Sex was supposed to solve everything, or so Hyacinth had tried to convince herself, but reality sadly taught her otherwise. The months that followed seesawed from blissful to dreadful, depending on how big the latest elephant Mrs. B had sent to their room.

Three months ago, a major scandal broke out when one of the kingdom’s most prominent construction developers had been charged with fraud, bribery, and embezzlement, among many others. The large-scale scam perpetrated by Jacob Bauer, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars, had been discovered by a special task force jointly overseen by the kingdom’s defense and finance departments.

More sensationalized headlines soon followed, with media having swooped in to dig up more dirt and consequently unearthing evidence of Bauer’s womanizing past and how he had been cheating on his wife for years.

Outraged by the news, Prince Arthur privately expressed his displeasure to his ex-lover and made it clear that he expected their daughter to divorce Bauer, a man whom he had ironically handpicked as Cecile’s bridegroom. But since the prince’s son-in-law was never the type to stay on a sinking ship, Jacob had retaliated with blackmail, saying he would reveal the truth of Cecile’s parentage if their divorce pushed through.

All this, Hyacinth had learned from Rayyan himself, whom Prince Arthur had come to rely on since he was the only other person in the royal family who knew of his predicament.

“So what now?” Hyacinth tried to keep her voice cheerful and unsuspecting even as the food in her mouth suddenly tasted like lead. With Anisah away on another educational conference, tonight was one of the few nights they could spend together, and she had been looking forward to it for so long.

It was supposed to be romantic, starting with a private dinner in his suite, but everything was ruined now, her appetite disappearing the moment she saw that look in his eyes.

“My uncle wishes me to speak with Cecile on his behalf,” Rayyan said softly.

And he wanted to do it, she thought, because even now, he still felt guilty about the way Hyacinth had forced him to completely cut ties with her.

At her prolonged silence, the sheikh’s voice turned exasperated as he asked, “Surely you do not think we’d do anything else?”

“It’s not what you’re going to do that I’m worried about,” she muttered. “It’s how you’ll feel when you see her again---” In moments, the sheikh had left his seat at the other end of the table, and her voice broke off in a slight gasp when he lifted her up and had Hyacinth sitting on his lap.

“Remember the last time you tried arguing with me again, about wanting to call me ‘alsyd’ in public?”

“I do.” She was confused. That was just a week ago, and they had been in the sheikh’s office, with Hyacinth laughingly trying to bargain her way while she was on her knees and his cock was in her mouth. “And you said it was never going to happen,” she reminded him, “because it’s only going to make you want to fuck me in the next minute.”

“Excellent memory, anisdi.”

She scowled. “And?” Surely, that wasn’t the point at all?

“And so instead of alsyd, I suggested you think of something else to call me.”

Oh.

He smirked at the way color suddenly bloomed in her cheeks. “And what was it that you thought of?”

“I can’t remember.”

“Liar.”

“You said---”

Hyacinth quickly covered her ears. “I can’t hear anything!”

“How about I call you mine---” The sheikh burst into laughter at the way Hyacinth groaned and turned green, looking like she was absolutely sick…of herself.

“Stop reminding me of that, you jerk.” She tried to punch his shoulder even knowing she’d only end up hurting her own fist, but the sheikh caught her wrist mid-air and brought her knuckles to his lips.

“It’s true, though.” Blue eyes captured hers. “I am yours, so there is nothing for you to worry about.”

And before she could draw another breath, he was already pushing their robes to the side, and then his cock, already engorged and throbbing, was sliding inside of her, and Hyacinth could only moan, unable to believe how so easily wet she became at the first feel of his possession.

“Ride me, majamira.”

A whimper escaped her at the command even as she found herself obeying him, her fingers curving over his broad shoulders as she began to bounce on his cock.

It was ecstasy, it was heaven, it was love – and oh, oh, oh God, she just wished it could last forever. She would have given half of her life to make it last an eternity because it was only moments like this, with his cock inside of her, that she could forgot her fears.

But when it was over, it was all over, and when their gazes met, she just couldn’t make herself be the girl she used to be.

“I don’t want you to go.”

The sheikh slowly nodded. “Maehfam.” I understand. And the quiet disappointment in his gaze told her that he spoke the truth. He understood, he knew the same thing she did – and that was that she had changed.

She was no longer just a bitch in her mind.

She was a true-blue, full-fledged bitch now, with the way she was kicking someone who was already down and using Rayyan’s honor against him.

Because she loved him too much, and she was so damn scared of losing him the moment he saw Mrs. B again, she would rather have him stay with her – even if it meant making him eventually hate her.

And the rate you’re going, H, it’s only a matter of time.

Coming at the heels of Jacob Bauer’s controversial courtroom trial was another scandal that threatened to rock the foundation of the palace, with rumors spreading like wildfire of an inappropriate relationship between Sheikh Malik Al-Atassi and Kyria Markides, ward to Princess Vanna, the sheikh’s own mother, and someone everyone saw as Malik’s younger sister in all but name.

I shouldn’t be happy about this, Hyacinth thought as one salacious report after another was published, detailing the time Sheikh Malik spent in Contini, where Kyria was currently enrolled in university.

She could only imagine how much pain the other girl was in, more so now with the palace abuzz with news of Sheikh Malik’s imminent return and a Dutch heiress supposedly snaring his heart instead.

So no, you can’t be happy about this, H.

But the problem was – she was no longer the same Hyacinth she used to be.

With all the malicious tongues wagging about the almost incestuous relationship between Kyria and Sheikh Malik, it would even be more unlikely for Rayyan to ever pursue a relationship with Mrs. B., who – unlike the other couple – was actually blood related to him.

And that was why she was so happy, which only meant one thing: she really was a bitch, and all that stuff about love making people better versions of themselves were pure B.S.

All’s fair in love and war, Hyacinth reminded herself.

And so it was, with fate managing to turn things around when a short time later, Sheikh Malik, in defiance of all the expectations of the kingdom’s traditional society, declared his engagement to Kyria.

Hyacinth genuinely wished the couple happiness, but as she watched the palace staff fall over itself in their frantic preparations for a surprise royal wedding, the sinking feeling in her stomach just got worse and worse.

Fuck.

You’re so fucked, H, because you’re such a bitch.

And now fate’s teaching you a lesson.