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Her hands flew to her mouth.

“Not the throne. Not the kingdom. But you. Just you.”

But this time, the sheikh’s tone was dull, and pain strangled her throat at the sound of it. He wasn’t supposed to be this hurt. He was supposed to be able to move on because he had the kingdom, and wasn’t that the most precious thing to him?

“So I’ll say it again.”

His own voice shook, and a shuddering sob wrecked her body at the sound of it.

“And this time – this time, your answer will be different.”

But in his eyes, she could see only emptiness, could see that the sheikh no longer believed in what he was saying—-

“I love you.”

Words that were whispered as if it was the only thing the sheikh could live for, words spoken with such pain that it vanquished all her fears and made her legs give out.

Oh God.

He had meant it.

This man loved her more than his throne, his kingdom—-

More than everything—-

And Harper threw her arms around him.I love you.She cupped his face and wept harder at the sight of his own tear-stained eyes.I love you.She pressed her lips to his own.I love you.



















Epilogue

ONE MOMENT LATER

News channels all over the world were celebrating. For the first time in history, they were televising something that was watched more than the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Oscars’ Red Carpet combined.

“And its global reach is just unbelievable,” a CNN reporter exclaimed. “The 2008 Summer Olympics is nothing compared to the numbers we’re seeing. It seems like the whole world truly believes the results of this election can prove whether two cultures can exist peacefully.”

“It doesn’t hurt at all that the people who have flown in to show their support for Emir Sheikh Khalil Al-Atassi areveryfamiliar faces to the public,” anE!program host remarked.