Page 35 of I Accidentally Married A Sheikh

I smile back weakly, knowing when I'm defeated. "We shall."

And that's how I end up having my hair and makeup done and my sweats swapped for a sparkly ballgown with a pair of honest-to-goodness glass slippers.

Oh, professor!

Shirley beams in delight. "You look absolutely gorgeous, Ms. Duvall."

I study my reflection in the mirror. The gown Professor Leventis has selected is a lot more daring than I'd ever choose to wear, but...

"Are you sure I look...okay?" I ask worriedly.

"You look more than okay, Ms. Duvall," Shirley assures me. "But we should get going if you don't want to be late for the party."

Did she just say...party?

Chapter Twelve

"I'M SORRY TO BE THEbearer of bad news—-"

"Then don't say it." And after a moment, Zahir added grudgingly, "Your Highness."

"We've just confirmed the latest intel."

Fuck.

"You need to make a move."

FUCK.

"I need to make some arrangements."

"You have my full trust, Zahir. Just don't forget what's at stake."

Zahir was already on the move even before the Crown Prince had ended the call, and his mind hyper-focused on running and discarding potential scenarios with every step he took.

Overthrowing dictators, outsmarting terrorists, and outgunning drug lords, he was used to.

But this?

Escaping a den of hungry lions would have been much easier, dammit.

But for him to find the right words as he informed the love of his life that he was—-

obligedto dump her because he had to-—

enter into arelationshipwith the woman who ranked highest on Interpol's Most Wanted list, and—-

warn her againstcontactinghim until his mission was complete—-

while making sure that he was able to say all of this in underfive minutes?

It was, unfortunately, something neither his years in military academy nor business school had prepared him for.

Think, dammit.

Duty used to take precedence over everything, and calculating what it would cost him personally had never been an issue.

Until now.

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