Page 82 of The Billionaire's Timed Wife

“I’m dissolving the Council until I choose new, trustworthy candidates,” I say.

“That would be the most appropriate step. If I may ask, why not simply dismiss your future father-in-law?”

“Because I don’t act on speculation but on certainties. If I remove only Arif from the Council without proof, as much as I want to, that would be personal. As much as I crave vengeance for what nearly happened, the problem is bigger. It wasn’t Kaled themanhe defied, if he tried to harm his ex-wife. It was Kaled,sheikh of Rheadur, his leader and ruler, and for that, there is no pardon.”

“There’s a great difference.”

“Yes. I will not allow my authority to be questioned, and above all, no one under my protection will ever be harmed.”

“I’d like to have the palace’s interior security cameras turned back on, Your Highness.”

“Turned backon?”

“Yes. When His Highness, former Sheikh Naim, was in power, he ordered them shut off.”

His look tells me we both know why: likely to avoid records of his actions. Naim had much to hide wherever he went.

“Do it. And now, please escort my father to his quarters. I’d like to speak with Daisy in private.”

Adeela is already gone, and it’s time to speak plainly with the most important figure in my fiancée’s life.

Moments later

“I’m sorry you went through this, Daisy.”

“It wasn’t your fault, dear. I’m more worried about Adeela than about myself. Don’t let anything happen to my girl.”

I sit in the armchair opposite her.

Not knowing what to say isn’t common for me. Even before being invested as sheikh, I spoke often around the world as prince and representative of Rheadur, but as I look at this fragile-seeming woman, I feel ashamed. I failed her. Only a maid’s vigilance kept the worst from happening.

“I’m not a man who breaks his word, and I apologize for leaving a gap in your security. Perhaps it was overconfidencethat led me to believe no one would ever dare attack you in here.”

She smiles and takes a sip of tea. “I’m American, so I’ll get straight to the point, Kaled. I’m grateful you’ve taken me in here, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful or careless in accusing anyone, but we all know the only person willing to hurt me is my ex-husband.”

I don’t contradict her, but as head of state I can’t agree without evidence. “Whatever happened will be brought to light. You are here as my guest, mother of my future wife, and I won’t allow you to be harmed.”

“And what about my daughter?”

“There are only four days left until we marry. A single finger raised against her will be punished severely.”

Two days later

And finally, what I expected has happened, but the scale of the scandal involving Naim feels like a nightmare.

My entire people are ashamed of the news.

Models and actresses from around the world are going to the media to accuse my half-brother of drugging and sexually assaulting them at parties on his yacht.

A rumor can ruin anyone’s reputation, but when you add faces to it, the damage is irreversible. What they’re reporting lines up with what Lykaios’s wife already told me.

Even knowing Naim had some kind of deviance where women were concerned, my imagination never went this far. Hearing in detail the depravity those women endured—passed from hand to hand while unconscious—reduces my half-brother to a sick rapist. The only thing separating him from a common criminal was being born with a silver spoon.

I spent last night awake, trying to think how to lessen the damage caused by this scandal. I know no amount of money can help his victims “get over” what happened.

At Amin’s suggestion, we formed an additional public relations team, and after several meetings, we concluded that we should offer psychological support to the women for as long as they need it.

The impact has spread so far it even reached my company’s stock, which has no connection with our emirate, yet still suffered a sharp drop.