Page 111 of The Billionaire's Timed Wife

“Yes, we are,” I answer for both of us.

This isn’t my first ultrasound, but it feels like it. The first time I heard my baby’s heartbeat, I cried. This morning I spent hours praying I’d get to hear it again.

I squeeze my husband’s hand while the doctor turns on the machine. Kaled’s hand is cold too, though he hides his emotions better than I do.

We look at each other instead of the monitor. An invisible bond pulls us tighter than ever. Fear does that to you—it teaches you what really matters. There isn’t enough gold in the world to buy what I want most: to know our little one is healthy.

“Here’s our prince, Your Highness,” the doctor says with a smile, and then the room fills with the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard: the sound of life inside my baby boy. His heartbeat.

While the obstetrician explains that everything appears normal, all I can do is nod and give thanks for the miracle we’ve been granted.

That afternoon

Time to face that skirt-clad monster. A vile creature without a conscience who didn’t hesitate to hurt an innocent. All in the name of power.

But before we step off the helicopter, I remember something I haven’t told Kaled. I catch his arm to stop him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I need to tell you something that might matter.”

“Hold on.” He asks the pilot to give us privacy.

“My mother thinks there may be more than friendship between Eiza and my father.”

“What?” He goes pale, and I know why. On top of everything else she did, there’s the possibility she betrayed the trust of the kind former sheikh.

I quickly explain my mother’s suspicion about the closeness between his stepmother and Arif, and without my spelling it out, I can see pieces clicking into place in his mind.

“I couldn’t figure out how she orchestrated all this alone, but now we have an explanation. Someone was guiding her.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Arrest him until we get to the bottom of it,” he says, already taking out his phone.

Minutes later

At the palace

Before we enter the interrogation room, Kaled takes his father into another office, probably to prepare him for what’s coming. There will be a scandal when the first wife’s adultery comes to light.

A few minutes later, we’re all assembled. The door to my husband’s office opens, and I finally get to face her.

Unlike these last two months, when she pretended to like me, Eiza’s face today is pure indifference. Her outer beauty can’t hide the ugliness inside: a look heavy with rancor and disdain. I have no doubt her anger is for having been caught. There is no remorse, no sadness. She holds herself high, chin lifted, refusing to look any of us in the eye.

I burn inside. Kaled, however, is remarkably calm for the moment.

The lead officer begins, reciting her rights and explaining why we’re here.

Half an hour later

Eiza whispers with her attorney, probably taking instructions. She hasn’t cried, hasn’t denied anything, but she hasn’t confessed either. Nerves of steel.

Then the detective turns on a TV they rolled in, and I watch her crack. The faux composure collapses.

On the screen: footage from yesterday, her speaking with Sajida more than once and later walking to the maid’s quarters at night. According to Kaled, the maid said Eiza came to confirm she’d given me the drink.

“As you can see, we have irrefutable proof against you.”