Read Online For Duty's Sake by Lucy Monroe - Free Book Online Page B

the certainty that Zahir had spent similar nights with Elsa Bosch managed to pierce her numbness with a hurt that Angele chose to ignore.
    So much for a decimated heart having no capacity for further pain.
    â€œYou cannot do this, Angele.”
    â€œIt’s done.”
    â€œWe will discuss this further later.” The royals of Zohra and Jawhar had nothing on her father for arrogance. “Right now, I am to meet Malik and Faruq. I am sure you and I both can guess the planned topic of our conversation.”
    â€œYou are not listening, though why that should surprise me, I have no idea.”
    â€œAngele!” The shocked way he said her name spoke volumes.
    â€œPlease, Father. I love you, but I don’t want to live my mother’s life. I simply won’t. I delivered letters to bothkings with my stated intentions and apologies before leaving the palace.”
    â€œLeaving the…where are you?” For the first time, her father’s voice sounded worried rather than angry.
    The car pulled up outside the airport. She got out without answering her father, or waiting for the driver to open her door.
    Once her luggage was on the curb, she said, “I’m on my way home.”
    â€œYour home is here.”
    â€œIt never has been and it never will be.” She sighed, ignoring the twinge in her heart the words caused her. “Please listen to me, Father. I included a copy of the press release I sent out to the major news agencies with the letters I delivered to the kings. Your meeting would be best spent deciding how to deal with the PR ramifications of my decision than trying to determine how to change my mind.”
    â€œOf course we will change your mind.”
    â€œNo, you won’t.”
    â€œDamn it, I changed my whole lifestyle to ensure this wedding would one day take place. You will not derail that in a fit of feminine pique.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    â€œSurely Zahir told you about the little talk we had several years ago. He’s always been your hero.” Her father’s tone implied he’d neither enjoyed the little talk nor the fact he’d lost his place as Angele’s hero.
    Tough. He was entirely responsible for both she was sure. And yet, she heard herself saying, “I’m sorry.”
    Though why he should think Zahir would have told her about the discussion was beyond her. Before thiswedding feast, the time she and Zahir had spent together alone could be measured in minutes, not hours.
    It was her father’s turn to sigh. “Zahir informed me that he would not marry a woman whose father made headlines in the scandal rags on a regular basis.”
    She had no problem believing that. Zahir’s near rabid protection of the family name and reputation of the royal house was well-known.
    â€œSo, you turned faithful…” She paused, swallowing down bile. She’d thought he’d done it to save their relationship and that had hurt enough, as she’d so wanted him to do it for her mother’s sake. To learn he’d done it to earn a more entrenched place in the royal house just made her sick. “Or at least circumspect, in order to make sure your daughter married into the Royal House of Zohra.”
    â€œFaithful,” her father bit out. “I realized my actions were doing all harm and no good. Certainly they never had the effect I had hoped.”
    â€œYou hoped sleeping around would have some kind of positive impact?” she asked with patent disbelief.
    â€œYour mother refused to get pregnant again. I accused her of becoming pregnant with you only to trap me into marriage to begin with.” A long drawn-out pause followed. “She never denied it.”
    â€œWas this before, or after you had your first affair?” What was she asking? Her brain and mouth were connected without a filter in there somewhere.
    â€œIt does not matter.”
    â€œI’m sure it did to