Chapter 5

The weather was foggy and Annabelle was still in bed. Kara had gone to work and she... She slept in. Two months had passed and there were changes in her life. She was now working in a restaurant not far from her home... She had broken up with her virtual boyfriend... At least a few weeks ago, Kara decided to investigate with Carl and they discovered that her virtual boyfriend was living in a nursing home! 

Now she was single and sure to end up an old maid...

She had woken up this morning in a sweat after dreaming about him once again... Her stranger... The man she had spent a torrid night with two months ago. Sleeping had become her passion as she knew she was going to dream of him and their moment... She hadn't seen him since that night and her sister hasn't contacted him since... She wanted so much to see him again and tried once to go to the bar but he wasn't there. It was only in her dreams that she could see him again... 

She had tried to call Annabella to ask her if anyone in particular had come to the restaurant for her... But on top of her unanswered calls, she knew that Annabella would eventually spill the whole story to her. And yet... She didn't tell anyone... Not even Kara. 

She would feel ashamed after that... It was completely crazy to sleep with a stranger... 

Mich... She smiled dreamily as she remembered him... 

" What should I call you?"

" Mich..."

" Mich as in Michael."

" No. Mich... Just plain."

She smiled and closed her eyes before diving under the covers. If only she could forget him... She loved remembering him but she still felt empty and the feeling of missing him grew even more in her heart... 

" Anna...? You are here."

The young woman stood up suddenly as she heard the voice and loud knocking on her door. It was probably her neighbour coming to giver her usual Saturday pie...

She left the bed and went to open the door... It was Sasha, her old neighbour who brought her apple pie every Saturday...

" Good morning Sasha... You're up early this morning. I didn't expect you so early."

" So early, Anna? On the contrary, I'm late. I am really late, I had constraints with my oven. It's already past one o'clock! "

Anna gave an alarmed little cry. She was sure she saw that it was 11 o'clock on the clock. 

" I'm leaving you this pie. I hope you will like it."

" It will be delicious as always. Thank you, Sasha... replied the young woman, taking the dish from which a delicious smell was coming from the old lady's hands... "

After closing the door of the house, Annabelle placed the pie on a table before heading for the bedroom as if to confirm Sasha's words... The clock still showed 11 o'clock... She frowned before noticing that the clock wasn't working...

" What the hell..."

She had promised Kara that she was going to cook today and now she hadn't even done the shopping yet! She was going to have to order something, Kara was going to be home in less than half an hour...

She looked for her mobile phone and finally found it under her duvet, grabbed it and opened it... She had a bunch of call notifications... It was Kara... She was probably going to kill her. She opened the app but...

It wasn't Kara...

Annabella...

They were calls from Annabella. She felt her heart vibrate in her chest and smiled. Even though she knew she was probably going to ask her to replace her again or something. At this idea, Annabelle's thoughts turned to the events of the last time. She hadn't even been able to ask Annabella about the tragedy that almost happened. But she was sure Annabella knew all about it, and she wouldn't be surprised if she decided to keep quiet about it... 

" OK, I'll call her back." she said to herself as she pressed her number.

Her heart was racing as the phone rang... She fidgeted with her hands, feeling a high level of stress. It was her sister, but she was still nervous about talking to her... 

When the phone was picked up and her sister's sleepy voice rang out from the other end of the line, Annabelle's heart leapt into her chest. She felt a shiver warm her heart... How good it was to hear her voice... she thought.

" Annabella... It's me, Annabelle. Did I wake you?" She said in a trembling voice.

...

On the other side of the world, a man was pacing up and down in his office... He was apparently nervous and was frowning in annoyance. He was probably angry inside. He raised a glass to his lips before dropping it abruptly on a small table. He stopped walking as if to look towards his window... 

He remained pensive for a moment before two knocks were heard at his door. He turned his head towards the door and frowned, as if determined to take out his anger on the new arrival, before saying in a hoarse, stern voice.

" Go inside."

A blonde head appears. He relaxed and smiled briefly... The newcomer curtsied before concentrating on him...

" Good morning, Dylan."

" Good morning, Majesty."

" My mother's not here, Dylan. You need to relax." Said the man, finishing his drink and glaring at Dylan, the new arrival.

" I may be your best friend but you're first and foremost my Sultan."

" I know I am. But I assure you that I've brought you here not as my right-hand man and advisor but... as my advisor... Well, you know what I mean. I really need to talk to my best friend."

" I suppose it's your marriage that's bothering you so much. "

The man hardly replied. His best friend seemed to be right...

" Hamish, you can always cancel it. You're the Sultan. You don't have to do it."

" She's pregnant, Dylan. You know she is. She's carrying... The heir to the crown. Your future Sultan."

Hamish turned his back on his friend to refill his glass. He really was cursed. It was certain that the gods had a grudge against him... His situation was really shitty... He had spent a magical and truly intense night with her. But when he woke up, she was gone. He should have taken her flight as a sign of destiny... However, he was impressed by her sweetness and innocence and even felt guilty about what had happened between them...

He felt a fool for going back to the bar a week later to find her. Only to discover that she'd been fired because she'd behaved badly towards a customer... Fate's second chance for him, but he hadn't understood a thing... He had seen too much innocence in her eyes and too much kindness. He had even convinced himself that the customer had used his connections to send her away, because he had no doubt made advances to her which she had no doubt refused.

Hamish smiled wryly at his foolishness... What had got into him? And this is not the end of the chances that fate had given him! He had one last chance, because when he finally found her, she acted as if she hardly recognised him. After all, she was drugged. She must surely have forgotten the events between them... So he thought like an idiot that the best thing to do was to remind her of them. Which he did... And all of this leads him into the most chaotic of situations. 

" And yet, Dylan... You saw her yourself in the restaurant that night. She seemed so... Unique and..."

" Different? Yes... You're right, my friend."

" What changed in her... I did find her but... I don't seem to find that part of her...that made me so...mad."

" The problem isn't her. The problem is you. You're far too romantic and... sensitive."

Hamish glared at his friend before realising that he might be right... He should have married Princess Clementine and rejected the idea of finding his true love. Love was an illusion. Now he had proof. He had fallen under her spell at first sight but now the mere fact that she was to be his wife, his sultana, disgusted him. 

He knew she was a gold digger, he had guessed it though, he was naive to believe that she would end up being the Annabella he had loved passionately that night. He ended up being tricked. Like a fool...

" So, when will her family be coming? Are you ready to receive them?"

" Only her twin sister will come."

" A twin sister?" Asked Dylan, surprised.

" Yes, a twin sister. Two Diamond Crunchers with the same face, under my roof... I'm truly cursed, my dear friend."

His friend said nothing. He heaved a dejected sigh as he emptied his glass again, turning back to the window as if hoping to see the solution to his problems coming from afar...