Chapter 8
Mandy rolled over, opening her eyes as her brain slowly came to life. The sun shone brilliantly through the window, but there was something wrong.
Looking over her shoulder, she realized that she was in Zahirs bed.
She sat up with a gasp and looked around, holding the sheet to cover her nakedness. Thats when the memories of the night before came flooding back to her.
What have I done? she whispered, pushing her tangled hair out of her eyes. Mandys heart was pounding against her ribs as she remembered the events of the night before. She remembered walking into the kitchen and smiled, remembering Zahir…he’d been making bread! Bread of all things!
She glanced around the room, noticing for the first time the expensive decor and the stunning view of the city skyline. Zahir was nowhere to be seen, and Mandy wondered if he was even in the suite.
Slowly, Mandy climbed out of the enormous, silk-covered bed, feeling vulnerable and exposed. Her clothes were scattered across the floor, and she hastily pulled them on, still disoriented, but somehow happier than she’d been in a long, long time!
As she made her way toward the door, she heard a noise coming from the living room. Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered if it was Zahir. But when she peeked around the corner, she saw a tall, unfamiliar man standing in front of the window, gazing out at the city.
Mandy froze, unsure of what to do. She wanted to get out of here, to get back to the safety of her own suite. But how could she escape without being noticed by Zahirs bodyguards?
She watched the man for another moment, trying to place him. Was he one of Zahirs guards? Or maybe just a friend? Finally, she slowly stepped forward, making her presence known.
At the sound of the bedroom door closing behind her, the man turned around, his gaze sweeping over her before he spoke.
Good morning, Ms. Sullivan. Can I help you with something?
Mandy shook her head, feeling embarrassed. Im just trying to find my way out. I dont want to cause any trouble.
The mans expression softened, and he gestured toward the door. Zahir isnt here at the moment, but I can escort you out if youd like.
Mandy nodded, grateful for his help. As she followed the man out of the suite, she realized that she had no idea what time it was. Late, she suspected, glancing at the angle of the sunshine streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows. Good grief, she’d overslept, but perhaps that was to be expected since she’d spent most of the night…Wow! She’d made love…umm…had sex…with Zahir! And it had been amazing! No, better than amazing!
She pushed the thoughts aside, focusing on getting out of the suite. Ill just...head back to my room and get ready for work.
The man nodded and bowed slightly with a politely blank expression as she made her way to the door.
Out in the hallway, Mandy breathed a sigh of relief. However, the beautiful mosaics that decorated the hallway seemed to mock her. Even as her body thrummed with satisfaction, Mandy knew that she’d done something…not wrong. No, that wasn’t accurate. There was no way could she describe last night as “wrong”. It had been magical and incredible! And yet, it couldn’t happen again. Zahir was looking for a wife among a list of beautiful women with impressive pedigrees. Mandy was just an accountant with a blue collar family background.
Still, she wouldnt regret last night. Yes, her heart would ache. But the memories of being in Zahirs arms would remain with her for a lifetime.
With a heavy sigh, Mandy forced her feet to take her back to her suite. Time to find him a wife, she whispered to herself as she stripped off her clothes and headed for the shower. Shed dress very conservatively today. Although, why shed bother, Mandy wasnt quite sure. Zahirs assistant and all of his bodyguards had seen her coming out of his bedroom this morning. By now, probably the whole palace knew where shed spent the night!
Humiliation washed over her with that realization, and she sighed. Lowering her gaze, she stared at her computer screen, refusing to look up even when Raven entered the room.
“Already hard at work, eh?” Raven called out cheerfully.
Mandy barely nodded. “His Highness asked me to look into a few more people,” she replied.
Raven nodded and sat down behind her desk and Mandy lost herself in the numbers. She checked bank accounts and invoices for the first agency head, spending hours going through every piece of data she could find. When the top officials from that department were cleared, she started on the next. And the next. Her fingers flying over the keyboard.
“Do you want to get some lunch?” Raven asked.
Mandy didn’t hear her. She was looking at ten different invoices, trying to figure out what each of them were for and wondering why they didn’t make sense.
Raven hesitated, but finally left to grab a sandwich from the palace’s employee cafeteria.
Hasan muttered several epithets as he looked at the flashing warning message on his computer. “Who the hell hacked into our system?” he yelled to his assistant.
Jacob rushed into the room, coming to stand behind his boss’ desk. As soon as he saw the flashing, red message, he swallowed hard past the lump of panic in his throat. “That can’t be!” he whispered with increasing dread. “I set up a firewall, sir! I created several levels of protection to maintain secrecy!”
Hasans fingers flew over the keyboard, trying desperately to keep up with the flurry of code scrolling across the screen. Jacob watched with growing fear as his boss cursed and muttered under his breath, sweat beading on his forehead.
Suddenly, the screen went black, and Jacob gasped in horror. But before he could say anything, the computer hummed back to life, and a new message blinked onto the screen.
Hello, Hasan, the message read, I hope you dont mind me taking a little peek around your system. I must say, you have some very interesting files.
Hasans jaw tightened as he read, and Jacob could see the anger burning in his eyes. Without a word, Hasan began typing furiously, his fingers tapping out a response.
Who are you? he wrote. What do you want?
The response was immediate. I think you know what I want, the message said. I want to know how much money you stole from Sheik bin Aristi and the Sidrina government! Hasans heart pounded in his chest as he read the message. How did this person know about the money he had stolen? He had been so careful to cover his tracks, to ensure that no one could ever discover what he had done.
But, it seemed that his past had finally caught up with him.
He quickly typed out a response, his fingers shaking slightly. I dont know what youre talking about, he wrote. I havent stolen anything.
There was a moment of silence, and Hasan held his breath, waiting for a response. Finally, the message blinked onto the screen.
Dont lie to me, Hasan, it read. I have evidence of your theft, and I will bring that evidence to Sheik bin Aristi today.
Hasans mind raced as he tried to think of a way out of this situation. He couldnt afford to be exposed, not now when he was so close to finally achieving his goals!
Mandy sat back, her fingers shaking as she stared at the screen. She’d done it! She’d caught him! The man Zahir was looking for was Hasan Isfara!
The invoices alone hadn’t been enough. They were just the start. But after hacking into the department’s computer system and seeing all of those unexpected firewalls, she knew that something was wrong. Something bigger than simple embezzlement.
Now, she had evidence! Now, she had him.
Gathering up her printouts, she hugged the pile to her chest and rushed out of the room. She needed to speak with Zahir immediately. Not his guards. She still wasn’t sure if they were part of this operation…or even what the whole operation was. She only had a bunch of odd invoices and a panicking department head.
But there was something nefarious going on, and Mandy needed to warn Zahir as soon as possible.
She only hesitated for a moment when the memories of last night’s…adventures…came back to her. Everything she’d done with him, all of those gasping whispers and pleas for “more”! And she hadn’t even understood what “more” meant until he’d given her more.
Shaking her head, Mandy pushed those thoughts aside. She was here to help him find the embezzler and a wife. That’s it. She had a one night stand with him. Other women did that all the time. There was nothing wrong with what she’d done with him either. It had been…wonderful. Amazing!
But right now, she had a job to do.
Raven watched her new friend, wondering what had suddenly occurred that would shift Mandy’s usually sunny personality so dramatically. She’d been quiet and tense all day, working as if she had a death threat hanging over her head.
Which was possible, since Raven knew that Mandy wasn’t investigating the list of female candidates any longer. She didn’t know what Mandy was working on now, nor would Raven try to find out. Whatever project her new friend was working on at the moment was a secret, and she would respect that.
Still, she was worried about the tension. And where was Sheik Aristi today?
There was an odd tension everywhere in the palace. Even the cafeteria staff had been acting weird when she’d gone down for a quick lunch.
Yes, something very odd had happened recently. Initially, Raven had wondered if something had finally happened between Mandy and their mutual client. But if that were the case, why was Mandy so tense?
Sighing, she turned back to her computer. More candidates would arrive tomorrow for another social event. Raven wasn’t looking forward to another round of beautiful women and their superficial conversations. Especially since Raven knew that the perfect mate for His Highness was already right in front of him.
Mandy hugged the new data printouts close to her chest like a shield as she hurried towards Zahir’s office. She noticed she was thinking of him as “Zahir” now, instead of “His Highness”.
Still, she wasn’t sure how to speak to him today. After last night, everything had changed.
“Is he available?” she asked as soon as she stepped into his assistant’s office. “I have some information that he needs to hear immediately.”
The man looked up, startled by the unexpected presence. His lips compressed in obvious dislike and the man shook his head. “His Highness is in–”
“His Highness wants Ms. Sullivan to join him in the presentation room,” a guard interrupted.
Both Mandy and Zahir’s assistant swung around towards the large, terrifying man standing in the doorway. Mandy was so startled, she took a quick step back, unaware of her mouth falling open.
She rallied quickly, shaking her head. “No, I don’t want to interrupt him. This can wait,” she replied and started to turn away, feeling an intense rush of relief that she didn’t need to face Zahir quite yet.
Her reprieve was short lived, unfortunately.
“His Highness asked that you join him,” the guard repeated, more firmly this time.
“Oh!” Mandy replied. She felt a dual spark of both happiness and panic. She was going to see Zahir again! This was both very good and…terrifying! “Right. Well…” she glanced at the assistant, then looked quickly away from his obvious disapproval. What had she done to make the man dislike her? She’d only met him a few times, and hadn’t had any other interaction with him, other than when she needed to speak with Zahir.
Then she remembered last night. A blush stole over her cheeks as she thought about everything she’d done with Zahir last night. The begging! The desperate need to feel his hands touching her and…and dear heaven…the pleasure! She’d never known that such intense pleasure could exist!
But surely this disapproving jerk couldn’t know what she’d done in the privacy of Zahir’s suite, could he?
Surely not! With a humph of irritation, she turned to face the guard. “It would be my pleasure to speak with His Highness in the presentation room,” she replied with as professional a tone as possible.
With a fake bravado, she followed the guard, not sure where they were going. As long as they were walking away from the disapproving assistant, Mandy didn’t care.
However, when the guard gestured to an open set of double doors, she was startled to find the room packed with people. And at the other end of the room, sitting on a dais and…was that a throne? A literal throne? Good grief!
Yep, Zahir, the man she’d held in her arms last night as he’d done the most wicked things to her body, was sitting on a freaking throne!
Okay, she knew that he was the ruler of Sidrina, but in her mind, Zahir was still a man. He was still approachable.
Now, seeing him on his throne and looking magnificent, she had a different view of him.
As soon as she stepped into the room, Mandy was captured by his gaze. He didn’t just stare at her. Zahir was watching her as if he wanted to…she blushed, immediately thinking about all of the things that she wanted him to do to her.
Darn it! After rushing out of his room this morning, Mandy had vowed to put last night out of her mind. So why couldn’t she stop thinking about the man, and all of their naughty activities from last night?
The guard touched her arm and silently gestured for her to move to a different seat. Thinking she’d taken an official’s place in the room, Mandy jumped up and followed the guard. But he didn’t lead her to one of the chairs set along the walls. Nope, he gestured for her to sit in an open seat in the front row!
Mandy looked at the man, silently asking him if he was serious. The guard merely waved his hand towards the chair again. So, Mandy sat in the empty seat, still clutching the file to her chest. Slowly, she lowered the file folder so that it rested in her lap, but she didn’t have the courage to look up. Not just yet. Instead, she took several moments to slowly breathe in and out, trying to release the tension in her body.
Zahir watched Mandy as she sat primly on the cushioned chair. Was she even aware of the significance of that chair? It was the only cushioned chair in the presentation room. All the others were hard, wooden benches. The long benches in the back of the room were slightly more comfortable because one could lean against the wall. But none of the other benches were softened by the tapestry cover or the soft, down cushion, and none except for the first row had a back to lean against.
He’d heard a few quiet gasps when she’d been led to that chair. And Zahir could feel the curious gazes of his department heads on him, waiting for him to tell her to find another place to sit.
But he didn’t. Mandy was sitting exactly where she should be.
In the chair of his future wife.
Smothering his amusement at the stunned shock on the faces of his elderly advisors, Zahir tried to focus on the person speaking into the microphone now. However, he kept glancing at Mandy, wondering when she would relax enough to hear what was being said.
He knew the exact moment it happened.
“Your Highness, I know that this is a ridiculous issue to bring to you. But I’ve spoken to several other people. The police tell me that it isn’t their problem and they can’t tell the guys to move the temporary toilets. The people at the building code department laughed me out of their office. I can’t get onto anyone’s calendar.” The poor man sighed, obviously embarrassed and frustrated as he rubbed the top of his head. His hair didn’t muss though, since it was cut so short. Instead, the poor man simply revealed his frustration. “The smell of shit is awful!” he groaned. “I don’t know what those people are eating, Your Highness. But whatever is causing that smell is filling those temporary toilets. And those toilets are never cleaned! The toilets, all five of them, haven’t been emptied in months! The stench reaches all the way down the block. People have stopped visiting the park across the street because the smell is so bad.”
Zahir nearly laughed out loud when Mandy twisted around so she could see the speaker. Everyone in the room was trying hard not to laugh at the poor guy.
Taking pity on the man, Zahir replied, “Thank you for bringing this matter to me. I believe that you’ve tried to resolve this issue at the lower levels of my government and no one in my administration has helped you.” He looked to each of his department heads, wondering which one was the culprit. Oh, he wasn’t overly concerned about the “toilet debacle”. He wanted to know which of the idiots in the front row was trying to topple his government. There were no new rumors over the past few days, but…?
All twelve men shifted in their chairs, obviously uncomfortable under Zahir’s glare.
When he turned back to the man, Zahir was careful not to look at Mandy – and the barely restrained laughter on her lovely features. If he did, Zahir was positive that he would burst out laughing at the situation.
And yet, this poor man’s concerns were valid.
Looking directly at the man who was shifting uncomfortably at the podium, he said, “This isn’t just a problem with the smell, sir. And you’re very brave to have brought this to me. I know that many people in this room find the situation amusing, and yet, this is a serious health concern with stagnant human refuse creating a bio hazard.” Once again, he looked at each of his department heads. None were laughing now! “I need you all to leave this room at once. Go into the conference room and figure out who is going to resolve this problem.” He turned to the man still standing at the microphone. “Sir, I apologize for the failure of my government for not resolving this issue prior to today. I will have a solution to your problem by the end of today and the temporary toilets will be not only cleaned up and sanitized within twenty-four hours, but a full bathroom, with proper connections to the city sewers will be built within three months for everyone who uses the parks to enjoy.”
He looked back at the men who were still sitting in the front row. “Why are you still here?” he demanded, irritated that they hadn’t left already.
“Yes, Your Highness,” several of them muttered as they stood up, their heads bowed as the group filed out through the door to the left of the presentation room. There was an awkward silence after their departure, but Zahir wasn’t finished.
“Sir, please present yourself to my office in three days’ time to report on whether this problem has been resolved.”
The man looked startled, but he bowed and nodded. “Yes, Your Highness. And thank you so much for taking me seriously.”
“You’ve brought a grave health concern to my attention and I’m grateful,” Zahir replied.
The man nodded and, with a flaming face, left the room.
Again, Zahir glanced at Mandy and noticed that she was smothering her own amusement. He gave her “the look” that warned her not to laugh, then turned to focus on the next speaker.
Thankfully, there were only a few more people left that wanted to present a problem or suggestion to him. A half hour later, the room was empty other than his council advisors, all of whom stood up, stretched, then stepped forward to bow to him before leaving. Several of them promised to look into the ideas presented today and Zahir nodded. But all he wanted was to be alone with Mandy.
She looked so uncomfortable as she stood up and moved over to one of the walls. Damn, she was cute! Cute and sweet and passionate!
He made the necessary replies to his advisors, relieved when they finally cleared the room.
Finally, the door to the presentation room closed with a thud, the sound waves echoing against the marble walls. And finally…he was alone with Mandy.
She stared up at him, eyes wide with confusion. She clearly didn’t understand what was going on or the implication of her presence here today. But Mandy was an extremely intelligent woman. She’d figure it out, he thought.
“Are you okay?” he asked, standing in front of her. He slipped out of his ceremonial robes, handing them off to his assistant, who had appeared out of some secret place. Zahir never understood how the man could be so aware of when he was needed. He disappeared just as stealthily as he’d appeared.
“I’m fine,” she replied, her tone formal and stilted.
There was a long pause and he waited until Mandy lifted her eyes to him. “You’re embarrassed,” he stated, then sighed heavily. “You shouldn’t be embarrassed, Mandy,” he told her firmly, then put a hand to the small of her back, guiding her out of the chamber.
“I’m…uncomfortable,” Mandy replied in a low voice. “I don’t usually have…I’ve never had a one night stand before,” she told him, staring straight ahead.
Before she could take another step, Mandy felt his hand gripping her arm. Suddenly, Zahir pulled her into a small room. Gasping and surprised by the suddenness of his embrace, she gripped his shoulders, staring up at him with her mouth hanging open.
“You still haven’t! Last night was not a one night stand!” he told her with a vehemence that surprised her. He shifted his body, pressing her more completely against him and she inhaled sharply, very aware of his arousal pressing against her stomach. “In fact, I want many more nights like that one.” Slowly, Zahir lowered his mouth, brushing his lips against hers. “I think you do too, don’t you?”
She started to shake her head, but the touch of his lips against her mouth startled her. Immediately, she felt the need bubble up inside of her. Still, she had just enough strength of mind to say, “We can’t have more than last night.”
But as soon as the words escaped her lips, she realized how untrue they were. The heat surging through her body ignited a burning desire, making her gasp. She let out a soft moan, giving in to his embrace, and felt the tension between them escalate.
Zahirs hands explored her body, igniting every nerve fiber along the way. She felt his hot breath on her neck, sending shivers down her spine, and his fingers trailed down her back, making her arch into him. Mandy wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, and felt the hard bulge of his erection throbbing against her.
She wanted him so badly. But as much as she desired him, she knew she couldnt give him what he wanted. He was about to be engaged! To someone other than her.
Before that thought could fester, Zahir lifted her into his arms, shifting her hips so that his erection was pressing against the softness of her stomach. Tell me you dont want this, he urged.
“I…” she stammered, but the words that she wanted to say morphed into a moan of pleasure as his hands smoothed over her skin. “I…!”
“You want me just as much as I want you, Mandy. I dare you to deny it.” He didn’t wait for her answer. Instead, he lowered his head, nibbling at her earlobe. She moaned again, rubbing her body against his.
“You’re doing this on purpose,” she whispered, then gasped when he lowered himself, bending onto one knee. Startled, she looked down at him, shaking her head as her mind slowly processed his delicious intent. “What are you doing?”
He laughed, then lifted her leg so it was draped over his shoulder. “I’m proving to you that what’s between us isn’t just a one night stand, Habibi.”
She reached for his shoulders, intending to push him away. Instead, he pushed her panties to the side and spread her open. Gasping, she clung to him, her fingers diving into his hair as his mouth moved closer. His lips and shockingly talented tongue licked at her folds, teasing her as if she were a lollipop! Mandy gasped, so turned on she could barely think!
“Do you have any idea how delicious you taste?” he asked, sucking on her nub while his finger slid into her heat. “So damn sweet!”
Mandy couldn’t respond. Her whole body was tense, waiting for his next lick. He didn’t disappoint! Whimpering, she rolled her hips, needing more of his tongue and those magical fingers. “You’re…” she meant to tell him that he was crazy but her mouth couldn’t form the words. He was just too good at this! Instead of speaking, she could only moan as he moved against her, sucking that nub, teasing her body until….!
“Zahir!” she screamed out, her body throbbing with the fastest, hardest climax she’d ever experienced. He didn’t relent for several more moments, extending the pleasure as she throbbed, nearly sobbing with the pleasure he was giving her.
Finally, it was too much and she pulled at his hair, tugging his mouth away from her.
He stood up, licking his lips as he pressed himself against her. “Not just one night, Mandy,” he emphasized.
Before she could speak, he took her hand and led her out of the room.
Mandy glanced down, hoping their interlude wasn’t obvious from her clothing. Thankfully, her flowing, silk skirt was appropriately draped over her hips and thighs. Nothing else was out of place. Well, her mind wasn’t in place. Her mind was still back in that room trying to figure out what had just happened.
“You look beautiful, by the way,” he said, his lips very close to the shell of her ear. “And I’m eager to hear about your day.” He accepted the file folder that his assistant handed to him. “I believe this is yours.”
With numb fingers, Mandy took the file and hugged it to her chest. “What just happened?” she whispered as they stepped into the dining room.
Zahir held the chair out for her, smiling triumphantly as she stared up at him for a long moment. “You just enjoyed a lovely orgasm, my dear,” he murmured. “That’s what happened. And if you would be so kind as to eat a delicious meal with me, afterwards, I will endeavor to give you several more experiences tonight with the same result.”
Mandy dropped into the chair, still staring up at him. Still confused but trying to hide the blush that heated her cheeks. If she had the words to speak, she would have screamed, “Yes!” at the top of her lungs. She would have whimpered and demanded that they start right now.
Instead, she licked her lips, thinking about doing the same thing to him that he’d just done to her. And she would lick every part of him, every inch of his impressive erection and know the pleasure of feeling him react in the same way she’d just done.
She sat at the table, demurely nodding in response to the waiter who delivered a meal of…she had no idea what was on her plate. Mandy only had eyes for Zahir!
“She was there!” Hasan snapped, absolutely livid since every other member of Sheik bin Aristi’s cabinet had laughed at him in the conference room about some slob who wanted him to deal with shit! He didn’t like shit! He didn’t want to smell the stuff as he ordered his department to clean up whatever temporary toilets were creating a stink in this small, country-bumpkin’s village! He wanted to rail at the man and kill the woman who had sat down in that special chair! The damn chair had been vacant for so long! And after that video released a month ago, no one close to Sheik bin Aristi had thought that it would be filled anytime soon.
And why the hell has Zahir allowed a bitch, a woman who pranced around in a business atmosphere as if she belonged there, to sit in that special place? That chair was reserved for the mother of the sheik’s children! Hell, his predecessor’s wife had been too busy raising Zahir to bother with coming to the presentation meetings!
So, why was this bitch doing it now?
He didn’t like this! Hasan paced his office, trying to figure out how he was going to stop the contracts that were already underway. He’d manipulated the contracts for several housing projects so that he received significant kickbacks. Plus, he’d ordered one of those contractors to add an addition onto his house.
However, after the hacking incident yesterday, he’d have to stop the projects, he thought. Just until he knew who was behind the hacking. He’d deal with them the same way he’d dealt with all of the others who had interfered with his secret efforts.
Thinking through the projects, he suddenly realized that he couldn’t stop the contracts. The projects were more than halfway through in most cases, so stopping them would create a buzz. People would start asking questions. And audits! He’d kept projects going because there was always an audit at the end of every contract!
He could…? Hasan hit the side of his head, trying to come up with a plan.
The money from the kickbacks was in a separate account under his aunt’s name. Plus, all the money from the illegal contracts had been pulled in from different government agencies, he reassured himself. Also, that account was protected by a different country’s laws. So, maybe he was safe? Maybe those additional payments from the contractors wouldn’t be discovered! Even if the hacker was to look into his bank accounts, whoever was spying on him wouldn’t know about the accounts in Switzerland and Grand Cayman.
Yes, that was possible. But what if that bitch started asking questions? What if she already knew about the side income that he’d created for himself? What if she’d been the one to hack into his computer?
It wouldn’t be a problem, he told himself as he continued pacing. Biting his thumbnail, he worked through the excuses in his mind. His aunt lived in Switzerland. He could fly out there today and…and what?
Kill her. Yes, that sounded like a good plan. His aunt was wealthy after marrying that businessman several decades ago. First, if anyone asked about the bank account or if they discovered the renovations that were being done on his home, he would just tell the authorities that his aunt loved him and sent him extra money. And if she were to…oh, say, fall down a staircase, well, that happened to older people a lot! They didn’t have good balance. Everyone knew that. If the old woman died, then she couldn’t tell the auditors that she wasn’t the source of Hasan’s additional income.
It sounded like the perfect plan, Hasan decided.
If this woman, this stranger to their world, was going to come into his domain and investigate, and all evidence points to that happening right now, then Hasan needed a plan. A rich, adoring aunt was the perfect excuse for the extra cash that he was spending.
Yes, Aunt Odelia would be the perfect justification for his new-found wealth, especially since the money from the contracts was under her name.
Chuckling, Hasan sighed with relief now that he had a plan.
Maybe he should get rid of the bitch too. Yes, he could lure this new foreigner out of the palace and…and what kind of accident could he organize? He had several men that would do whatever he commanded of them, for the right price. Maybe a car accident? Wasn’t there a restaurant or a bar located right across the street from the palace? He’d heard about several palace employees talking about it. They would go there after meetings at the palace, bragging about all of the tasks they were working on. Everyone who crossed the street and entered that place reveled in the prestige that came with meetings at the palace.
Yes, that would work. If the woman was going to interfere with his business, then he was going to interfere with her life!
Hasan felt no guilt at organizing an “accident” for the bitch who was messing with his plans. After being promoted to the head of Urban Affairs and all of the ridiculously juicy, well-funded projects that fell under his purview, he’d lived a very comfortable life for the past ten years. Who cared if a bit of extra cash came into his possession? He did his job and no one was actually getting hurt.
Until now!