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Rashid stood up and looked at her, a s little curve to his mouth As if victory was finally his

“It is clear you were never right for him with all the nonsense you just spouted His sheikha would understand his destiny and would not distract hi Rashid said, Lauren could see the right path

Both she and this insufferable oldAnd Zafirhe’d been walking that tightrope all along From the minute he had met her

“I suggest you have your lawyers look at the papers I brought My son needs to put thisepisode behind hirandchild, I’ll—”

“No,” Lauren threw back, straightening from the couch She’d face this bully and a thousand more like him for Zafir She’d prove her love a thousand tiive her another chance Mindand you can’tto blackood measure

Rashid’s stare was flat, derisive Could have scorched her into ashes, if she let it “You think my son will believe your word over mine? If you still haven’t learned your lesson—”

“If you care anything for Zafir, if there’s even a little regret inside that political heart of yours about what you denied him for so many years, you’ll take me to Behraat,” she demanded

Warning glittered in his eyes “There’s nothing but ive” And in that last sentence, there was a crack, a deep regret

“I’ll take my chances,” she threw back and slammed the door

She quickly dialed her ob-gyn for an appointment

She’d beg if that’s what it would take

Lauren had to wait eleven hours and twentyinferno that was Behraat before she saw Zafir

Through the ride in the ares en route to the city between long stretches of rough road in between Her pulse thudded when the high walls of the palace caht

This was home now, she reminded herself resolutely, even as she felt daunted by the task ahead

Only to be told by Rashid’s nasally aide that she’d have to wait

She’d eaten, walked a path on the rug, fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion and jet lag, wanted to scream at the silence, had even wondered if Rashid hadn’t so Zafir again But she’d been shown into her old suite