Page 61 of Hired Husband

“If anyone looks at these things and only sees giant triangles, they need to have their eyes examined.”

To my surprise, Jasmine let out a hushed chuckle, her hand pressed to her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun as she followed my gaze. “Yeah, I think you’re probably right. I always forget how magnificent they actually are when I haven’t been here for a while. The whole experience of having to come to this complex puts me off so much that it becomes pretty easy to ignore the real reason it’s even here.”

I nodded slowly. “I get that. These are some of the most impressive architectural structures in history and modern humans are ruining them. It’s happening everywhere, though. Not just here.”

“I know,” she said softly, sighing as she leaned a little closer to me. “Pictures really don’t do them justice, do they?”

I chuckled. “I was just thinking the same thing a minute ago. There’s, like, an aura about them that no one will ever manage to capture, but it’s not just that. They also just don’t seem so big on pictures.”

Jasmine smiled. “Yeah, true. But if you’re done staring, I have one last surprise for you.”

“What’s that?”

Her gaze lingered on mine for a beat, as warm, soft, and open as it used to be. “Sometimes, being a Saad has its advantages. The name carries some power in this town, at least.”

While it sounded like there was a lot hidden beneath those words, she spun on her heels and motioned for me to follow. We left the crowds behind, passing through a gate that was very clearly not intended for tourists, but the security guard greeted Jasmine by name.

They exchanged a few words in Arabic before he unlocked another gate and waved us through. Once again, I followed, but once we were out of earshot, I leaned a little closer. “Please tell me we’re not breaking into the Pyramids.”

“No.”

“No, what? No, we’re not breaking into the Pyramids, or no, you can’t tell me that?”

“Just no.” She flashed me a grin, but then we reached another guard, and she spoke to this one too, only saying a few more words before he unlocked another gate and waved us through exactly like the first. “Did that feel like breaking in to you?”

“How am I supposed to know?” I whispered loudly. “I’ve never broken in anywhere before.”

“Well, the clue is right there in the name. Breaking in. Have we broken anything?”

“Apart from possibly the law? No.” I stopped talking when we reached a set of stone steps leading underground. Then I stopped walking too. “Seriously, Jasmine. Where are we going?”

“Relax, Isaac.” She paused to look back at me with one hand already on the railing beside the steps. “It’s a private tour of the inside of the Pyramid. They closed it to the public years ago, but like I said, there are some advantages to being a Saad. Now, are you coming? Or should I go find that older couple who spoke to us earlier? I’m sure they would love to be in your shoes right about now.”

As it dawned on me what she’d somehow managed to arrange, I scrambled to the steps and followed her down. “This is amazing. How did you do it?”

She shrugged. “I might’ve called a few people while we were still on the coast to set the wheels in motion, but we have permission to be here. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah. Okay.” The passage narrowed and the ceiling dropped lower, and I decided to leave everything that wasn’t part of this moment at the top of that staircase.

Ancient stone surrounded us on every side, older than almost every civilization I’d ever studied. Getting to do what we were warranted forgetting about absolutely everything else right now. Without thinking, I reached out and brushed my fingertips across the stone.

It’s been thousands of years and this is still here. Still standing.

There had been no blueprints or computers when this had been built. No fancy software or imported steel. I honestly couldn’t even begin to imagine what it had taken to construct these or the brilliance of those involved.

Eventually, the passage opened into a burial chamber and then a crypt, and I suddenly couldn’t bring myself to take even one more step. While the room wasn’t dripping in gold or treasure, there was something heavy about it. Almost like I could feel how sacred it was.

An empty stone sarcophagus stood silently in the center of the chamber, massive granite blocks enclosing the room. As I stared at it all, just trying to take it in, I was so completely and utterly in awe that I could barely even breathe.

Someone imagined this, drew it in the sand, and then convinced thousands of other people to build what should’ve been impossible, and they succeeded. Honestly, it was beyond the realm of comprehension.

“What are you thinking?” Jasmine asked quietly from my side. I hadn’t seen or heard her approach, but she was right next to me, her gaze sweeping across the side of my face. “It’s pretty cool, huh?”

“I don’t know if I’m thinking anything. I don’t think I can think at all. Does that even make sense?”

She let out a soft chuckle. “It does, but your face said you were thinking something really intense.”

“No, I’m just feeling, I think.”