Page 49

“Valeria!” I shouted, water reaching to my shirt, its material clinging to my chest. I looked all around but couldn’t find her. Taking a deep breath, I dove into the lake.
I panted, swimming all around the lake. “Valeria, where did you go?” I kept calling her name, but she didn’t reply.
Fuck. Look what you have done, Khalid. Couldn’t even take care of one person.
“Valeria!”
Such a fucking coward and calling yourself a Prince. You should be ashamed of yourself. Someone might die because of your carelessness.
“Valeria, where are you?!”
You already killed your father. Now you have killed Val—
“Valeria!”
Please be safe. Please be safe. Please be safe. Please don’t die. I can’t lose you too.
She is blind and you let her drown. Youlether down. You promised to take care of her. So fucking shameful. Why don’t you kill yoursel—
“Surprise!”
Cold water splashed across my face, my body freezing as I heard the familiar soft laughter. I opened my eyes, droplets of water falling down my lashes as I stared at her grinning face. The ringing in my ear slowed down.
Valeria is okay.
My heartbeat slowly dropped to normal. My breathing became easier, the fog clearing from my head.
She is safe, and she is grinning at me.
I glared at her, my emotions all over the place. Her smile dropped when I didn’t react. I didn’t know how to react. I was relieved that she was safe and well, but I was furious at her for pranking me like that.
“Khalid?” she asked, swimming closer and lightly touching my stiff arm. “Are you ok—”
Wrapping my hand around her wrist, I dragged her closer. “What thefuckwere you thinking?” I seethed, my nose flaring with anger.
Her eyes widened at my tone, but I didn’t care. I was angry at her for scaring me like that. I was angry at myself for being so fucking careless.
“Why the fuck would you do that? You know I am responsible for you while you are here. I thought you fucking drowned when I closed my eyes just for a second. Fucking hell, Valeria.”
I let go of her wrist and pulled back, swimming out of the lake, running my hand through my hair. I glared at her as she slowly followed me, shock and guilt written all over her face.
“Khalid… I am so—”
I picked up her clothes and thrusted them in her hands. “Get dressed. We are leaving,” I ordered, turning around and calling the palace to bring a car to the lake. I was too shaken to ride Kamil back to the palace with her sitting that close to me. I didn’t look at her once she got dressed, just made sure she was close by.
Air around us hovered with uncertainty and anger as I led her to the car. One of the staff of the palace got out of the passenger seat and bowed at us before taking the rein of Kamil and jumping up into the saddle. He would bring the horse to the palace while we took the car.
I wanted to be away from her until my anger washed away, but I couldn’t force her to be in a car with people she didn’t know.
“Get inside the car, Valeria,” I said, clenching my jaw as she sat down in the leather seat. She was shivering, her hair and clothes wet.
She looked at me, “Khalid, I want to ap—”
I cut her sentence by closing the door.
Fuck. I pinched the bridge of my nose and slowly breathed out. I sat in the passenger seat and told the driver to start driving.
Her shoulders sulked as she frowned, staring at her lap. I pulled some clean napkin from the dashboard and handing it to her. “I will ask the maid to have your warm bath ready or else you’ll get sick in this wind,” I muttered and turned on the radio.