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“So what is this? Some kind of pathetic ‘it’s me not you’ kind of speech?” Rashida demanded.

“We were never... exclusive.” Even he winced at his words. Rafiq knew it would only rile her anger. Hell, he knew any woman would loathe hearing those words.

“And we never made a point of pointing that to each other.” Rafiq observed her tan skin turn red. “We enjoy our time with each other. There’s unbelievable compatibility between us. We could make this work—Ziza in the picture or not—as we have before.”

“This is what you wanted,” she said, “and I’ll be damned if I let you cast me aside like some scraps.”

Rafiq let the silence between them calm her down. He doubted anything that came out of their mouths would make either of them calm.

“This makes little sense! Two months ago, your skin crawled at the very idea of being shackled to her in marriage. Why are you hesitating, why are you taking her side like this?” Her gaze fixed on his, obviously demanding an answer right then.

Because I’d take her side over anyone else’s... he thought. Rafiq didn’t want to stop and analyse where that thought had come from. At least not right then.

“Plans change.” He was about to say something else when her remark stopped him dead in his tracks.

“Oh, my goodness!” Rashida exclaimed, then cupped her hand over her mouth. “You’re in love with her. Aren’t you?’

Her eyes widen in disbelief and her mouth gaped as if she were a fish out of water. All he could do was blink at her, astounded and speechless. Perhaps he had the same expression painted on his face, but he couldn’t bother with it because of the way his heart fumbled at her words.

Blood roared in his ears, but his face suddenly felt cold, as if someone had splashed him with a bucket of icy water. Rafiq wanted to laugh out loud and tell her how that was ridiculous. He didn’t. Because everything suddenly made sense now. As if the ultimate piece of the puzzle was finally completing the entire picture. A picture of a future he never dreamed possible. One he’d never thought he desired as much as he did now. Rafiq swallowed.

Rashida must have taken his momentary silence for a ‘yes’.

“Oh my goodness, the little wretch did it!” Her face twisted with rage and jealousy so potent she didn’t bother to masquerade it.

“Don’t—“

“She’s bewitched you somehow. You think you love her, but you don’t really know her!” Flustered, she cried.

“Pray tell Rashida. What do I not know about her, that you do, hmm?” he sneered unpleasantly.

“I’ll prove it to you. You’ll see that she’s not right for you, then you’ll see right through her act.”

“Even a fool can see through this pathetic, desperate ploy of the advantage you see slipping right through your fingers, and let me tell you, it’s not appealing for a woman like you Rashida.”

“You’re wasting my time with this pointless conversation.” Rafiq glared at her once more before quickly making his way to leave. “This is the last we will ever speak.” He opened the door.

“I will sue!” She spun on her heels to face him, but he didn’t stop once.

He barked out a laugh over his shoulder. “Go ahead. We both know you’d never win a court case against me.”

“No, but you know I’d be able to do a hell lot of damage to your PR. Not only yours but Ziza’s.” His pause must have egged her on, “I can just imagine how your partners and the King would react to the scandals, all the—“

Rashida yelped when Rafiq slammed the door so hard he thought he might have left a crack in it somewhere.

How dare she threaten him? Threaten Aziza? How could this woman remotely think she could manipulate him? The dark and murderous look he cast her way had her taking a small step back.

“I think we both know that I don’t take kindly to threats, Rashida.” He spoke her name as if it left a bitter taste on his tongue.

The woman had guts. A glint of defiance sparked in her knowing gaze as she jutted her chin out and prepared to speak. Rafiq squinted his eyes.

“I would think very hard about the next words that come out of your mouth.” Standing at his full height and took a menacing step toward her, “I have stood here trying to reason with you as best as I could despite your insults towards my wife. Hear me well, Rashida. If you’re resorting to making threats, simply know that is a game I am fully capable of, fully prepared to play. No one gets away with threatening me, least of all you.”

Rafiq spun on his heels and strode from the room, only to stop in the doorway. He turned his head slightly and said, “And the next time you see Aziza, run the other way.”

________________________________________________

The foamy, fragrant, warm water covering her to her neck did nothing to soothe and take away the aches she wanted to be freed from. She doubted anything could. Inhaling the spicy mango fragrance of the bath oils, Ziza once more tried to push aside today’s memories out of her head. When she’d arrived home, she’d wanted nothing but to be alone. Again.

A frown creased her forehead when she came to note how that seemed to have become part of her life. How annoyingly sad was that, she thought.

Ziza had refused to cry. So instead of curling into a ball in the middle of her bed, she’d peeled off her clothes and soaked herself in a much-needed warm bath. Wasting her waterworks on another low life was something she told herself she wouldn’t do, but man did it hurt. It sucked that she was in this same place again.

Maybe she was the problem? Trusting came too easily to her. Was it a matter of being too naïve for her good, or was it because no one would ever reciprocate the love she provided for her better half? At that bitter thought, Ziza drowned out the little voice in her head and sank beneath the bubbles.

Every sound became muffled. Peaceful. She couldn’t hear anything but her heartbeat that echoed in her ears. If only her life was as calm. Wouldn’t it be a relief knowing that the world burning down around her was as easy to leave behind as one would leave a bad dream by simply opening her eyes?

Ziza’s head broke the surface when her oxygen starved lungs screamed for air. Long after the water had cooled, she was towelling herself dry by the tub when she caught the image of her naked body in the mirror. She slowly skimmed herself from her toes to her hair and back again. As many women did, she instantly criticized her figure, wondering to herself if Rafiq had ever found her attractive, or if he was that good at acting. She wondered if he would still find her attractive if he were to see her as she was now. Ziza quickly chastised herself.

Shaking her head to dismiss the toxic thoughts, she inspected her face and winced at the wide, tired, and puffy eyes that stared back at her pale face. Her tender breasts, lined with several dark veins that ran to her now considerably darker nipples, definitely looked larger. Possibly even a cup size larger! Ziza dropped her gaze to her belly and turned this and that way, trying to see if there was a bump. Even though the doctor told her she wouldn’t be able to see a baby yet because it was the first pregnancy, Ziza couldn’t help trying to check it out herself. Only to give up a few moments later.

She left the bathroom in a robe and padded into the bedroom where a servant was setting down the tea tray she’d requested. The young woman had let herself in as Ziza had directed her to when she placed her order.

“Your highness,” she bowed, “I’ve delivered your tea as you requested.”

Ziza resisted the urge to tell her not to address her by her name when she remembered it was the law for them to do so. Plus, no matter how many times she insisted they stopped, it fell on deaf ears.

“Thank you Ezra.” She smiled politely.

“Is there anything I may help you with, my lady?”

“No, thank you. That’ll be all.”

With another bow, the maiden scurried out of the room as quietly as she’d appeared. A little while later, dressed in her ratty sweats and a baggy shirt, she comfortably burrowed her body into the sofa in an unladylike position.

Ziza cradled her steaming cup of chamomile tea cupped in her hands and fixed her eyes on the laptop screen between her legs. If only she could get her mind focused on the screen enough to make sense of what was on it. Her nerves had her on edge, dreading Rafiq’s arrival. She kept seeing his angry face, then him walking out on her.

Thinking about that night had her setting her half-empty cup on the table close to her, then she looked down at the rings that adorned her rings. First she caressed her engagement ring, then the wedding one. Memories flowed as if it’d all happened yesterday. Ziza shut them out when tears formed in her eyes. She would not cry.

Seeing him stay behind with Rashida instead of coming after her bothered her more than she’d admit. He continued to hurt her, but she wondered why she bothered to stay. Even as she asked herself this, she knew the reason. She loved him. She loved him like she’d never loved before. Which made losing him more painful to lose him—something she didn’t want to. But how much more damage could her heart sustain before it succumbed to the blows. Ziza didn’t want to stay and discover the dangerous truth to that either.

Subconsciously, her fingers continued to caress the wedding ring. A fat tear slid down her cheek and fell on the expensive piece of jewellery. Making it glint brighter… if that was possible. Angry with herself, she smacked the tear away and cursed Rafiq’s name beneath her breath. Ziza was about to force herself to concentrate on her important emails when a noise behind her startled her.

Her head twisted around, searching for the source, then her heart stopped. Then it pounded so hard she could hear its loud thump in her ears. Rafiq stood a few feet from her, watching her. How she hadn’t heard him until he’d gotten this far into their chambers was a wonder. For an instant, she thought her brain was hallucinating. But no, the man before her was flesh and blood.

Though he paused there, with his uncovered hair tousled, standing in creased royal black robes, accented with gold edges, Rafiq still looked breathtaking. Beneath his dark eyes, now that she looked closer, were subtle dark circles. Uninhibited, Ziza drank in his sight. Even though he looked like he’d seen better days, he’d never appeared more beautiful to her than now. The power and command he always possessed didn’t fail to her, even then. And as always, he looked so self-assured, which pissed her off.