The Sheikh's Stolen Bride-To-Be

After a pause, Elora turned to Steph and wrapped her firmly in her arms, holding her tight.

“Oh, Steph,” she breathed.

Steph could feel her mother’s relief, and she held her back just as tightly.

Finally, as the elevator made its way down to the first floor, Elora pulled away, stroking her daughter’s face.

“Can you forgive me?”

Steph’s eyes widened. “Forgive you? What for? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Didn’t I?” Elora asked, looking entirely miserable. “It was my need to stick to tradition that sent you running, and now I see that your fiancé didn’t want any part of it either. We could have just made a terrible mistake, thinking we were doing what was best for you.”

Before Steph had a chance to reply, the doors opened and they were met with compete chaos.

The security guard looked at the elevator with accusation in his eyes, and he wasn’t alone. Two police officers had arrived, and they were rushing toward the elevator even as it opened.

“That’s her! That’s the woman who forced her way in!”

The guard was pointing directly at Steph’s mother, who stepped out into the lobby as though nothing were wrong.

“There seems to have been some mistake, officers,” Elora said, her voice smooth as silk. “We were welcome here. Call Sadiq and ask him yourselves.”

The officers exchanged confused looks as they deliberated who to believe. Finally, one of them told the security guard to make the call, and he paused, glaring at Elora, before he stepped behind the desk and dialed the number.

The officer took the phone once the guard had finished dialing. “Yes, we’re here on account of a disturbance in your building. We have detained three individuals who just came down the elevator. They are saying that you granted them permission to enter.”

The officer listened to Sadiq speak at length before he hung up the receiver and glared at the guard. “False alarm. Let’s get out of here.”

The two officers headed for the door, one of them tilting his hat to Elora.

“Apologies for the misunderstanding, ma’am.”

“It’s no trouble,” Elora purred, casting a victorious stare at the guard, who pouted as he took his seat once again.

The three of them stepped back out onto the street, quickly finding their way back to the hotel. It was late, and Jerry was stifling yawn after yawn as they took the elevator back to the luxury suite Sadiq had paid for. Steph sent out a silent thank you to him, knowing he would never know how truly grateful she was for how the whole situation had played out.

“Well, my role in this is done. I’m going to bed,” Jerry declared, waving absently as he headed straight for his bedroom and closed the door.

Elora and Steph locked stares for a moment. As late as it was, and as tired as she should have been after a day in the sun with Mehdi, Steph’s heart was racing, and there was no way she would be able to get to sleep anytime soon.

“Would you like some tea?” Elora asked.

It was an olive branch. Steph could see that, and she decided it would be best to take it. A long, honest conversation with her mother was more than a little overdue.

“I would. Thank you,” she said.

“Sit down. I’ll put the kettle on.”

Steph sank into one of the large sofas as her mother filled a pot with water and turned on a burner in their small kitchenette. She rattled around for some cups and tea bags before joining Steph on the sofa.

“I feel like I have some explaining to do,” Elora began, and Steph remained silent, allowing her to speak. “I never had a mother who really listened to me. I was to do what I was told, when I was told, and that was the end of it. It was the reason I married your father, and while our beginning was a tad rocky, it became one of the best decisions of my life. I’d always secretly wished it had been my decision.”

Steph’s eyebrows narrowed in confusion. “Then why did you put me through all this, knowing it wasn’t my choice?”

“Because when you’re a mother, you will do anything to protect your child. You have fought me on things that were good for you all your life. You didn’t like vegetables as a child. You didn’t like math. I pushed you to realize the value of those things. Do you regret those decisions?”