Page 38 of Seduced By the Sheikh

“Not all things, no. Only things belonging to you. After what you and your brother did to me, you can hardly be surprised.”

“After what we did to you?” He shook his head in disbelief. “You robbed Sirun. For God knows how many years you made agreements with companies, countries, individuals, for our treasures, land, in exchange for money which went directly into your bank accounts overseas.”

She shrugged. “I was planning my escape from your father. A girl has to look after herself.”

“You’re not a girl. You’re a grown woman and you don’t have to look after yourself by taking what isn’t yours to take. There’s such a thing as loyalty to one’s country, a responsibility to the citizens of that country, a duty to perform. But, of course, you aren’t familiar with any of these concepts, are you?”

Her face darkened. “I had no choice. Your father was a pig. Anyway, if you must know, I regret it a little now I’ve met Soraiya. It’s a shame she was collateral damage. She would have been good for you under any other circumstances. But, as you say, it’s all about duty and loyalty to your country which means she’s done what she needed to do. And what you, possibly, wouldn’t have had the courage to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Made her leave. She’s done your dirty work for you, and left of her own accord. The girl has guts, I’ll give her that.”

“Just leave, mother, just go. You’ve done what you set out to do.”

She stubbed out her cigarette on a valuable plate on his desk and rose. “You’re right. I have. So I’ll leave you to it. You’ve got a lot of figuring out to do.”

He turned away from her, unable to hide his anger and frustration any longer. He simply wanted her gone from his life so he could begin to pick up the pieces. He heard the door open, and then she paused.

“Just one thing,” she said.

“What?”

She didn’t answer so he turned around.

“I’m just curious,” she said.

“About what? Things in general, or about something in particular?” he asked caustically.

“I can’t help wondering what status your son will have now.”

He frowned, and she laughed.

“You didn’t know Soraiya was pregnant. I thought as much. It seems she was keeping something from you, too.”

He gritted his teeth as she swept out of the room. He slammed the door behind her, and stood looking at it, his mind and emotions numb. As he slowly repeated his mother’s words to himself.

Soraiya was pregnant.

What the hell? He stared at the ground, raked his fingers through his hair in confusion and despair, and turned back to look out the window. She’d still be in the air. Her destination unknown. She’d be going to Dubai and then changing to wherever. Europe, her father? He had no idea. His impulse was to track her down, follow her and bring her home again.

He turned and was about to do just that when something stopped him. His hand, still on the door handle, unmoving, frozen, as he wondered why Soraiya had kept her pregnancy from him.

Was there more to her leaving than he imagined. Did she have secrets of her own in addition to her pregnancy? Perhaps she didn’t see her future with him. She’d certainly never said that she loved him.

But he dismissed the idea immediately. Trouble was, spending time with his mother made him imagine conspiracies everywhere. But this was Soraiya. And, if she hadn’t told him she was pregnant, there would be a reason. A very good reason.

He’d pull whatever strings he had to, to locate her, and then he’d find her and bring her back home. Because he trusted her like he’d never trusted anyone else in his life before. Especially not his mother.

CHAPTER 18

Soraiya went straight to the palace from the airport. It had only been four months since she’d been home, and already it had that strange combination of familiarity overlaid with a sense of something foreign. She’d become a stranger in her own home. No, she thought. It wasn’t because she’d been absent. It was because it was no longer her home. Sirun was. She swallowed down the lump that the thought brought. She couldn’t go there. Not yet. She had to remain focused.

She wasn’t surprised when she was made to wait. Tempted as she was to go to the privacy of her old rooms, she stayed, instead, in the main waiting area, along with other people wanting an audience with the king. It wouldn’t help her case to assume old privileges or status. Everything had changed now.

People came and went. She acknowledged the palace staff with a smile and a few words, but ignored everyone else. She knew she was the object of curiosity but held her head up high and refused to make eye contact. Instead she fixed her gaze on the fountain which played on the other side of the closed window. For the first time she noticed the chill of the air-conditioned reception rooms. Something they rarely used in Sirun. And went through yet again the details of the bargain she intended to offer her father while she waited. And waited.

At last she heard her name called and looked up to see a concerned-looking vizier. She jumped up and he gripped her hands.

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