Page 45 of The Sheikh's Secret Heir

Whispers swirl around me like a desert storm, each one laden with a name — Ali. Finally, a few staff members shuffle past, their glances fleeting and filled with speculation. Finding the butler, I ask him to arrange some time for me to speak to the sheikh and sheikha.

He gives me an odd look. “Dr. Hague, surely you know what is occurring right now?”

“Yes. I do know.” I stand a little taller, lift my chin. “And it’s precisely why I need to speak to them. I have… important information.”

His eyes start to widen in surprise, but he quickly collects himself and nods. “Very well. I will see what I can do. One moment.”

“Thank you.”

He steps into his office to make a private call, and I wait in the hallway outside, my stomach a ball of tension. I’m not entirely sure what I will say to the sheikh and sheikha. I only know that I’ve kept so much in for far too long, and now that the truth is out there — even if it came out in the worse way possible — it’s time for me to unburden my own load.

Barely a minute has passed before the butler opens his office door. “The sheikh and sheikha will see you in their private wing.”

“Oh.” My mouth drops open. It’s quite the invitation, and even though I want to see them, I’m suddenly overcome with nerves.

I weave through the corridors, the walls hung with tapestries that absorb sound and make my footsteps feel intrusive. The air is thick with tension, as if the palace itself braces for the impact of the scandal. My heart beats in rhythm with the hushed conversations, each thump a reminder of the chaos I’ve stepped into.

When I reach the sheikh and sheikha’s private wing, I hesitate. My hand trembles as it hovers over the door handle of their sitting room. I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of polished wood… and knock.

“Come in,” the sheikh’s voice calls from within, and I open the door.

They sit before me, the sheikh and sheikha, wrapped in their dignity though with bags under their eyes and looking like they carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. Their faces are etched with shock, a testament to the news that has shattered the calm of their kingdom. They look up, and in their eyes, I see reflections of my own turmoil.

“Your Highnesses,” I begin, my voice barely above a whisper. “I need to tell you something.”

The words tumble out, a confession let loose from the guilt coiled tight in my chest. “I knew about Ali.” My admission hangs in the air, a fragile truth. “Faiz trusted me not to tell. And I didn’t — I swear I didn’t.”

My hands clutch at the fabric of my blouse, seeking some anchor even as I know there’s nothing to save me from this situation. “But there’s more. I fell in love with Faiz.” Saying it aloud feels like stepping off a cliff, free-falling into a chasm of uncertainty.

They say nothing, and it’s better that way, because I worry that if I am given a moment to even draw a breath, I’ll lose all nerve and stop talking. “And he thinks… he believes I’m the one who revealed Ali’s existence.”

The last words are a blade to my own heart, the pain sharp and real.

Silence envelops the room. I stand here, stripped bare of pretense, every defense crumbled away. I have laid bare my soul to them, offered up my mistakes and my heartache.

Now, I wait, bracing for the storm I’ve unleashed.

The sheikh and sheikha exchange a glance, one that speaks volumes in the language of years spent side by side, before they turn back to me. There’s no anger there, only a depth of understanding that I hadn’t dared to hope for.

“Dr. Hague,” the sheikha begins. “We have always admired your discretion and dedication to our family.”

I bite my lip. My dedication towards the two of them has been faulty, given what I promised Faiz.

She reaches out, her touch light on my arm, grounding. “It’s clear you’ve borne a heavy burden,” she adds.

I nod, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry for keeping it from you,” I murmur. “I never meant to betray your trust. I wanted to help Ali, and…”

The sheikh, a pillar of strength, inclines his head. “We understand your position, Tara. And we appreciate the care you’ve shown Ali… and Faiz.”

“Faiz asked for me to care for Ali,” I explain. Now that Ali’s existence is out in the open, so what if I share the details of my story? Perhaps it will make them more understanding of their son’s need to keep Ali a secret. And even if Faiz and I are over, I don’t want to make his or Ali’s lives any harder than they already are.

I want to help. Until the end of time, I want to make things better for the two of them.

“Ali needed medical treatment,” I continue. “I signed a non-disclosure agreement saying that I would not share anything about his existence, and that…” Noticing the way they are hanging on my every word, I stutter to a halt.

They know nothing about Ali, I realize. Nothing other than the article — which I read — saying that Faiz has a secret son named Ali who has been hidden away for an undetermined number of years.

“You haven’t spoken to Faiz, have you?” I breathe.

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