by Annie Seaton
No one would do that on purpose.
A strong wind was blowing off the Gulf as they stepped onto the open balcony that led to the bar, and he placed his hand on her waist to support her. When they entered the restaurant, he kept his hand there.
‘On Sunday I have a special treat for you.’
‘That sounds interesting.’ She tipped her head to the side and looked at him. He really was a fine looking man. His smile was wide and Dru tried to ignore the warm feeling that suffused her.
‘Rihanna and I are taking the children to the aquarium at the Palm Hotel and we would like you to join us. Rihanna wants to thank you for everything you are doing while she is unable to join me at these social events,’ he said.
Dru nodded and accepted, although one disloyal thought crossed her mind fleetingly. If Rihanna was able to travel so far from their home, and go out to a restaurant for lunch with Zayed and four young children, why wasn’t she able to accompany him to the occasional social event in the evenings? From what Zayed had said of his home life, there were nannies and housekeepers employed to look after every detail of their life.
The trip to the aquarium had been a very pleasant afternoon. Rihanna was delightful: warm and friendly, interested in Dru’s background and most impressed that she was an engineer. Her black abaya was elegantly embroidered with gold thread and her beautifully made-up eyes twinkled in a smile as Dru answered her many questions. Their two small daughters were dressed in identical party frocks. Soft pink knee-length dresses fell in a swirl of frills past their knees, and they each wore a headband in a matching colour. The two little boys were also well behaved and after the meal, they became more used to Dru. She held the two little girls’ hands as they watched the fish.
Zayed was a perfect father and husband. His warmth and sense of humour had come to the fore, and they’d spent the afternoon laughing as he teased the children.
The only niggle was that Rihanna didn’t mention Dru accompanying Zayed to the ball; but Dru convinced herself that she had forgotten.
The car incident had been the first time she had wondered about Zayed. But after the Sunday lunch, his behaviour became more controlling each time they went out. To her embarrassment, one night he presented her with an expensive diamond bracelet. His reaction to her refusal to accept it led to a tense evening and she saw an aggressive, insistent side to his personality that at first made her slightly uncomfortable, and soon began to frighten her.
‘But why not, Drusilla?’ he’d said. ‘I can afford to give you a hundred like this.’ His lips had set in a truculent line.
She tried to explain her reluctance, but he insisted. ‘I love beautiful things, and you, my dear, are exquisite.’ He put the bracelet down and picked up her hand, and turned it over in his palm before kissing the inside of her wrist. Dru had stiffened as uneasiness filled her.
‘It’s not the cost—although that is a part of it. It’s just not right for you to be giving me gifts. You have a wife and family and I’m simply helping you out.’
‘We do things differently here. I want you to take it.’ He held her gaze with his as he picked up the bracelet and placed it on her wrist. Despite the smile on his lips, his eyes were dark and he held her wrist so tightly that Dru was unable to remove her hand. When she removed the bracelet later that evening, her skin was bruised from the punishing grip.
The next month had been a nightmare for Dru, but she hadn’t shared any of what was happening with Megan until she knew her position at the Ain Dubai had finished.
She began to decline Zayed’s invitations and tried to ignore the ever-increasing number of texts that arrived on her phone. Then he turned up unannounced at her apartment, but she refused to buzz him up. He phoned her incessantly, and worst of all, he would come into her office at work and act as though nothing was wrong. He wanted her in his life whatever it took, and the more she resisted him, the more he persisted.
Finally she accepted a dinner invitation. She hoped that face-to-face she could talk to him and extricate herself from this situation. She couldn’t have been more wrong.
‘I don’t like the colour of your dress. Don’t wear it again.’
‘There won’t be an “again”.’
Zayed waved a waiter over and ordered a bottle of expensive champagne. When the man retreated, he turned back to her. ‘You are being very silly, Drusilla.’ His voice was gentle but insistent.
‘No,’ she said firmly. ‘I am not being silly. I’m here to work, not to get involved with a married man.’
His laugh was light. ‘Involved? All I am asking is that you come with me to some functions. You are overreacting, my darling.’
When the waiter had poured their drinks, he raised his glass. ‘To you, Dru.’ He took a long sip, then put the glass down. She hadn’t touched hers. ‘I do not like it when you disobey me.’
Dru stared at him as his dark eyes gleamed. ‘Disobey you?’ she said slowly.
‘If it happens again, you will find that your visa to work in the Emirates is withdrawn.’
‘Are you threatening me?’
He ignored her and took another sip of champagne. ‘Let’s order. I think we will both have Wagyu beef tonight. I must visit Australia again soon. With you, of course.’
‘No, that won’t be happening.’
‘I think you had better give that some more thought, my dear. Your friends wouldn’t want to lose their visas, would they?’
Dru was quiet—and compliant—as he ordered their meals. What else could she have done? He owned the company she worked for.
By the time she finally broke and told Megan how he was harassing her, Dru was in a near constant state of heightened anxiety.
The final straw had come one morning in her office. She was immersed in the project plan for the next stage of work when her office door had closed quietly. She’d been leaving it open deliberately over the past weeks. Zayed had called in every day since he had threatened her visa.
Her mouth dried and her pulse accelerated when he crossed to her desk and placed a large bouquet of flowers in front of her. Hanging from the tag was a circular key ring that looked as though it was encrusted with small diamonds. Dru swallowed. Knowing his style, they wouldn’t be fake. Zayed walked to the window without speaking and stared out over the blue water of the Gulf. The blue-black sheen of his dark hair glistened in the morning sun. Dru dug her nails into her palms as she sat behind her desk.
‘Is there something work-related we need to discuss, Zayed?’ She kept her voice neutral as she pushed the chair away from her desk and stood. ‘I have a meeting upstairs shortly.’ She looked at her watch pointedly.
He turned and his eyes travelled slowly from the top of her head and down her body. His expression was set, his mouth fixed in a straight line. ‘There is something we need to discuss.’
Dru held herself straight and met his intense gaze. His brown eyes softened as his mouth lifted in a smile. ‘I have overcome our problem.’
‘Which problem is that?’ Dru looked over at the whiteboard on the wall of her office where the month’s goals were written up.
‘It’s rather a shame because you are one of the best in your field. You do have a good career ahead of you. Maybe we can find you another position here. In a few years.’
His smile widened and Dru tensed as she waited to hear the solution to whatever problem he was talking about.
‘I am terminating your employment on the Ain Dubai project as of this morning.’
Dru grabbed for her desk as the room suddenly tilted. She closed her eyes and waited for the dizziness to pass before she asked slowly, ‘What did you say?’
Her breath caught as Zayed took her hand firmly and smoothed her skin with his thumb. He leaned in closer and his breath brushed her cheek. ‘I did hope you would be here to see this project finished. It will be amazing. An expanse of the Gulf transformed into an island with high class dining and entertainment and the beautiful Ain Dubai at its centre. But be
assured you can still share it with me. We can celebrate its conclusion together. And in the meantime you will not have to go to work each day. You will be available when I need you.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘You are no longer employed by my company.’
‘You can’t do that.’ Dru stood straight and for one satisfying moment she looked down at him. It was one of the rare occasions that she took pleasure in her height.
‘I can do whatever I want, Drusilla.’ For a moment, his smile was cold. ‘I own the company. I say who is employed. And I don’t want you on the Ain project any longer. Your friends can stay for the time being.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Dru stood stock still as shock coursed through her. ‘Terminating my employment? You can’t. I’m on a contract.’
His voice was calm and smooth. ‘If you’re not working here, you won’t have to worry about our relationship any longer.’ Still holding her hand in a tight grip, Zayed reached across the desk and pulled the key ring from the stem of the bouquet. He dangled it in front of her face with a smile.
‘This is the key to your—to our—new apartment.’ She tried to resist but he dragged her across to the window and pointed to the north. ‘It’s on the northern tip of Bluewater Island and you will be able to see our work from our penthouse once the Ain is completed.’
His face was set and although he smiled, aggressive determination emanated from him. Fear flooded through Dru but she found the courage to argue as adrenaline coursed through her.
‘No. I want to stay here. In my job. I . . . I . . . haven’t agreed to this.’ Wariness made her choose her words carefully. ‘I don’t have to agree to it.’
‘You don’t have to agree.’ Zayed shook his head and pressed the key into her hand so hard it hurt. ‘It is all arranged. I have filled the apartment with beautiful things from my collection. You will be the crowning piece.’
His grip tightened and Dru looked down as blood seeped from her palm where the cold metal had cut her skin. In that moment, she knew he was crazy.
He was hurting her, but she refused to show it. She thought desperately for a way to convince him. ‘Zayed, I’m extremely flattered by your words.’ Dru swallowed and fought to keep her voice steady. ‘It’s nothing to do with us working together. In my culture, it is inconceivable to share a man.’ She kept her voice calm and quiet and looked at him from beneath lowered lids. ‘You already have a wife . . . and children.’
‘I know I am already married, and I appreciate that you may have a problem with that. But it will be good. In my culture taking another wife is accepted. As long as a man can prove he is able to support two families.’ Zayed shook his head. ‘But we are getting ahead of ourselves. I am inviting you to be my partner only—perhaps we will marry eventually.’
Horror gripped Dru in its relentless hold. This was surreal; she was in her office, the place she had worked in as an engineer for two years. Through the frosted glass beside the door she could make out the figures of the other engineers as they went about their work. Where the hell had this crazy scenario come from? What was she going to do? What should she say? How should she react? Fear crawled up her spine; she had witnessed Zayed’s ruthlessness firsthand in meetings and she had no doubt he meant what he said.
He glanced at his watch. ‘I have a meeting until late this afternoon. Finish up what you are doing, and pack up your desk. I’ll pick you up at five and we’ll move your things over to the penthouse tonight. This is my choice and it is the best thing for you.’ Zayed leaned over and brushed his lips across her mouth. ‘For us.’
‘Zayed.’ Dru forced herself not to tense. ‘I want to keep working on the project. I love my job.’
‘No. You no longer have a contract.’ He reached for Dru and pulled her close. His fingers were hard and cruel on her shoulders, and his cologne surrounded her. ‘I’ll pick you up at five. After we move you in, we’ll go out for dinner. You can choose the restaurant. Tayeb?’
‘Okay,’ Dru said.
‘I will have to teach you some Arabic,’ he said as he turned away. ‘Tayeb means okay. So what do you say, Dru?’
‘Tayeb.’ Her throat closed as she nodded mutely, not strong enough to disagree with him. Her mind was whirling and she was finding it difficult not to be sick. She gripped the key in her hand to ground herself as the door closed behind him.
Chapter 26
Atlantis, The Palm—Dubai (present day)
Thinking about that last day in her office had brought the crushing fear back to Dru. By the time Zayed would have arrived at the office to collect her, she had been in an A380 on the tarmac of Dubai International Airport waiting to take off. As soon as she was sure Zayed had left the building, she went straight to Sam’s office, numb and shaking. She had told Sam that she had an emergency at home and had to leave that day. Megan had met them at the airport and Dru had taken her aside as Sam carried her bags in from
the car.
‘Don’t tell anyone that you and Sam helped me. Lie, do whatever it takes, but tell Sam to say he had to go home early today because he was sick, or you were, or something.’ Dru wrapped her long cardigan around her. She couldn’t stop shaking. ‘Don’t mention me at all. Promise me that!’
Luckily, Sam had found her a seat on the next flight out and Dru had flown to Brisbane and then up to Cairns. She’d called Megan from her mother’s house and been relieved to hear there had been no consequences for Sam—yet.
The two weeks she’d spent with Mum at Port Douglas before she’d applied for the job at Matsu had been a blur. Emma had come down to visit with Jeremy, and Dru had sat back quietly and let them be the focus of attention. She had instructed her solicitor to submit her formal acceptance of the termination of her employment on the Ain and had been amazed when the company had paid her out immediately, under the terms of the early termination of her contract.
Dru was pulled back to the present as the MC tapped on the microphone and the formal part of the evening commenced. She managed a smile when Sam proposed a toast to the beautiful bridesmaids.
As soon as dessert had been served and orders taken for coffee, Dru made her excuses and slipped out to the terrace for some fresh air. She needed to get away from the crowd and try to calm herself. Her insides were wound as tight as a coil and she’d found it difficult to eat.
Revisiting that time had been a foolish thing to do. Despite her firm resolution in the Bungle Bungles, no matter how much she tried to calm herself, the panic was building. All she wanted to do was head to the airport and get back to the place where she felt safe.
She gripped the edge of the railing and looked out over the garden below. Fairy lights had been draped over the trees and a couple of small children were playing hide and seek at the edge of the garden. Their excited voices drifted up through the gathering darkness. She looked up, trying to ground herself, but the desert smog obscured the night sky.
No diamonds in the sky tonight, Dad, she thought. Her hands clenched as the painful memories filled her mind. Making a conscious effort to relax, she visualised each muscle relaxing.
Toes, calves, and up to her diaphragm. Slow, deep breaths. Dru shook her fingers to get rid of that awful tingling feeling in her hands. Slowly her heartbeat resumed its normal pace and she put a hand up and smoothed her hair. She walked along to the edge of the terrace and glanced at her watch. There was still about an hour before she could leave without being rude.
She looked to the north, wondering if she could see the construction on Bluewater Island. She craned forward but it was too dark to see the Ain. In all directions, spotlights were on the new luxury apartment blocks being constructed. From the hotel and along the main road down the centre of the island of Palm Jumeirah, each street of the residential section had been reclaimed from the sea and built up in the shape of palm fronds.
Her work had been interesting, but subsequent events had killed any attraction Dubai held for her. The sooner she was on the plane
back to Australia, the better. Coming to the wedding had been a mistake.
A huge mistake.
Footsteps crunched on the bricks behind her.
‘You look very lovely, tonight, Drusilla. You are wearing my favourite colour.’
Dru froze and her breath stilled in her throat as the familiar voice whispered past her ear. At the same time, she recognised the cloying cologne. She held herself rigid, staring out into the velvet darkness of the night. For a moment, she thought it was her memory playing tricks on her but the grip on her arm was real . . . and painful.
She forced herself to look down. The tanned hand lightly sprinkled with dark hair was edged by a snowy white cuff studded with sparkling diamond and gold cuff links. Finally she drew in a shuddering gasp as he eased the pressure a fraction. Reluctantly, she turned around. As she watched, the fingers ran up her forearm to her shoulder. Zayed lifted her chin so that she was forced to look at him.
‘I taught you something about lovely clothes, didn’t I, Drusilla?’ The voice was almost like a caress and his breath puffed on her lips. Fear held her in its icy grip, and she closed her eyes, fighting for breath. Through the doorway came the strains of a slow romantic song.
‘Do you know how much I’ve missed you?’
The smell of his cologne was musky and Dru fought the gag reflex that she knew was more from fear than the smell. He was wearing a dark tuxedo and a white shirt with a frill down the front.
Determined to play it cool, she gripped her small handbag. She had to get off the deserted terrace. It was her only chance. She glanced back into the restaurant. People were moving about but no one was looking out this way.
‘Well.’ Dru forced a smile to her face. ‘Hello, Zayed, this is a surprise. I didn’t realise you were a friend of Sam’s.’
