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People turned to gape at hinificentwhat a king was doing there, and with her to boot

Outside, the li them wasn’t a diplomatic one Saeed was the driver She met his eyes as he opened the door for them, saw that the accusation and the fury of their last encounter had turned into soood idea after all …”

Malek’s hand tightened “No, Janaan You’re not running out on ain Not before we talk Get in, please”

He’d said “please”, but she knew he’d haul her over his shoulder all the way to her condo if she refused She got in

She kept her eyes averted, looking into nothingness as Seattle zooive her address He already knew it She wondered how much more he knew Wondered ould happen once they were alone

Nothing, she railed at herself Nothing would happen, then he’d be the one to walk out on her this ti her key fro it open for her

She walked into her utilitarian space on rigid, nuers It fell on the couch she passed by, didn’t betray her collapsing condition

She leaned on the first wall she reached, asked with forced brightness, “Would you like so as if we’re strangers,” he grated, waited for a reaction When there was none, he prowled into her reception area, shrinking it, nificant in coaze suddenly slammed into her, pinned her to the wall like a butterfly on a board

Then he finally rasped, “Did you see the cereain

She’d been waiting for the guillotine blade to fall, but it still hacked her to pieces when it did She’d been avoiding all ue Anyone who’d known she’d been to Damhoor had wanted to relate news of the country and its exciting new hunk of a king She’d shut herself out, unable to bear hearing anythe news on her

So he’d had a ceremony Had chosen a wife The wife considered suitable, the wife he’d now take to bed, or ht have already taken to bed, the one who’d bear hi the first of many

But it seeiving the wo for her? Or e, offer her the best he could provide, a position as his second wife And he aiting for an answer

She could only give an uncoordinated shrug that could be read as yes or no, as if it didn’t matter to her which

Malek watched Jan with a heart that had shriveled to a husk since the es, ations, had even threatened all the tribes with retribution if anyone had had a hand in her disappearance

It had been then that Saeed had confessed, had tried to convince him the Janaan he loved didn’t exist, that the real woman had shown her true colors at the first hurdle The accusations hadn’t even registered, had only incensed hi ruthless in his punish for her

But all through the soul-gnawing, , he’d had no doubt Not a shadow of one His self-sacrificing Janaan loved hi as best for him and Damhoor

Then she’d looked at him with cool, distant eyes, treated him as if they didn’t mean life and beyond to each other, and his world had smashed around him He’d never known such helplessness, such fear, such defeat

Could it have been true? She’d left hih? Didn’t love him at all?