Page 54 of The Billionaire's Timed Wife

Soft. Gentle.

The same voice I remember from the woman whose face has almost faded from my memory, the woman who used to stay by my side until I fell asleep.

“Mom?”

Instead of a reply, there’s a deep, shaky sigh, followed by the sound of uncontrollable sobbing. “My merciful God...I thought I’d never hear your voice again, my daughter!”

“Don’t cry, Mom. You shouldn’t get upset. Please, calm down.” Despite my words, I’m crying too. All the emotion of our separation, the years of absence, the pain of being kept apart, it all surges up at once after more than a decade of being locked away.

“I tried to reach you, my child. All these years, I did everything in my power to see you again, but your father never allowed me to get close.”

I squeeze my eyes shut, anger rising so fast it makes me nauseous. “He has no power over me anymore, Mom. I’m getting married in a few weeks to the prince of Rheadur, and there’s nothing Arif can do to stop me from being near you.”

Only after I say it do I realize I called that man by his name, not by the title my bloodline dictates. But even if it wasn’t deliberate, the truth stands: he was never a father to me. Areal father would never separate a mother and child for selfish reasons.

“Prince? Do you mean the youngest son ofSheikhKamran? I knew someone powerful was paying for my treatment and medical tests, and that it had something to do with you, but I thought God had finally softened your father’s heart, that his hatred had faded.”

I listen, stunned.

Is she still in love with him? After all these years, can she still think of him as her husband?

Instead of digging deeper into that painful thought, I change the subject. I can’t bear to make her suffer more. How would it break her to know that my father knew she was sick and still did nothing to help her?

“Yes, that’s him,” I answer simply. “My fiancé is paying for everything.” I don’t mention that Jazmina’s father is no longer sheikh or that there’s a strong chance Kaled himself will take the title soon. “And because of that, Mom, you don’t have to worry about anything anymore. You’re safe now. And soon, you’ll be well.”

“The hospital room they put me in is beautiful,” she says. “It looks like a hotel suite. The doctors are kind, but . . .”

“But what? Tell me.”

“Would there be any chance...I mean, your future husband doesn’t have financial problems...Would there be a way for you to come visit me?”

“I’m coming to the United States, Mom. I just need my visa approved. Nothing will stop me from seeing you now.”

There’s a pause, and then more tears. My heart clenches. Her pain is a mirror of mine.

“I’m sorry for losing control, but I can’t believe this. Seeing you again has always been the greatest goal of my life.”

“You don’t need to hold back with me,” I tell her gently. “But please don’t get too emotional—it’s not good for your health. Just think that in a few days, we’ll be together again.” The realization fills my eyes with tears. “Now there’s something I want to ask of you.”

“What is it? I could never say no to you, my daughter. Every breath I have left in this world belongs to you.”

“Don’t say that—you’re going to live a long time. And that’s exactly why I want you to come live in Rheadur. I can’t stand being apart any longer. No amount of time will ever make up for the years we lost.”

“Rheadur? How could that be possible? When I left, your father swore I could never return. He banished me. I tried to stay, even applied for tourist visas in the early years, when I still . . .”

“When you still what?”

“When I still had some savings left,” she says quickly. “Every time, my request was denied.”

“Well, I assure you, you’ll be welcome in Rheadur. You don’t need to decide right now, but Kaled promised that if you come with us, you’ll be protected. I’ll feel much better keeping an eye on your treatment myself.”

“There’s nothing to think about, my dear. I’ve spent years praying for the day I could hold you again, and now that God is giving me that chance, I’ll never say no.”

Chapter 26

“My brother bought you an entire wardrobe,” Jazmina says, clapping her hands as she twirls around my closet, where dozens of bags filled with clothes, shoes, and lingerie have just arrived. Then she freezes. “But he forgot the most important thing.”

“I don’t understand.”