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“It was more of what else I found out, actually.”
Anisah frowned at the oddly mocking note in the sheikh’s voice.
“When we were done reviewing the footage, all of my brothers started sharing glowing praises of your character.”
That was when it hit her, and her head swung up sharply, her gaze wide-eyed.
“They spoke of you like they had known you for years—-”
Because they had, Anisah realized with dismay, and her stomach started to cramp.
“They spoke of you like you were a close friend of the family—-”
Because she was, Anisah thought with an inner cringe, and her stomach twisted into smaller, tighter knots of fear.
“And you were, weren’t you, my sweet?” The softly spoken words seemed to mockingly echo her thoughts. “You were everyone’s friend except mine.”
Anisah felt like shrinking as pieces of the puzzle started falling into place. She started to remember all the disparaging things she had said about him over the years, and knowing what she did now –
Trepidation skittered down her spine. Was that how all this started?” Was that why he had chosen to suddenly pay attention to her and why – in his own words – he had ended up “observing” her for two months?
“Naturally, it had me thinking. How was it that the whole royal family knew of this woman save for me?”
Glittering eyes bored through her, and it took everything of Anisah not to look away.
“I asked my brothers, too, of course—-”
Oh, curse her life, she was so doomed.
“And that’s when I had the pleasure of listening to all of them explain – in detail, mind you – exactly how you thought of me.”
And she was right.
“Now, let me see if I can recall the things they shared with me—-”
The words had her panicking, and she said in a rush, “That would be a waste of time, Your Highness. It is better for us to concentrate on the present—-”
But the sheikh didn’t even seem to hear her, drawling, “I believe the king mentioned you dislike me.”
Anisah winced. King Khalil, really? She had expected more from their sovereign, curse it. Clearing her throat, she found herself in an unusual and far unenviable position of having to lie through her teeth as she muttered, “The Emir Sheikh may have misunderstood—-”
“Just like Rayyan misunderstood you perhaps? He believes you used the word ‘immature’ once when describing me.”
Curse those sheikhs with their infernally big mouths!
“And there was that thing Malik told me,” the sheikh said in a dangerously silky voice that made Anisah tense anew. “A disgrace to the palace. That was how you described me to him. Was that a misunderstanding as well?”
“Umm...possibly?” Honor was as honor went, but this was her hide at stake, and she didn’t see any point in adding fuel to the fire by agreeing that he was, indeed, right.
“Altair, too, had shared something with me,” Tarif drawled. “A man,” he then quoted lazily, “who spends too much time hopping from one bedroom to another has no business in the courtroom.”
By the time the sheikh finished speaking, Anisah had both hands on the door handle as she seriously contemplated jumping out of the car. It was a risk, but her chances of surviving a bad fall might be better than her chances of surviving Tarif Al-Atassi’s entirely justifiable quest for vengeance.
“Now, my sweet...”
If only she were a coward, she thought wistfully, then she could so easily pretend she didn’t hear a thing and feign sleep until they reached their destination and she could make her escape.
But since she was not—-
