CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER TWO
“I don’t know why you went over there. You should’ve known Jasiri wasn’t going to just give you his stake in the house.”
Reigna narrowed her gaze, sending a stiff glare in her identical twin’s direction. She had come to her sister’s austere office that looked more like a lab with its white walls and furniture, not an ounce of color to be found except the identical brown beauty herself.
“What I should’ve known is that my twin was going to point out my flaws instead of supporting me in my anger against my trifling ex.”
Regina, born two minutes after Reigna, with the exact same face and a completely opposite personality, was all logic, process, numbers, chemicals, and equations. Where Reigna was all fire and emotion, Regina was the twin that didn’t let herself get led around by her finicky heart. It was a trait Reigna wished she possessed, especially after her meeting with Jasiri yesterday.
“Reigna, stop being dramatic. All I’m saying is you know how Jasiri is, how he always has been. Hell, I wasn’t the sister sleeping with him and even I knew he wasn’t going to honor your request after the way you threw dirt on his proposal.”
Reigna glared harder, but just like before, her sister stared at her with not even the slightest bit of concern or compassion for her.
“Regina, I didn’t throw dirt on his proposal. I told him I wasn’t ready to get married.”
“No,” Regina shook her head as she pointed an accusing finger at Reigna. “You told him you didn’t want to marry him .”
Reigna huffed at her sister’s penchant for remembering the slightest detail for everything.
“I was nervous, Regina. He surprised me in front of the entire Devereaux family, and with all those expectant eyes on me I just froze up. He never gave me a chance to explain that what I meant was that I wasn’t ready to get married to anyone, not specifically him.”
Reigna remembered that day as if it had happened mere moments ago. After two years of dating, Jasiri knelt with his bright smile, holding the largest diamond she’d ever seen, waiting expectantly for her yes. When it never came, he prodded her for an answer. Feeling trapped, she blurted out that she didn’t want to marry him and ran from the room.
If there was any day she could take back, it would’ve been that one. Not that she would’ve changed her mind about the proposal, she wouldn’t have. But she would’ve made sure Jasiri understood it had nothing to do with him and everything to do with the horrible example of marriage her parents gave her.
Backbiting, cheating, and physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, those were the relationship tools her parents had gifted her with. No matter how much she wanted to accept his proposal, she couldn’t trap him in the vicious prison she knew marriage to be, not when she loved him so much.
Her sister rose from her desk, taking the open space next to Reigna on the couch.
“I know that, sister. But he doesn’t. Jasiri is a proud man. You hurt his pride. Until you make that right, you’ll never get him to sell you his share of the house.”
Regina took her hand, lacing their fingers together. It was something they’d both done for as long as either of them could remember. Even though her sister rarely held pretty words for Regina’s antics, she always knew how to make her feel protected and safe.
“Is the house worth all of this, Reigna? We both know you can afford to buy a home anywhere. Why do you have to own this one?”
Reigna slid down on the cushions, placing her head on her sister’s shoulder. “Because we were happy in that house. We walked around Mom and Dad on pins and needles for so long. When she left, we were still afraid to even breathe the wrong way for fear she’d come back, and the nightmare would start all over again. It wasn’t until we moved into that house after the divorce that Ace promised us we’d have nothing but happiness there. That we’d be safe.”
“I know,” Regina squeezed her hand lightly. “But is past happiness worth giving Jasiri what he wants? I love that house and all the memories we had there. But I couldn’t make the sacrifice Jasiri is asking of you. Is this truly about how happy we were there?”
Reigna took in a shaky breath, and it was as if the dam of pain she’d been holding inside for nearly a week since they’d learned of their uncle’s death began to crumble.
“I just miss Ace so much, Regina. He promised me that he wouldn’t leave me before I was ready.”
“I know, sister. He promised me the same. I wasn’t ready either.”
Reigna curled into her sister’s embrace, needing her strength to keep it together.
“We have to say goodbye to him today, Regina. The closer we get to the funeral, the more I just need to hold on to something that I shared with Uncle Ace. Is that so wrong?”
Regina placed a sweet kiss on her head and patted her cheek. “No, Reigna, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. But you know what you’re going to have to do to get it. You’re either going to fight Jasiri in court, and our cousin Amara has already said it would be a fruitless pursuit. Or, you’re going to have to become Mrs. Jasiri Adebesi for the next two years. So again, I must ask you if the house is worth that.”
It was a fair question, and if she’d witnessed anyone else going through this situation, she’d probably ask the same. But she couldn’t walk away from this house. It was the house where their uncle had brought love and stability into their lives. It was the house where Ace found her in her bedroom after her mother had left them, and when she asked if Ace was going to leave her too, he’d said, “I’ll always be here for my babies. I’ll fight the good Lord himself if he tries to take me before you’re ready.”
She’d held him to that promise, and he’d been there through all the ups and downs of her life. The only thing he’d ever asked her in return was that she would someday make the house a home again and fill it with joy and laughter the way it once had been.
She’d gladly agreed to that promise then. And as much as she wished like hell Ace hadn’t put her in this situation, a promise was a promise, and she would keep it, no matter what she had to do to accomplish it.
“It’s the only thing I have left of the man who loved us through some of the toughest times of our lives. I can’t just walk away from this, Regina.”
Her twin separated from their embrace and looked at her with clear eyes. “Then, I guess you have your answer.”
Reigna managed a weak smile before she nodded. “I guess I do.”
* * *
“Baba, how are you?”
Jasiri sat in his diplomatic limousine adorned with the flag of his nation and his princely coat of arms as he watched mourners filter into the large Baptist church on the corner.
“Mwana,” King Omari crooned in the loving way he’d always done when he used the Swahili word for son . Jasiri’s heart swelled at the sight of his father’s smile and the clear sound of his voice. “I miss you, my boy.”
The last time he’d seen the man in person, Omari had been lying in a hospital bed connected to tubes and machines as doctors worked tirelessly to bring his blood pressure down from near stroke levels.
Determined to keep his father alive and in good health, Jasiri had promised the ancestors right then and there that if they protected his father, he’d do everything in his power to remove the burden of the mantle of king from his head and simultaneously protect their descendants, the people of Nyeusi.
Jasiri shared a warm smile with the man. “Baba, things are moving along as expected.”
It was the closest thing to the truth Jasiri could come up with. His father would not have sanctioned Jasiri’s tactics into strong-arming Reigna into marrying him to make him eligible for the throne. No, he would not approve at all. That was yet another reason Jasiri was intentionally keeping the truth from his father.
“I was so happy when you told me you and Reigna had reconciled and she’d agreed to be your queen.”
Agreed to be his queen? That was laughable. She’d have to first know Jasiri was royalty to know marrying him would make her queen of Nyeusi. A truth he had no intention of sharing until they were either in Nyeusian airspace or land for fear she’d run off. Jasiri was born into this life, and the thought of bearing such great responsibility on his shoulders nearly toppled him. He couldn’t risk Reigna deciding it wasn’t worth the bargain he was certain he could get her to make.
Even during their courtship, he had struggled with the secret of his birthright. The only way to survive the viciousness attached to royalty was to quickly discern who was with you for you or simply for what you could do for them.
He’d wanted to tell Reigna who he was from the first moment they met. But Sherard reminded him how unwise that was.
“People will use you and, by extension, the royal family to get what they want. Unchecked greed and desire will inevitably lead to scandal. Royal scandals are harmful, not just to the royals but the nation too. Look at how the paparazzi are always dogging the Windsors. You cannot be the cause of such shame and mockery being thrust upon the Nyeusian monarchy. Now some British people question whether they even need a monarchy. As the heir to the throne, you cannot give your people an opportunity to question if the monarchy is needed or not. Unless you are absolutely sure this person will protect you and protect the monarchy, you cannot risk sharing your identity with her.”
Jasiri had heeded Sherard’s wise counsel. He’d used the two years he’d spent with Reigna to prove to himself and his adviser that she could be trusted. They were in love, and he’d never felt safer than in her arms. He planned to tell her the truth after she’d accepted his proposal. But when Reigna refused his proposal, as outraged as he was that she’d turned him down, he’d never been more relieved that he’d followed Sherard’s advice about revealing his identity. Now it was essential she remain unaware until he’d set every part of his plan in motion. He couldn’t be seen as weak right now. To do so would amount to him handing the monarchy over to his uncle who only sought the throne to benefit himself, not the people.
“Is Reigna with you?”
“No,” Jasiri answered honestly for the first time since he’d answered the video call. “She’s with her family right now.”
His father nodded. “Please give Reigna and the Devereauxs my sympathy on the passing of Ace. He was always a great friend to me, and if my doctors would allow me to travel, I’d be right there with you among the rest of her family to support her. She was very close to Ace. Every time I talked to the man, he’d go on and on about his babies. And Reigna was certainly included in that number. It tore him up to keep the secret of your royal status from her. Fortunately, as a man of great power, he understood the need for you to walk in the world as a normal man to get the sense of what the real world was like. He protected my son, and I will always be grateful to him for that.”
The King dropped his eyes in reverence to his late friend before clearing his throat of the thickness of grief. There were few people in the world that his father held so dear, his expression of pain and loss was clear proof of that.
“This is a significant loss for her. You make sure to take good care of her during this difficult time.”
Jasiri knew his father spoke the truth. Reigna and her sister Regina had been extremely close to Ace. He could only imagine how painful this day must be for her.
“Mwana,” his father sat straighter, leaning toward the camera of his device. “You lost this woman once. Don’t let inattention be the reason you lose her again. I’m serious when I say take good care of her. She will need you to get through this.”
“Baba, I will be everything Reigna needs me to be right now.”
His father’s pride in him as a son and a man shone through the screen. Knowing he was lying to his father about the state of his relationship with Reigna and his position among the many mourners who would pay tribute to Ace should have made Jasiri feel lower than a snake’s belly slithering on the ground.
But if lying to his king and father was the only way to keep the man alive, then Jasiri would spin as many tales as necessary to keep King Omari happy and safe. Doing what needed to be done for the greater good was the responsibility of any king. And since Jasiri would be next to rule, he considered this charade practice for the sovereign he was about to become.
Marrying Reigna was the best thing he could do for his father, his country, and himself. Yes, marrying her would help him protect his father’s health, stabilize the monarchy, and keep his father’s line as the rightful monarchs of the nation. More importantly, however, marrying her meant he wouldn’t be so distracted by love that he’d let his relationship rule him the way it had when he’d loved her.
Reigna’s dismissal of him and his proposal had twisted him in knots for months. He’d barely been able to function, and his work as crown prince and ambassador of Nyeusi had suffered greatly. He’d been fortunate that Sherard had been there to cover for him, ensuring no harm resulted from the dereliction of Jasiri’s duties. As king, he could not take that risk. That meant that the safest bet was for him to marry the woman who’d crushed his heart and make certain he’d never love anyone else again, not even her.
The sight of an elegant woman dressed in black with large black sunglasses headed toward his car caught his attention, making him brace for battle.
“Baba, Reigna’s here. I must go.”
“Very well, son.” With a brief nod, his father ended the call, and his phone screen went dark. Before his security detail could knock on the glass and ask his permission to let her near the car, Jasiri opened the window just far enough to give the guard an affirmative wave of his hand.
Soon, the door opened, and Reigna was sliding inside, pulling her sunglasses off before locking gazes with him.
“Hello, Reigna. You have my deepest sympathy.”
She held up a hand, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits as she glared at him.
“Spare me the platitudes, Jasiri. I know they’re not genuine.”
His body tensed at her words. He wasn’t sure why, but it almost bothered him that she didn’t believe him.
“Well, if it’s to be that way, let me get straight to it, then. Why are you in my car, Reigna?”
He waited patiently, refusing to push her. Reigna tended to bolt when she was cornered, and he needed her thinking clearly if his plan had a prayer of working.
“I’m here to accept your terms, Jasiri.” Her words were as sharp as her glare. “I’ll marry you and live in your country for two years so you can take over your father’s office. But the moment two years is up I will be on the first thing smoking back to New York with the deed that declares me the only owner of my family’s home.”
Jasiri sat back in the soft leather of his seat, lifting an eyebrow in acknowledgment.
“You’ve made a wise decision, Reigna.”
“I’ve made the only decision that you’ve given me.”
“True,” he replied. “And as long as you remember that, this will work out perfectly.”
* * *
She watched Jasiri as he leaned forward, as if he were making sure she could see his face clearly. He took hold of her hand, sliding the same large diamond onto her ring finger that he’d offered her two years ago when he’d proposed. The heft of it, both physically and emotionally, caused her to flex her fingers. It was proof of their agreement. She was getting exactly what she wanted and keeping her promise to her late uncle while simultaneously helping Jasiri protect his father. It was a simple business transaction. But as her chest tightened as she stared at this outward sign of their engagement, she couldn’t escape the fact that the ring felt more like a shackle than a piece of expensive jewelry.
“If you try to double-cross me, Reigna,” he said in a deep, low grumble, “I promise you will live to regret the day you laid eyes on me.” It was a warning. One she knew she couldn’t ignore.
“Too late for that, Jasiri.” She swallowed, trying hard to push her visible anger down. “I already do.”