Page 20 of The Billionaire's Timed Wife

I’m not here for leisure. This is a mission.

Every step I take must bring me closer to my final goal: finding my mother.

Chapter 10

Paris

Earlier that same day

I check the time on my wristwatch.

In a few minutes, I’ll be heading to the airport to meet my sister.

I had to pull off a miniature military operation in less than twenty-four hours to make sure she and Adeela would be safe here in Paris.

Adeela.

Fuck, what the hell was I thinking agreeing to this?

Bringing her here is like having temptation shoved in my face.

Ever since the night she danced for me in Rheadur—yes, I know the performance was meant for my father, but I have no doubt her attention belonged to me—I’ve avoided spending more time than absolutely necessary in my homeland. Whenever I had to visit my father and Jazmina, I’d usuallyarrive after sunset and leave before dawn—all that effort just to avoid running into her.

For about a week, I managed to keep the image of that seductive girl out of my mind.

Then I gave in and asked Amin to find out everything he could about her.

I already knew she was one of Counselor Arif’s many daughters, and not the favorite one.

Amin discovered that the divorce between her American mother, Daisy, and Arif had been a scandal back then, so much so that it forced my father to have a private talk with his advisor.

Even though I’ll admit that Rheadur’s customs need serious reform regarding women’s rights, especially after the regression under Naim’s rule, it’s still unusual to see a man treat his wife with disrespect.

Arif not only divorced Daisy but practically threw her out of the house, which in our society is considered a sign of a man’s failure to control his own family.

It’s rare, especially when there are children involved.

Of course, a ruler can’t know what truly happens behind closed doors, but at least when my father was sheikh, as far as I know, if there was abuse, a wife could file a formal complaint.

Where did her mother go after leaving Rheadur? Most likely back to the United States.

Adeela’s never left the country, which means she hasn’t seen her mother since.

Nothing in what I found suggests that Daisy ever did anything wrong. From what I could tell, she’d adapted surprisingly well to our culture.

So what could have ended the marriage? A betrayal, maybe?

I can’t imagine what it must have been like for a child to watch her mother being banished from home. It must havebeen devastating, especially for a seven-year-old girl, which is how old she was at the time.

And that, everything about her family, is all I know about Adeela.

The lack of information drove me crazy. I’m not used to limits of any kind.

I could have asked Jazmina, sure, but that would’ve opened up a thousand questions and probably fantasies in my sister’s head that I have no intention of fueling.

So why, even knowing how bad an idea it is to keep Adeela in my mind, locked away in a room I rarely allow myself to enter, can’t I stop thinking about her?

The beautiful girl is like a silent invader, making my blood boil even though I know she’s completely off-limits.