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‘I’m so sorry, Reyes.’ She laid a hand on his arm and felt his palpable tension.
‘That wasn’t the worst of it. The day I told Anaïs it was over, she went to my mother. My mother convinced her that I was merely throwing a tantrum; that I would get over it. And then she talked Anaïs into partying one more night. On their way back from the club, they were involved in a hit-and-run accident. Anaïs claimed my mother was driving. My mother claimed the opposite. The result was that a teenager was left paralysed for life, his plans to become a doctor shattered.’
‘And still your father did nothing?’
Reyes pinched the bridge of his nose. ‘After I threw Anaïs and her family out of my life, she decided to share her version of her time in Santo Sierra with the media. My father finally tried to do some damage control, but it was too late. We were vilified in the media. My mother’s behaviour spiralled out of control. A few months later, she was dead. That’s when the first ramblings of unrest began.’
‘And your father’s illness just compounded the problems.’
That sadness she’d glimpsed on his face that first night in Rio appeared again. ‘I never really got a chance to tell him that I regretted our fight. Last night would’ve been a good opportunity, had I been home.’
‘You’ll be home in a matter of days. You’ll get your chance.’
He fell silent for a stretch of time, then he sent her an intense glance. The imperious ruler of one of the world’s richest kingdoms was back. And despite the determined look on his face now, Jasmine couldn’t help but feel desperate heartache for what he’d suffered. She realised her hand was still on his arm and lowered it to her lap.
‘You understand now why finding the right candidate is imperative?’ he asked.
Despite her heart taking a cliff-dive, she nodded. ‘Yes, I do.’
Again her heart wrenched at the thought that weeks from now he would be a married man. It would be a marriage of convenience, of course, but one he intended to commit to for a lifetime.
He would be out of reach for ever.
Last night, sharing a relaxing dinner with him, she’d wondered what it would’ve been like if they’d met under different circumstances. Then she’d kicked herself for the absurd thought.
Their backgrounds were too diverse for that to have happened in any lifetime. As she’d thought in Rio, they were two ships passing in the night, never to meet again.
But they’d met once...and again. Right at this moment, they could share a lifetime connection.
Because of Reyes’s tight schedule and his edict that she wasn’t allowed anywhere on her own, she hadn’t been able to get her hands on the pregnancy test yet.
Instead she’d ordered it online and was expecting it to be delivered to the hotel today.
Until it arrived and she was forced to confront whatever consequences it brought, she would concentrate on carrying on as normal. Reality would come soon enough. Certainly before Reyes left for Santo Sierra.
And if her suspicions were right and she really was pregnant...
Reyes’s door opened, and the driver bowed. ‘Your Highness.’
Her heart lurched as she watched him struggle to suppress painful memories behind a bland façade. Again, the need to comfort him grew until she gripped her handbag to stop herself reaching for him.
Jasmine prayed the last candidate would be what Reyes wanted, while studiously ignoring the spear of pain that lanced her heart.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
‘WELL, I THINK we’ve discussed everything that needs to be discussed. I hope I’ve proven that I can be trusted and that I will be discreet, especially in matters of media liaisons.’ Berenice Holden smiled at Reyes.
‘You’re comfortable with this arrangement being permanent? Or at the very least a long-term proposition?’ Reyes asked.
‘Of course. I like to think I’m bringing a lot to the table, but I’m aware I have much more to gain by ensuring any union between us works.’
Jasmine tried to keep her composure as the cold-blooded negotiations flew between Reyes and Berenice. They’d been hammering out terms for the last hour. And Jasmine had felt her heart wither each time they’d reached a compatible agreement.
She watched Reyes cross off the last item on his list, set his pen down and reach for his cutlery.
‘Excuse me.’ She rose and stumbled from the table. From the corner of her eye, she saw Reyes jerk to his feet, but she didn’t stop until she slammed and locked the toilet door behind her. Shaking, she collapsed onto the closed lid.
