying.
This time, I needed it to be like before, needed him to wipe my tears away the way he always did.
But nothing happened, and that was when I knew.
It's different now, I thought dully.
I used to think that only Dahlia could fuck me over, but I was wrong.
I watched the sheikh leave, and I was glad.
Even as the tears continued to fall, I was glad to see him gone.
It hurt less, you see, not seeing the man who was the cause of the agonizing shame that was ripping me apart.
I really believed he was in love with me, too, and yet all that time...
God.
For hours I simply sat there, unable to think. It hurt. It just hurt too much to do anything else but let the tears fall silently, and it was only when I absently ran my fingers over my tummy...
Ah.
A laugh escaped me, but this quickly turned into a sob. I had actually forgotten for a moment that I was pregnant.
Sorry, little bun.
I thought, so foolishly thought the three of us could be happy.
Now, it was just the two of us.
But I would make it work.
I'd keep my little bun safe and loved, no matter what, and that could never happen if I was still here, surrounded by so many memories that were no longer beautiful. If I let myself stay here a second longer, I might end up endangering my little one, and the thought was enough to get me off my ass. Before I knew it, I was already in the airport and paying for a one-way ticket to Kivr. Once there, I took a cab straight to the royal palace, and after introducing myself to the guards as the mother of Sheikh Raj's unborn child, I asked them if they could please ask Princess Ella if she was willing to meet me.
I was shown to a grand-looking drawing room, and barely a minute had passed when a woman about my age came, and I found myself thinking—-the sheikh was right.
She did have a rebellious look to her, and just like that...
Just thinking about him—-
My face started to crumple.
"Oh no," I heard Ella whisper.
A moment later, and she was quickly pulling me into her arms, and I found myself bawling like a kid.
"What's that jerk done to you?"
Your wife's here.
But don't think of visiting just yet. The mood Ella is in, she might just have you banned from entering our kingdom.
Message received at 0102h from Khal
Chapter Nineteen
It was midnight when the sheikh called, and I forced myself to answer, not wanting him to think that I was so hurt I could no longer bear the sound of his voice.
"How very clever of you to choose that place to run away from me."
"I'm not running away from you," I said quietly. "I just need some time and space on my own."
"But how long will you be on your own, I wonder? Dahlia was at the apartment earlier, sobbing her heart out."
"I supposed you wiped her tears?"
"Of course."
I sucked my breath. "I see."
There was a pause, and when the sheikh spoke again, I could practically hear him frowning through his voice. "Is that supposed to mean something?"
"I was just thinking about how you used to wipe my tears, too...until last night."