Chapter 6

• Lia's tears trickled down her cheeks as her friend leaned her hand forward waving goodbye, shaking her head sideways.
• She didn't even know if the trembling in her body was normal, she just twitched too hard with an uneasiness in her chest that wouldn't go away.
• Ahmed was beside her waiting silently, and even though she had a thousand things to do as Mila explained, she didn't move a foot from the place, nor did she want to understand that she had a very dark road ahead of her.
• “First, you must tell him that your name is Mila Jones...”
• Lies... that's what she had to execute since she had to attend the meeting with the Sheikh, and Mila had made it clear to her that, she moved the appointment forward half an hour so that Almer and his companion would have no choice but to keep quiet. According to her, she would explain the situation to her bosses, but she wasn't sure about that.
• At least she had the rest of the day to go through the details. So she would think things over very well, and of course, she would arrange all her things to be ready for the meeting.
• Ahmed walked with her and directed her to the car. Until Monday morning she would be treated as Mila. If any problem didn't occur with Almer because of all these tricks they planned. During the ride back to the hotel, she couldn't help but let out a sob.
• She was worried about Frank, thousands of miles from everything and everyone, as she felt more alone than ever. In whispers, she prayed to heaven that everything would be okay, that Mila would arrive soon and that everything would go back to normal. Right now, even if it sounded crazy, she wished she was in that old rotten office, bored because she already had unfinished work.
• For a moment she stopped thinking about her situation and thought about her boss. “What could I say to him?” It was necessary to notify him that she wouldn't be back in time. She didn't even know how long this would last. And she was sure Linkins would be very angry.
• “God... take care of his health,” she prayed for the old man.
• “We're here, Miss,” Ahmed announced as she nodded, wiping away her tears. “Would you like me to help you with anything...?”
• For the first time, Lia looked attentively at Ahmed as she denied it.
• “No, Ahmed, you have been very generous. I thank you very much. I'll be in my room working. But at 6 p.m., I have to leave again for a meeting.....”
• She was adapting to the character and words of her friend.
• The man nodded as he led her to the elevator, and then smiled at her, saying, “Then... I will be on time, Miss James.....”
• The doors closed and Lia off-loaded her straight shoulders. She stuck her head on the cold metal and let out as much air as she could.
• Once she got to the room, she got everything ready knowing that she doesn't need to worry about food, because she could order it at any time. She packed her suitcase, arranged the last-minute papers, and then, opened Mila's laptop, to organize everything she had asked her to do.
• It was not difficult to accomplish some tasks: such as mailing, organizing the diagrams she had to finish, and of course, reading all the work plan Mila had prepared for the meeting with Kuwait officials.
• Now she understood why she spent all her time on that phone, she had the documents downloaded to work all the time when she had a moment, and Lia had seen the same outlines on the screen of her cell phone several times.
• Lia praised her friend's skills for being impressive, with agendas, strict schedules, and important notes. Lia admired the fact that her work was so impeccable.
• ***
• In the afternoon, Lia looked at her watch, which reminded her of the fact that she has to spend the day as Mila as that was her watch. She turned to the sofa behind her back. There was the dress Mila was going to wear to attend the meeting, but when she got up, she thought of something else.
• She had seen Mila wearing a beige Pants suit with a very elegant jacket, which also made her look formal, so she started to get ready on time, of course not to keep someone so important waiting. “He would most likely be an older man, and punctuality must be very essential for him.” She brushed her hair, applied make-up, and got dressed. Despite the nervousness, fear, and uncertainty, she couldn't help but smile in front of the mirror. People change a lot with clothes, as snobbish as it sounded.
• Although Mila had placed some jewelry like bracelets, and a necklace, along with perfume, she decided not to take any of them and applied her lotion and wore a plain chain around her neck.
• She took the laptop bag, and her cell phone, and then reported over the phone that she was ready.
• Of course, Ahmed was at her side when a car pulled up in front, and at that precise moment, she felt short of breath.
• “God, what am I doing, please help me,” She secretly prayed as her lips trembled.
• By now Mila should have arrived, and she would be with Elizabeth, but she knew that she can't contact her as she must be busy with other things. Lia had to wait until the evening, if not then she decided to leave her a message.
• The car pulled into the parking area, Lia ceased her distorted thoughts when she saw the restaurant they had arrived at..
• “It's all luxury,” She thought, but she also imagined that this was only what they could show a tourist.
• Ahmed showed her the way when he saw her unsure and she passed a forced gulp, pursing her lips.
• “Just... breathe...”
• As she entered the place, she gave the name Mila Jones, and a man smiled at her immediately.
• “She would be directed to her table but your friend would have to wait here.”
• Lia frowned at Ahmed, but he was already walking away. Odd as it sounded, she wanted him to be at her side right now.
• She was escorted toward a table, it was still 5 minutes to the hour, and as she imagined, the other party had not yet arrived. That was extremely good for her because she wanted to send some messages to Mila to put her on notice that she was about to meet her next boss.
• This in a way gave her some peace of mind, at least writing what she was doing made her think that Mila was by her side.
• The moment she pulled out her cell phone and thanked the person who guided her here, a chair slid away causing her to raise her eyes.
• She couldn't help but look surprised, the man standing in front of her was impossible to describe.
• However, she could see in his intense black eyes that he seemed shocked to see her. “What had happened?”
• Lia averted her gaze to her clothes, she wanted to make sure they weren't stained, she stood up so nervously that she even dropped the cell phone on the table.
• “Really, I'm sorry... I...”
• “Are you Mila Jones?” that voice just made Lia look up in total disbelief.
• She could have sworn it was the same one, but when that smell hit her senses she had no doubt, that he was the man in the shadows from last night, and now that she saw him, she could only keep her mind blank.
• He was as tall as she remembered him, unlike right now she could see his tan color in that suit that fit him just right. Yes, he was very stocky, a man who to the naked eye looked strong, with black hair and bushy eyebrows, along with a moderate beard, and very well-groomed. Among all, it was his eyes blacker than night that kept her static and unable to take her eyes off him.
• Lia swallowed hard and dry, she felt so small next to him that she was even afraid to speak. She had never been so nervous in her life, ever.
• “Please sit down...” She heard his lips move sensually, and just shook her head reprimanding herself over and over again.
• “What's happening to me?” She asked herself as she took a seat and tucked her hair behind her ear.
• The moment she saw his shoulders, she noticed at least four men sitting behind them as her brow furrowed.
• “My bodyguards... and over there...” The man turned and pointed, “The commissioners who accompany me in this country.”
• Of course, he was the ruler of a country. The best Lia could do was to fill the air in her lungs and try to calm herself, the man she had dreamed of, needed to disappear from her illusion, this time more than ever.
• “Sir... I'm sorry for all this,” She said looking straight at him and placing her back straight.
• “There was... I'm not Mila Jones, my name is Lia James.”
• “What was she doing?”
• “My partner... my bosses made a mistake... Did someone give you information about Mila?”
• The man nodded in confusion, “Just her information, I must know her legal information, this job is very important.”
• “I understand...” Said Lia sipping on the drink and recalling the information that Almer gave Mila, the first day they arrived.
• “I'll... give you mine in a moment, you can check my background....”
• The Sheikh fisted his hands into one and placed them under his chin.
• “Why isn't Brunel here on time, has something happened?”
• At that instant, she felt her nerves altered.
• “No, I mean, nothing that's a problem, it was me who brought his appointment forward without my boss’s consent.”
• The man frowned again, “For what reason?”
• Although she didn't know why Lia played it off.
• “It's... you must trust me, I was able to tell you that it was Mila, my partner and that my bosses made no mistake in sending you the wrong file. You must talk to me before there are third parties in the middle, in the end, it will just be you and me at work, Sir.”
• Saeed stared at her. That was exactly what he was having trouble executing, trust. He was surrounded by traitors, in his country, along with his life, reeling from the very fact.
• However, he couldn't help but look at that woman with apprehension, it was truly amazing to know that she was the same girl who had left him with a tight throat last night. And even more amazing, that she told him the truth and didn't lie to him.
• He had heard it yesterday when her friend came to the balcony to interrupt them, and that was what he had expected when he asked her identity again, a few minutes ago.
• He was a little suspicious of the information she was giving him, of course, he had seen the picture of Mila Jones, and the woman standing in front of him looked nothing like her. But the last words had left him in the stall, with that warmth that was radiating from her body.
• He took the air sharply nodding towards her as he gazed at her rosy lips.
• He would check out her whole story when her bosses arrived because if there was one thing he had, that he could see the doubt in someone's eyes, and right now she had it. “Or would it be fear, maybe?”
• He wanted to make her even more nervous, he knew she wasn't as relaxed as she wanted to appear.
• “I imagine you must know who I am?”
• “The ruler of Kuwait..” For an instant, she withdrew her eyes and shifted them to the side as if she was remembering, “Saeed Abdullah Al-Amad.”
• Saeed couldn't help but smile, it was as if she was saying a phrase she had painstakingly learned.
• “I wasn't referring to my title, or that I will be your boss, or my identity, Miss James...”
• She blinked several times, a little confused.
• “I... I don't understand.”
• “I'm talking about last night... on that balcony.”
• The color of her rosy mouth paled, and he inwardly congratulated himself.
• “But what would he gain from that?” He was in front of a woman who would be working with him for at least three months, he wasn't sure about them yet, and he was wasting her time if he wanted to have an approach for her.
• However, last night, just as she was shedding tears remembering her father after almost everyone at the meeting asked her about him, along with everything else on her mind, the sound of footsteps made her body tense up.
• She was there, loving her land, her world, and wanting to be embedded in it. Saeed couldn't help but react to that dress that clung to her body in the wind, exposing her small, slender body. Nor could he hide how a smile came to his face as he watched her close her eyes and sigh, she looked so light, and so invincible at the same time that, for the first time in a long time, he wished he had a woman in his arms....