Chapter 21
Marianna stared at the computer screen, not sure where she wanted to start. Normally, she had a long list of topics, legislation, or controversial politicians that sparked her interest.
But she was too distracted to focus. She kept replaying the conversation between herself and Amit. His look of confusion when she’d asked him about the trading comment had her wondering what had actually happened. Had she misheard the suggestion eight years ago?
No, Marianna had a vivid memory of Amit offering to trade the twins, Laith and Rafi, as well as their mother, for her. Joran had snuck them out of Uftar, bringing them to the safety of the Lativa palace. At that point in time, Amit’s father was still in charge of Uftar and the political tension between their countries was intense. War loomed on the horizon, and a sincere, long-held hatred boiled between the two cultures.
Amit’s father had passed away a year later and Amit had risen to rule the country. Since then, Amit and Khal had worked hard to ease the tensions between their countries, as well as establish more diplomatic and economic ties between Uftar and Lativa.
It was working too. The countries were slowly starting to get along. Trade between Uftar and Lativa had quadrupled over the past several years. It was astonishing how easily the tensions eased once Amit called for peace. It was a testament to how much the people in Uftar respected and trusted him.
It didn’t hurt that he had created millions of jobs, brought several new industries to the country, and had funded six new universities. Health care was fully paid for by the government and people no longer had to worry about how to afford a doctor’s visit.
Marianna was aware that some governments created a boogieman, like starting wars or manufacturing a political problem to distract citizens from the real problems that politicians didn’t want to fix because it was financially beneficial to keep those problems alive.
That thought stopped her cold. Had Amit said something horrible that day so long ago to distract from a bigger issue?
Or was there…?
For the next hour, Marianna researched the events in Uftar and Lativa over the past ten years. What had been happening that Amit didn’t want Khal to know about? Had the comment been a red herring?
Even after digging through a decade’s worth of information, no significant red flag emerged. There had been smaller revelations over the years, but nothing that rose to the level of obfuscation.
Leaning back in her chair, she looked around, resting her eyes as she admired the suite. It really was a beautiful apartment. Hers was smaller, but just as luxurious, although she definitely didn’t have a private pool. Marianna loved water almost as much as she loved riding Stella.
Standing up, she stretched her arms over her head as she moved to the window. It would be hot outside, but the plants as well as an awning that stretched overhead shaded the pool. She eyed the pool longingly.
Should she go for a swim? Marianna didn’t have a swimsuit. However, since she was alone, she could just swim in her bra and panties. That would cover her just as much as a bathing suit, she reasoned. Dipping her toe into the pool, she sighed at the cool, refreshing temperature. The heat would get up well into the triple digits by later this afternoon. Even now, the temperature was in the high nineties. It was the perfect time to swim.