Page 55 of The Billionaire's Timed Wife

“The wedding dress, silly! We need to get it as soon as possible. Although, with how rushed this wedding is, Kaled will probably have to use his influence to get a top designer to fit you in.”

“It can be something simple. I don’t mind a ready-made dress that only needs minor alterations. I saw online the other day that several ateliers here in Paris have them. I think the French call itprêt-à-porter.”

“Don’t say that. Just imagining you in anything that isn’t exclusive makes me dizzy,” she says dramatically. “You’re only getting married once, so let’s make sure it’s an event people in Rheadur will talk about for years.”

I shake my head, smiling at her enthusiasm.

“Besides,” she adds, “I can’t wait to see the envy on your sisters’ and stepmothers’ faces when you walk in looking radiant on your wedding day.”

“Faiza has always been kind to me, as much as she could,” I retort. Even if our relationship changed after she married my father, I still like her. Everyone fears him, and she’s no exception, of course.

“If you say so. But you know what I think: silence can be almost as bad as wrongdoing. If you stand by and say nothing in the face of cruelty, you’re complicit in it.”

I stare at her, stunned. “I didn’t know you ever saw how they treated me.”

“Why do you think I used to invite you to sleep at the palace so often when we were growing up? Of course, I didn’t realize how bad it was. If I had, I would’ve begged Father to let you move in with me permanently. But even then, I could tell how they were always trying to put you down, Adeela.” She steps in front of me, taking my hand. “You should’ve told me everything. I would never have let them go that far.”

“I didn’t want you to be my friend out of pity. I wanted you to love me.”

“I do love you. I always have. But I wish I’d protected you from your father’s cruelty.”

“Jazmina, having you in my life while I was growing up softened the pain of missing my mother. Don’t blame yourself. I don’t want to dwell on the past.”

“All right. I’m sorry for bringing it up—I didn’t mean to make you sad. Now get dressed; we have a lot to do today,” she says, heading toward the door. “And I was serious. I want your sisters green with envy and regretting every unkind thing they ever said to you.”

“And what’s your big plan, you little schemer?” I laugh.

“Leave that to me. I’ll make my brother work for it. He’ll have to pull strings to get you an appointment with the best designer in Europe,” she says, already reaching for her phone. “It’s time for Kaled to use his royal credentials.”

That afternoon, same day

“I didn’t ask how your call with your mother went,” Jazmina says while we wait for the designer in a chic atelier onRue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

I hadn’t believed the woman would actually see us, but apparently, I underestimated Kaled’s power and influence. Barely an hour after Jazmina called him, he texted to say the driver and security team were ready to take us.

“It was...strange and sweet,” I say. “Like talking to a stranger, because she doesn’t really know me anymore, who I’ve become. And yet...she’s still more a part of me than anyone else in the world.”

“I can’t imagine how I’d feel if I had to be separated from my mother forever. I mean, when it’s death, like with Kaled’s mother, there’s nothing you can do. But your situation was so different. Your father’s selfishness stole years from you both.”

“I think we’ll both need time to adjust to each other again. But we agreed to talk every day until I can go to the United States to bring her home.”

“Kaled told me her doctor said it wouldn’t be a problem for her to continue treatment in Rheadur. After all, our hospitals are some of the best in the world. That’s always been a point of pride for my father.”

“Yes, but . . . I’m scared.”

“Of what?”

“My mother’s health is fragile, Jazmina. What if they insult her? What if my father or his wives try to hurt her somehow?”

“Adeela, I know you don’t know my brother that well yet, even though you’re engaged to him. But remember this, always: Kaled would never allow anyone to touch your mother—not her body, not her heart. He never takes on a mission halfway. If he said he’ll bring her to our country, he’ll keep her safe there.”

The door opens, and the most elegant woman I’ve ever seen—blonde, with a perfect shoulder-length cut—steps toward us. “What a pleasure to welcome you, my darlings. Which one of you is the lucky bride marrying the prince?”

Her English carries as strong an accent as ours, but her warm smile instantly puts me at ease.

Maybe commissioning my dress from the woman who designs gowns for Oscar-winning actresses won’t be as intimidating as I thought.

The next night