As much as I consider him a friend, I don’t want to share Madeline with anyone.
“Have you found out anything about Hiba?” I ask, shifting the focus from the present to the past, referring to my deceased ex-fiancée.
“No. It’s awful that we’re still in the dark.”
“You said we have the best investigators at our disposal,” I say, irritated.
“And it’s true, but maybe the person we’re looking for knows how to erase their tracks very well.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“It could be someone close.”
“Yes, I know. I’ve thought about that. Not many people had access to her.”
“No, very few,” he says.
I’m alert because a doubt has been lingering in my mind since the tragedy occurred. It’s not the first time I’ve thought about the possibility, but I’ve always refused to entertain it because if it’s true, my family will be destroyed.
“I don’t like games, Adil.”
“I’m not playing, Kamal, just being cautious. For now, it’s only a hunch, and I won’t say what I’m thinking carelessly without knowing if I’m being fair.”
I know he’s trying to protect me and Sintarah’s future, but the mere possibility that we might both be right makes a bitter hatred rise within me. “Hire more men. I want answers, Adil.No matter who’s behind what happened, I won’t stop until I find out and punish the culprit.”
“You know you can count on me, Kamal.”
I nod in agreement because I’ve never doubted his loyalty. “I’ve been waiting for over five years already. You have just one more month to solve this. If you don’t get results, I’ll ask Christos to find someone else to lead the investigation.”
“Why the rush now?”
I think about how to answer that without exposing Madeline. “Changes in my personal life may be coming soon. If that happens, I want the past to be left behind.”
“Are you finally starting over? Looking for a wife?”
“Nothing’s decided yet, but at some point, I’ll have to consider it. Sooner rather than later.”
“Alright, Kamal. Besides the fact that I believe what happened shouldn’t determine your future—”
I interrupt him with a hand gesture. “I appreciate your opinion, but spare me the self-help lecture. Whatever happens in the future has nothing to do with romance but with what’s best for Sintarah.”
He nods again, then leaves the room.
I look at my phone on the table and touch the screen, thinking about calling Madeline with some lame excuse to assign her a task. However, the date on the display catches my attention.
She told me that Zoe advised her to wait fifteen days to confirm whether she’s pregnant. Today is the fifteenth day.
It’s time to go home and find out if I have a child on the way.
If that’s the case, maybe I can put an end to this inner turmoil without having to promise anything beyond security through marriage.
Chapter 26
“I’m not in the mood for a party, Your Highness, I mean, Zarif.”
“Why not, Madeline? You missed the first I invited you to. Kamal is away on a business trip, and I know you have the weekend off. You’ve been in London for a while now, and have you done anything just to have fun?”
He’s right, and I’m tempted to accept this time.
