Unwrap the Truth

by Ali Parker

  This was a kick in the ass, and I knew what I needed to do.

  An email came through my phone from Justine, giving me the time of my flight to Qatar.

  I put my car into gear and headed off toward my flat. I had almost two hours to pack and put my life in order before going to the palace. Would I ever see my flat again, or would I be forced to send someone there to pack it up and sell it for me? Was I about to become king of a Middle Eastern country in the span of a few days? I wasn’t sure if I was ready for such a responsibility, but like so many other parts of my life, I didn’t have a choice.

  4

  Sophia

  The rest of the week flew by. I buried myself in a different local assignment before going to England. It wasn’t anything pressing, and I hadn’t been assigned anything else, so I took my time, going over each word, changing more of the story as each day passed. When I wasn’t glued to my computer screen, I vacillated between Mr. Fraser’s office door and my email. I hadn’t heard anything from him or Chelsea on my request to go back to England.

  I wasn’t even sure I knew what I would do when I returned. At the thought of getting fired, my mouth opened before I had a chance to think about what I was saying. I doubted Luke would want to see me again, but we did have a deal. Would he claim he had already followed through with his side of the bargain by giving me the interview before I stupidly left because I couldn’t share a family secret with him? Or because I couldn’t deal with him having feelings for me?

  When I returned emptyhanded, I knew I didn’t deserve the promotion, but getting fired? I couldn’t let that happen. My reputation would be ruined, and who knew how I would pay the bills? I was a good journalist, but this time, I hadn’t been careful. I let a handsome prince whisk me away to what seemed like a magical fairytale life, completely screwing with my career goals.

  If given the opportunity, I would go back to Luke and get the story that I intended to get in the first place. I wouldn’t let him and his gorgeous face get in the way of my dreams. I wasn’t that girl—even though that girl had dropped the ball on a promotion.

  Every morning when I arrived at work, I prayed that Mr. Fraser would give me a second chance, even though those were hard to come by, even for his most trusted reporters. I’d seen top-notch reporters get fired for smaller things, but at least they had left with a good reputation and quality articles in their portfolio.

  Even if I had any chance of getting another job, it would probably be as an assistant.

  I shook away those self-deprecating thoughts. I wasn’t going to get anywhere by sulking. I had to take the initiative and prove to Mr. Fraser that I deserved the promotion. Sure, I had screwed up but lesson learned. Pulling up my metaphorical bootstraps, I pulled up the file with everything I’d collected while I was in England.

  I wasn’t going to tell the story that I knew Mr. Fraser wanted. I wasn’t a monster. A part of me thought there was a minuscule chance Luke would forgive me someday for leaving him high and dry, but if I reported the story about his father’s illness, there would be no coming back from that.

  I was grasping at straws when I came across my notes from the interview with Maddox. I’d scoured the internet for any story about the oil business that hadn’t been covered yet, but Mr. Fraser already said he didn’t want a piece like that. He wanted dirt. Since I had been the only Western woman in front of the king and queen, he wanted something that no other American journalist had covered before. The illness would have skyrocketed my career, but I wouldn’t rise by hurting someone I cared about.

  There had to be another story.

  I’d managed to lie my way through my trip. Maybe if I did the same with Mr. Fraser, there would be some chance to make up for what I did to Luke and bring me back into Mr. Fraser’s good graces. I was sure if I went back to the palace, then I could be on the lookout for another story. I just needed the opportunity.

  Maybe if I had confirmation of a story, Mr. Fraser would have to agree to send me. Once I was there, I could figure something out.

  I pulled up the number for Luke’s company. I had a feeling I would get connected with the stone-faced front desk woman, Victoria, but it was better than nothing.

  My emotions had gotten the best of me when I left England. I’d deleted Luke’s cell number from my phone, further adding to the guilt that I had been a petulant woman versus a professional reporter. I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

  It would have been easier to call Luke directly, but I also knew that if he was upset, hanging up a phone would be much easier than not talking to me face to face. Showing up unannounced when it came to him and me was a part of my charm. If only I could do that again.

  If I went through the proper channels and Victoria and Justine had known I called, Luke wouldn’t be able to get away with hanging up on me as easily.

  I smirked as I dialed the number of his company’s main line. It rang two times before a familiar voice came through the other side.

  “Hi there,” I said, adding a sweetness to my Southern drawl. “This is Sophia Holmes from the Dallas Post. I need to speak with Mr. Walters.”

  There was silence on the other end before Victoria spoke again. “Mr. Walters isn’t here at the moment.”

  “He isn’t?” I asked. “Where is he?”

  She sighed on the other end. “I am not at liberty to say.”

  “Is Maddox Greene available?”

  There was a pause, and then the line clicked. I pulled the phone from my ear, wondering if she had hung up on me.

  My shoulders sank.

  “Sophia!” Maddox’s voice came over the line a few seconds later. I was sure Maddox knew about me and Luke’s trip to Qatar. Would he be as friendly to me as he had been after Luke told him that I ditched him at the restaurant? If not, I still had to try.

  “Maddox,” I said. Maybe Luke hadn’t told him anything about the reason for my leaving.

  “How can I help you?” he asked.

  He was still cheerful, so I took that as a positive sign.

  Movement from Mr. Fraser’s office made me sink down into my seat. Of course, he’d probably pick this moment to fire me. Maddox would hear it, and then Luke would know that I was a failure at more than keeping a fake relationship intact. But my boss stayed put.

  “Is Luke available?” I knew better than to trust Victoria. She would protect her boss if he had told her he didn’t want to speak with me. Luke wasn’t the vengeful type, but I’d left him high and dry. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was upset enough with me to block any communication.

  “Why do I always feel like a bridesmaid wherever you’re concerned?” I heard the smile in his voice.

  “How so?”

  “You only have eyes for Luke,” he said.

  “I need to follow up on a few points for my story,” I said, hoping that Luke hadn’t shared everything with Maddox. Neither of them knew what I was writing about, so if I could use that to my advantage, I had to. My job was on the line.

  “He went to Qatar yesterday,” Maddox said.

  “Oh, we just got back—”

  “Did you know his father was ill?” Maddox interrupted. It almost sounded like an accusation. But if Maddox knew, then Luke did too.

  I clamped a hand over my mouth and uttered a muffled, “No.” If Luke ever found out that I had some idea his father was sick, he would never talk to me again. And I needed him to speak to me enough to allow me to come back into his life. Though now that he knew about his father’s illness, this was going to be much harder than I thought.

  “Yeah, well, he went back straight away,” Maddox said.

  “I see,” I said.

  “You can call his mobile,” Maddox said. “I’m sure he’d love to hear from you.”

  “He would?”

  Maddox chuckled. “I know you two had a little ruse going on, but I’ve never seen my mate so depressed before. He hasn’t said anything about how you two parted, but I can tell that he’d appreciate a phone call
from you.”

  If cheerful Maddox could ever make someone feel smaller than an insect, it was me right at that moment. I wasn’t an idiot. Luke told me he had feelings for me, and I blew him off. Of course, he would be upset. But for Maddox to see that from Luke without the correct information meant that I had hurt him more than I intended.

  I had to see him. In person. There was no way that I could ever forgive myself if I didn’t.

  Truthfully, I did feel something for Luke, but I thought it was just because we were playing at being a couple. After I accidentally found out about Erol, I didn’t think it could ever work between Luke and me with a secret that big between us. Now that he knew about his father, there was nothing between us, other than the need for a massive apology from me. I wasn’t going to let our distance stop that from happening.

  I could kill two birds with one stone if I dared to take that leap. With my heart and promotion on the line, I had to at least try.

  “Thanks, Maddox.” I wasn’t about to admit to him that I deleted Luke’s number. He might find that strange and contact Luke himself. No. I had to keep him thinking that Luke and I were okay so I could surprise Luke.

  After hanging up the phone, I ran a quick Google search for Erol and his illness. There were no news articles yet. I was ahead of the story. That was a good thing. If the media found out that Erol was sick, they would be all over Luke for a comment about him taking over the throne. That could be my story, but I had to feel it out first.

  I saved and closed all of my documents and stood up. I couldn’t wait for Mr. Fraser to assign me to a story. If I was going to get the promotion, I needed to show him that I deserved it.

  Marching over to his office, I knocked on the door.

  “It’s open!” Mr. Fraser called from inside.

  I pushed through, and he looked up at me, his fuzzy eyebrows raised.

  “I can’t send you back,” he said, glancing at his computer screen.

  Normally, that statement would have deflated me, but there was no stopping me. I’d fly over to Qatar on my dime if I needed to.

  “I have a story,” I said.

  He narrowed his eyes. “You do. What is it?”

  I hesitated. “I can’t tell you.” Because I have no idea what it is yet!

  He sighed. “Wasting company money on a secret project isn’t going to persuade me.”

  “It’s a good story,” I said. “The prince wants to see me again.”

  That got his attention. “He does?”

  “I need to leave tonight,” I said.

  He chewed on that for a minute before he said, “Fine. You have one last chance at this, Sophia. Deliver me a story, or don’t come back.”

  “Yes, Mr. Fraser.”

  “We don’t have time to make the accommodations for you, but send Chelsea your receipts, and we will reimburse you. Only if you get the story.”

  I had some money saved, but the trip across the world would deplete those savings. I had to come back with something for Mr. Fraser or risk losing more than my job. I would lose everything.

  “I won’t disappoint you,” I said.

  “You better not,” he said and then pointed at the door for me to be on my way.

  As I gathered my things from my desk, I avoided Natalia’s wandering gaze. I knew she wanted to know where I was going, but she didn’t want to appear interested. That was good for both of us because I wasn’t sure what I would tell her. Was I adding more to the romance side of the story or my professional credentials? I supposed I wouldn’t know until I got there.

  5

  Luke

  The flight to my homeland felt as if it took days. I wasn’t able to do much more than stare out the window at the fluffy white clouds. Father would never sit on this plane again. He wouldn’t do much more than he already had. The thought punched me in the gut. I was barely able to take a full breath until we landed.

  The moment I stepped off the plane, I called Mother to make sure that Father was still alive.

  “He’s resting,” she said. “We have all the best doctors helping him get comfortable. I’m so glad you’re here.”

  “I’m not there yet,” I said, hanging up and getting into the car waiting for me. I snapped my fingers at the driver, and he took off. With just one look from me, he knew not to dilly dally. I placed my phone next to me on the seat in case Mother needed to get in touch with me. We had about a forty-minute drive until we reached the palace, but from the speed that the car was going, I had some idea we would make it there sooner.

  I hated when things were out of my control. The plane ride, car ride, and Father’s illness were all out of my control. What was going to happen to my life when he passed? If I became king, I would give up control of everything in my life.

  Maybe it was for the best. I owed Father my life, and the only person who was able to step up to the job was me. It was sooner than anticipated, but it was my duty. I knew that now.

  I mulled over the rest of my life on the way to the palace.

  When the golden gates shone brightly in the distance, I sat up in my seat and prepared myself for what was to come. Mother had said that Father was resting. I didn’t remember the last time I saw him “resting.” In all the years I knew him, he was always on his feet. Even when he sat down at his desk, he preferred to sit on the edge of his chair, ready to move at a moment’s notice.

  He had been that way over the weekend. What happened to make him decline so quickly? Was that the nature of the illness, or had he been sick for much longer than Mother let on? I couldn’t imagine that Mother didn’t know, but from the conversation with her, it seemed to be a surprise to her as well. It would be like him to keep something like this from us. One last bit of control before he bit the dust.

  I wiped a stray tear from my eye before it reached my cheek. I kept my eyes on the front steps of the palace, and the moment the car slowed down, I opened my door and got out. As if the driver anticipated this, he stopped the car just as my foot touched the ground.

  I stood up and buttoned my jacket before striding into the palace.

  Mother didn’t greet me at the steps like she usually did. The staff moved around my home without a glance in my direction, though I could feel their pity. Many of them had been with Father since he took the throne. The loss of their king would be great as well.

  Arriving at Father’s chambers, the door was closed, but I heard several voices coming from inside. None of them were his.

  Shoving open the doors, several sets of eyes turned in my direction.

  All I could focus on was Father under the covers of his bed. He was propped up against several pillows. His skin was ashen, and his eyes were sunken in.

  Mother sat by his side, her fingers twined with his.

  The doctor bowed his head and moved aside as I walked over to the unoccupied side of the bed.

  “Father,” I said.

  “Luke?” Father asked, slowly turning his head to face me. His voice was weak, almost as if took as much effort to speak as it had to turn his head.

  “Yes, I’m here,” I said.

  He turned back to Mother. “Please. Leave. Us.” Each word was broken up by a deep breath.

  I gritted my teeth and staved off the urge to let my real emotions show. I needed to be strong right now.

  Mother accompanied the doctor out of the room and closed the chamber doors behind her.

  I sat on the bed as Father tried to move. I helped him sit up straighter. He felt so light in my arms. His bones pressed against my hands.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” I asked him. “I was just here last week.”

  “I didn’t want to worry anyone,” he said.

  “Well, we’re worried now. What did the doctor say?”

  “It’s cancer,” Father said, wincing. He hadn’t moved, so I knew it was something internal. “I’ve been handling it so far, but it finally caught up with me.”

  “I can’t believe this,” I said, hanging my head. />
  He reached out to me, and I took his hand. His eyes were glossy, and my vision blurred.

  “Father, I…” I trailed off, unsure of what to say. I couldn’t make the situation any better for him with words. I was lost.

  “I know, son,” he said. “I know.”

  I shook my head, cursing as many deities as I could think of for doing this to our family. Father was supposed to retire from the throne and live his life, not die before his time.

  “Adopting you was the best thing we’ve ever done,” he said. “How did we get so lucky to have such a man like you in our lives?”

  “Father, I’m the one who is lucky,” I said, kissing his hand.

  He pressed his lips together in what looked like a smile.

  “I know you don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “But there isn’t much time left to decide. You need to choose if you’re to take over after me. I don’t want to leave it up to the council.”

  As much as I knew what I had to do, I couldn’t find the words. Not even now, when Father was on his deathbed.

  Instead, I kicked off my shoes and laid on the bed next to him, like I used to when I was first adopted. I used to have nightmares that someone was going to pull the rug out from under me and send me back to the orphanage. Father used to bring me into his bed after I had another nightmare and hold me until I fell asleep. Even though I wasn’t conscious for half of it, the memories came back full force, and this time, I couldn’t contain myself.

  Father and I sat there until his breathing became steady and he was the one comforted by me instead of the other way around.

  * * *

  I made sure that Father was fast asleep before I went out into the hallway. Mother sat in the chair across the hall, staring at her hands in her lap.

  “Where is the doctor?” I asked.