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None of them spoke a word, none of them telling him he was right or wrong to have done it. Rather, they only looked at him the exact same way Kyria had. It was as if they knew, likesheknew, that it was just as Hadwin said.

Some things in life a person must inevitably learn to face.

And while that made sense, Malik wished he were goddamn certain what those things were.

****

DAYS PASSED.

Malik went back to his work and forced himself to act like nothing had happened, and he had never had a taste of the most beautiful of tomorrows, never had a glimpse of what he had always dreamed of. Most times, he would think he was okay, but then he would hear the phone ring, and his heart would smash against his chest, thinking that it could be her.

But it never was.

More time passed. Interest in his dating life eventually waned, and although occasionally there would be follow-up coverage on both Kyria and Farica, the reports mostly had to do with the unexpected friendship that had sprung between the two women. Both were often photographed together in recent times, and rumors had started to spread about Kyria possibly catching the eye of one of the men from the royal family of Contini.

She was clearly moving on, just as it should be. It was how things were always supposed to be. He knew this. He fucking knew this. And yet the emptiness of his life remained a burden he couldn’t seem to shake off.

When Kyria had left the kingdom for university, the two years that they had been apart hadn’t been like this at all. He had managed to survive those years by simply drowning himself in work, so why couldn’t he do the same thing now?

Why couldn’t he make himself let her go, dammit?

The answer eluded him, despite all the countless sleepless nights the sheikh spent chasing it, and in his desperation he found himself doing the one thing he had always hated to do, and on Vanna’s birthday of all times—-

“Was I wrong?” Malik asked harshly. “Was I wrong to ask for these two years?”

His mother pretended to wipe away a tear. “My baby boy is talking about his feelings. I might just cry.”

The other sheikhs smirked even as Malik leveled a deadly look at Vanna.

“Oh, stop looking at me like you want to kill me, Malik. I’m only joking because if I don’t, I really might end up crying—-” Her voice broke off, and then the older woman angrily snatched the napkin on her lap to dab the corners of her eyes. She so hated to weep, and furious at Malik for making her teary-eyed, she muttered, “You’re an idiot.”

“If I am,” Malik said silkily, “it’s probably because I have a lunatic for a mother.”

Vanna let out a gasp. “You hateful boy!” She threw her dinner napkin at him, but of course her younger son caught this handily, and her teeth gnashed. “It’sthatattitude of yours,” she raged, “the very reason why you’re in this predicament.”

Knowing that the two were about to get in a pointless slanging match, Altair directed a warning glance at Malik before turning to Vanna. “Mother, calm yourself.” His tone came out smoothly enough, which was good, considering he was also doing his best to repress his smile. Seeing the two quarrel like they always did reminded him of Hadwin’s last words to him, a few days before his father had died of his injuries.

Be the voice of reason between those two, Hadwin had told him.Your mother and baby brother will hate to hear this, but the two of them are too much alike, and it’s why they often end up butting heads. Their love and honor are such they can do the most unthinkable things...

And of course, Hadwin was right, like he always was.

In their mother’s case, Vanna had fought tooth and nail for the palace to approve her marriage to a humble soldier from Greece, even threatening to give up her birthright if the crown didn’t recognize Hadwin as her husband.

And now, in Malik’s case it was practically the same, only he was doing the opposite. He had forced himself to leave Kyria, thinking it was for the best.

Glancing at his younger brother, he asked quietly, “Do you remember two years ago when you allowed Kyria to study abroad? Back then, we had made it clear that her leaving would be your decision. Do you remember?”

Malik gave his brother a clipped nod. “What of it?”

“In those two years, she hadn’t a single clue of how you felt about her, and the two of you didn’t exactly part in good terms. Do you remember?”

Malik shot Altair an impatient glance. “Of course I remember. Again, what of it?”

“Had Kyria ever spoken to you about those two years while you were in St. Valentine?”

Malik’s jaw clenched. “She did.”

“And what did she say?”