“Thank you,” I reply.
I watch them greet their brother, then the one he introduced as Djamila says, “We’ve been looking forward to meeting you.”
“You can chat later; now Madeline needs some rest after the flight,” Kamal determines, and I smile to soften the commanding tone of my bossy Sheikh.
“I just need to make some phone calls, then we can get together,” I suggest because there’s no way he’s going to tell me when I can see his family if they want to see me. It’s time to start setting boundaries in our relationship. I’m no longer his assistant but his future wife.
Kamal’s palace, his official residence in Sintarah, is much more beautiful than I imagined. It’s huge, which was expected given all his other properties, very luxurious but not overly so. The furniture is antique, made of solid wood, and I have no doubt everything must have been in the family for centuries, just like the handwoven rugs I read about somewhere. Golden accents complete the decoration. When I reach the terrace, I notice a set of armchairs with intricately patterned handmade cushions and a coffee table that could accommodate a small gathering. Red and orange prevail in the place, bringing life to the environment.
I sit on the bed and look around, trying to get used to my new reality. Or would it be more accurate to say tobelievemy new reality? However, a voice—of diligence or fear, I’m not sure—tells me not to let go of my real life, the one that predates my meeting Kamal. So I grab my phone to hear the voice of the one who is my safe haven: Zoe.
Chapter 35
“I just arrived. That’s why I hadn’t called yet, Zoe.”
“You can’t disappear like that, Maddie. On top of that, your phone was dead. You didn’t tell me you were going to Sintarah today, or let me know the blood test result.”
“I’m sorry, cousin. Everything happened so fast, I barely had time to pack. As for the result, it’s out. I’m pregnant. We’re getting married.”
“I’m happy about the baby. Congratulations, my love. But are you sure about everything else?”
“I am. I’m in love with him, expecting our baby, and Kamal asked me to marry him. It wouldn’t make any sense to say ‘no’ just because I’m scared.”
“And you are very scared”
“Yes, I can’t deny that. This whole situation doesn’t feel real—marrying a Sheikh because I’m pregnant with his child, I mean.”
“And Kamal’s family—were they welcoming to you?”
“I already knew the princes. He and one of his brothers don’t get along, but despite Zarif liking to provoke Kamal, he treats me well, although always with mischievous intentions.”
“What do you mean, mischievous?”
“He’s not rude, and he hasn’t been explicit in anything he’s said, but he’s somewhat . . .I don’t know what word to use. Maybeprovocative. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s genuinely interested in me or if he acts that way to annoy his brother. There’s some serious feud between the two of them.”
“I guess that’s normal between siblings, right?”
“I wouldn’t know—I’m an only child.”
“Neither would I. I sometimes wish I had grown up with siblings so I could have arguments with them.”
Zoe was adopted and returned to the state several times after her mother, my mom’s cousin, died. Only when she was a teenager did a family take her in permanently. I think it left her with deep scars—the rejection from foster homes—because every now and then, even though she’s now married to the man of her dreams and about to start her own family, I can hear the melancholy in her voice.
“Anyway, be careful,” she continues. “Don’t let the brother turn you into a weapon to provoke your fiancé.”
“I basically told him just that in Ibiza. Don’t worry—I don’t intend to get involved.”
“And his mother and sisters?”
“They were kind to me. Even more so than I expected, to be honest. Maybe because his mother is Spanish.”
“What?”
“Yes, I was surprised too when Kamal told me. She is, or was, a Romani. I’m fascinated by this story. Can anything be more exotic than a Sheikh falling madly in love with a Romani?”
“Yes, it can. A Sheikh falling in love with a beautiful American.”
I smile and shake my head. Zoe is a romantic. “Yes, but my Sheikh is not in love with me. I intend to make ourrelationship work, but I know that this marriage is happening because I’m pregnant.”
