The same day of the couple´s return to the palace, Malouf had also arrived for one of his frequent visits.

It caused such a distaste to Bethany that she almost asked Omar to take her back to the oasis. But then she decided to control her emotions and not to say anything. She knew that life was not made only of vacations and paradisiac places.

During dinner, the sheik was happy to hear his son tell the news about the oasis and the nice people who lived there. Then his attention went to his brother-in-law and he wanted to know where Malouf had been for the last weeks.

“I came from Australia.”

“That is quite far. Were you on business or vacation?”

“Vacation.”

Oh, so the old goat was going to play the innocent. Bethany knew that, by now, his misfortune had already exploded in his face.

He was careful in his choice of words and he kept looking at Bethany as if expecting some reaction that would pro