28Khalid“Do you have to leave?” I frowned, staring at her suitcase as Valeria kept her toiletry bag inside the suitcase, asking me to help her zip it closed. “We already talked about this, Khalid,” she grunted, sighing as she zipped another suitcase. My grandma had ordered me to give her a lot of sweets and snacks from Azmia so she had more bags with her than she arrived with. “I know that you have a new launch coming soon but… can’t you stay for a week?” I asked, almost begging her not to leave. After that incident in the bathroom, I hadn’t left her side for more than an hour, wanting to make sure she was safe. No one had commented on the slash on my cheekbone if they noticed it. I knew she felt guilty for it, but she didn’t hurt me intentionally. I was the one who stepped towards her, wanting to make sure the glass didn’t hurt her when it slashed through my skin. “I have to prepare for interviews and photoshoots for the launch campaign, Khalid.” She walked towards me, hugging m

30Valeria“And please check the packaging for any leaks. Yes, I want you to go the factory and check them personally—”Someone knocked on the door, I pulled the phone from my ear and said, “Give me five minutes, please.”I continued talking to the employee until he understood what he had to check after visiting the factory and the chemical lab. “Come in.”I read the paper in front of me, my fingers tracing over the Braille. The person who had entered wasn’t light on their feet like my assistant. The feet felt heavy but soft. There was a change in air as someone deposited something on my desk, looming close to me. Before I could ask them who were they, I heard him. “Hello, my sweet one,” Khalid greeted me, standing in my office. In London. In front of me. I stood up, ready to hug him but held back, remembering the times he had made me scared and worried about him for the past month. Ignoring me as if I didn’t exist. I cleared my throat. “Hello, Khalid. What are you doing here?”

Unknown“How many were killed?” I asked, seeing the endless sand out of the car window. “Eleven, sir,” he answered. Eleven people died to kidnap one woman.“And they couldn’t even reach the princess, could they?” I said, giving him a pointed look. His eyes lowered to the sleeve of my shirt which were splashed with blood from my previous… detour. Even the gold cufflinks were red. Pity, I liked them. “No, sir, they couldn’t reach princess Zara. She was heavily guarded along with Sultana.”I hummed, giving the signal to the driver. “Nasrin is pregnant, isn’t she?”The man in suit didn’t reply, only swallowed the lump in his throat. “I take that as a yes then,” I smiled. “I told you that I wanted her dead the last time, didn’t I?”“Y-yes, Sir, but we couldn’t sneak inside the Golden Palace, it was heavily—”I cracked my knuckles, rubbing the sore muscle on my neck. “I received a report from a source that both Zain and Nasrin were at that sheikh’s oasis. Khalid was with his blind love

TEMPTING REBEL PRINCESS PART ONE“I want you to hurt me.” 1ZaraI did not want to be a Princess.The constant thought rang thorough me, sighing at the cluster of men who kept glancing at me. I looked at Safiya, my maid, who was busy rating princes and Royals on their looks while my two personal guards stood two steps behind me. They followed me everywhere I went, except my room. They were ordered by my brothers, Zain and Khalid, the Sultan and Prince of Azmia, for my protection. It’s not that I hated being a Princess. There were perks, but the cons of being one outweighed the pros. I hated being looked at as some kind of conquest. The way the hungry eyes of men from noble families looked at me, their sons, sheikhs and princes eyeing me like I am just an object waiting to be sold to the highest bidder.“I want to get out of here,” I mumbled, sipping on the bubbly champagne. My stomach and back itched from the tight fabric of the lace corset dress. Safiya had cinched it too tightly

3Zara“I want to have sex with you,” I whispered in his ear, his expensive musky cologne wafting in my nose when I leaned back to see his expression. My breath got caught in my throat when I looked at him. There was handsome and then there was… him. Hayden. Being a Princess, I had met several handsome princes, sheikhs and rulers, but their beauty came from expensive procedures, surgeries and regular care. Not like Hayden, whose rugged features made my thighs clench. His broad nose slightly crooked as if someone had dared to punch him. His stubble peppered over his sharp jaw, his cheekbones high, his wavy sandy-brown hair styled perfectly, matching perfectly with how sophisticated he looked. His blue-grey eyes widened, only for a fraction of a second, before they pinned me to the spot. My heartbeat slowed and increased. I felt hot all over my body. His gaze was hot. The heat radiating from his powerful body made me squirm on the chair, a shiver rolling down from my body to the spot