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  Jabril noticed that the last four words were almost an afterthought, tacked on to reinforce her argument. But she wasn’t sure and that gave him pause. She hadn’t known, he was sure of it.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to ease her into the truth. The people of Ditra were in dire circumstances and he had to act quickly, before more people died. Relaxing his stance slightly, he changed tactics, shifting from fury over her negligence, to insistence that she face reality and fix the situation. “Your uncle has drained the resources of Ditra for his own personal gain. The people are starving, businesses have gone under because of the new tax regulations, which are complicated and apply a massive burden to most businesses, and even the military has been oppressed, curtailed so that he has them entirely under his power.”

  Ilara shook her head, but Jabril could see the doubt in her face. “No! He’s a gentle ruler!” she repeated, unconsciously pushing her chair back and crossing her arms over her chest, trying to get away from his words.

  Instead of saying anything more, he pulled other pictures out of the envelope, spreading them across her desk one by one. He showed her pictures of desperate people, abandoned stores, deserted villages, and the capital city with empty streets, which should have been thriving.

  He didn’t say anything, allowing the images to speak. She’d grown up in Ditra and recognized the street signs and the buildings. Jabril watched carefully, waiting for signs that she might dismiss what was happening.

  Unfortunately, he needed Ilara. He needed her cooperation in order to make a swift change. He could regain the land without her through force, but as she’d pointed out, more people would get hurt. The people of Ditra had endured so much already. If he could unite his country without violence, he’d do it. If he couldn’t gain her cooperation, then he had a plan B, but marrying Ilara would give her the right to rule and speed up the recovery process for the people and the economy.

  “Stop!” she gasped, turning the pictures over so she didn’t have to look at them. Jabril considered that a good sign. She couldn’t be part of her uncle’s horrible machinations if she couldn’t stand looking at the destruction.

  “He didn’t do this,” she murmured, standing up and looking through the small window of her office, trying to hide her expression.

  “Why do you say that?” he demanded. She wanted to deny everything, but he suspected from her reaction that she’d had clues before this moment.

  “Because my uncle sends me reports about what’s going on in Ditra. He and I talk. He’s encouraged me to come back and take my place.”

  “Why haven’t you then?” he asked, tamping down his sudden fury.

  “Because…” she closed her eyes, pressing her lips together as the pieces came together. “Because he convinced me that getting my degree was more important for the people of my country. It would help me help them more effectively.” She pressed shaking fingers to her lips. “He said I had to think long term and getting a degree from a good school would serve them better in the long term.”

  “So that’s why you left Ditra,” he commented, more to himself than to her. “He’s right. Getting an education should have helped. But you graduated last summer.”

  She sighed, rubbing her forehead. “He...convinced me that getting a bit of experience out in the world would help.”

  Jabril didn’t say anything. He let the silence fill the room, allowing her to think it through. From what his security team had discovered, Ilara was an intelligent, thoughtful woman with deep loyalty to Ditra. Only now was he starting to understand why she hadn’t returned to take her place in the government.

  “I don’t believe you,” she finally said, turning to face him.

  Her words were disappointing, he thought, but not unexpected.

  “Come with me,” he ordered. “We’ll fly to Ditra and you can see for yourself.”

  Without a second thought, she shut down her computer and grabbed her purse. Her willingness further eased his anger towards her. If she’d known what was going on, even suspected, she wouldn’t be willing to prove him wrong.

  “Your information is wrong,” she insisted as she shoved her laptop into her computer bag. “I don’t know where those pictures were taken, but they aren’t from Ditra.” She stood up straight, glaring up into his eyes. He admired her spunk, even if he could see her trembling from head to toe..

  Princess Ilara might be a beautiful woman, but the people of Ditra needed his focus now. They needed him to protect them. Focusing on full, rounded breasts or her slender waist was not helping them in any way.

  With absolute resolution, she tilted her head towards the door. “I’ll show you the real Ditra. And if you decide to invade my country…”

  “My country, that your father stole from me,” he corrected.

  Ilara didn’t acknowledge his words. “…Then I will expect an apology and an investigation into who told you those lies,” she finished, nodding to the envelope with the pictures.

  “And if I’m telling the truth, you will marry me and help me save Ditra.

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