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The royal court seemed to have forgotten that he was brought up to serve and look after the sultanate. His education and experience had been focused on international relations and business. He had so many plans and initiatives to improve the lives of his countrymen, but no one wanted to listen to the prince who had fallen out of favor. That would change once he married the sultan’s choice.
He strode to his desk and noted that, unlike his troubled mind, everything in his office was in order. The modern building, complete with state-of-the-art equipment, usually crackled with energy from dawn to dusk. The sultan and the palace had no say in what went on in these offices. Here Hafiz had the freedom to explore and take risks.
The young men he employed outside of the palace were unquestionably loyal, efficient and brilliant. They were men who were educated outside of Rudaynah, but returned home so they could make a difference. They spoke Arabic and English fluently, usually within the same sentence. They were comfortable in business suits and traditional Rudaynahi robes. Men very much like him, except for a few drops of royal blood and a few years in the world that had stripped away any idealism.
From the corner of his eye, Hafiz saw his executive secretary hurry toward him. One of the office assistants was already at his desk, trying to look invisible while carefully setting down a mug of coffee. The bitter scent was welcoming since he hadn’t slept for days. Hafiz walked around his desk, determined to lose himself in his work.
“Good afternoon, Your Highness,” the secretary said cautiously as he tugged at his silk tie. The man eyed him like he would a cobra ready to strike. “The changes in your schedule have been entered—”
Hafiz’s attention immediately began to fade, which was unlike him. He was known for his focus and attention to detail, but he had been distracted for the past few days. Perhaps he was coming down with something. It had nothing to do with Lacey. He did not wallow in the past. He didn’t focus on the things he couldn’t change. He had moved on from Lacey.
Lacey. He refused to look at the window, but the pull was too great. Hafiz reluctantly looked outside, his gaze automatically seeking Lacey’s penthouse apartment. A few months ago, he had picked the office building specifically for the view. He had found himself staring out of the window throughout the workdays, even though he knew he wouldn’t catch a glimpse of Lacey. The knowledge that she was there always brought him peace. Until now.
The buzzing of his cell phone shattered his reverie. His gut twisted with anticipation and dread. Only a few people had this number. He grabbed the phone and looked at the caller ID. Disappointment crashed when he saw it wasn’t Lacey. Hafiz dismissed his secretary with the wave of his hand and took the call.
“Your Highness? This is Glenn,” Lacey’s bodyguard quickly said to identify himself. “I’m sorry to call you, but we’ve hit a setback. Our exit visas have been delayed.”
“Nothing works on time in Rudaynah.” Hafiz rubbed his hand over his forehead and gave a short sigh of frustration. A sense of unease trickled down his spine. Was the palace behind this? Did they know about Lacey?
Hafiz discarded that thought. The palace wouldn’t be concerned about an American nightclub singer. “Did they say why?”
“No. I bribed the right government officials, sat down and had tea at the chief of police’s office, but I’m not getting any information.”
Hafiz glanced out the window again. He had to get Lacey out before her presence could ruin everything he had worked toward. “Ordinarily I would have someone from the palace make a special request with the right official, but that would bring unwanted attention. We will have to wait it out. They should be ready in another day or two.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Would you please put Lacey on the phone, and I’ll explain it to her.” He shouldn’t talk to Lacey. After all, they had said their goodbyes. He wanted that night to be their last memory, but he also didn’t want her to think he had abandoned her when she needed assistance.
There was a beat of silence, and Glenn cleared his throat. “Miss Maxwell is not here, sir.”
“What?” Hafiz stared at Lacey’s apartment. She had promised that she wouldn’t venture out again. “Where is she?”
