Page 65 of Her Desert King

The world thinks the kingdom is strong because I’m the one sitting on the throne, but I trust you to prove them wrong. Our nation is strong because of its people – because of you. Ramil will remain strong even if I serve it without a crown or even if another man takes the throne.

But there can only be one woman for me, and—-

Harper shut the TV closed and threw the remote away.

No more, no more.

She pulled her knees to herself and squeezed her eyes shut.

Images started to form, images she didn’t want to see—-

And she quickly pressed her hands to her eyes, willing the darkness to cover the images.

No more, no more.

But it was no use.

And the tears started to fall.

Oh God, what did he think he was doing? Did he really think she’d want him to throw it all away for her?

A knock sounded on her door, and Harper hastily wiped her tears away, knowing it was the AFK returning from their grocery trip. She had done all she could to persuade them to leave, but the trio had still insisted on camping in her living room and carrying out their duties as her bodyguards.

But when she opened the door—-

Harper promptly tried to shut the door on the sheikh’s face, but his reflexes were far quicker than hers, the sheikh managing to hold the door back and force his way in.

He was here. The sheikh was here. Khalil was here.

He was dressed in the same creamthobeshe had glimpsed from the TV, but he looked a lot thinner, his handsome face bearing an unusual sense of gauntness.

She suddenly realized he was locking the door, and it was enough to make her recover from her shock. “How can you even be here?”

He turned around to face her again before answering. “What you watched was a pre-recording.”

“O-oh.” What did that mean? What could that mean?

“You’re wondering how long I had known the wedding wouldn’t push through?” He saw her eyes widen and smiled grimly. “Your face says everything your lips do not speak of,qalifa. And it may not seem like it, but I know you better than you think—-”

“If that’s true,” she said unevenly, “then you should know what I want you to do now.”

Silence.

And she knew she had hurt him.

Tears stung her eyes. “I’m sor—-”

“Don’t apologize.”

“But I hurt you.”

He smiled humorlessly. “And I didn’t?”

Harper dug her fingers into her palms. “You d-didn't mean to.”

His jaw hardened. “I’m the one who have a million things to apologize for.”

“No—-”

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