A musical sound echoed across Yvonne’s dreams as she rolled over, squeezing her eyes shut against the bright light of day.

The bright light of day…

Shooting up, she glanced with wide eyes at her alarm clock, which was still singing a musical tune that had started two hours before.

Oh, no…

Yvonne never slept in! She must have adapted to her break schedule a little too much, she thought, as she cursed the clock while whipping her pajamas off and changing into a work suit in a flash.

Grabbing her bag and her keys, she sprinted out the door, her breath labored as her heart pounded. Never in her professional life had she been late for work. Would Zadid assume she had gotten lazy after their night together? Would he think she was the kind of person to sleep with a man only to take advantage later?

She managed to catch a cab, wiggling in the backseat as the driver wound through morning D.C. traffic. After an eternity, he finally stopped close enough to the firm for her to get out and run.

“Thank you!” she called, tossing a wad of cash at the man as she dashed out into the street.

Through the revolving doors, she wound her way up into the main lobby, where weeks before a party had taken place that had changed her life. She wondered as time passed if Zadid would reach out to her. She’d tried very hard to convince herself not to be disappointed when she heard not a word from him around New Year’s, instead falling asleep alone, dreaming about his kiss at midnight.

She reminded herself that she had no ties to the man, though he seemed to have an affection for her after their time together. His silence continued to leave her wondering just what that night meant, if anything at all. Perhaps he would act as though it never happened, and business would go on as usual.

A million scenarios had played out in her mind over the past week, but nothing prepared her for the gathering of everyone in the company standing beneath a podium, with Zadid giving a speech above them. Blending into the crowd, she found Mackenzie and touched her arm. Her friend glanced over, though her expression was worried.

“I understand that change at the top level can be disconcerting, but I want to let all of you know that my departure from this firm is no cause for concern. ELA International will continue to grow and thrive as it always has, and I know John Smalls will steer that ship well enough on his own. He never really needed my help, after all.”

“What’s going on?” Yvonne whispered, horrified by what he was implying.

Before Mackenzie could answer, Zadid continued.

“As of this morning, my stake in ELA International has been sold, and I will be departing by the end of the day today. It has been my greatest pleasure working with you all, and I will certainly stay in touch to see your meteoric rise to success as time goes on. If you have any questions, please direct them to John.”

He stepped down from the podium then with a gentle wave to the stunned crowd. As he walked out of the room, conversation erupted from every corner. Mackenzie turned to face her friend.

“I’m sorry, Yvonne. But hey, having a crush on the boss isn’t exactly a safe bet anyway, is it? Now we can find you someone better suited, preferably someone that doesn’t share your work space. What is it they say? Don’t poop where you eat?”

“Gross, Mack,” Yvonne said, still recovering. “When did he start speaking?”

“A few minutes before you arrived. I’ve never seen you get here after eight in the morning. What gives?”

Yvonne shook her head, bewildered with it all, fighting the urge to cry.

Zadid was leaving? That very day?

“I guess I just got used to my holiday schedule,” she mumbled, her eyes on the hallway Zadid had walked down.

Mackenzie watched her with concern in her eyes, placing a gentle hand on her arm.

“Are you okay?”

With a gentle shake of her head, Yvonne returned to the present, finally making eye contact with her petite friend.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a little out of it being back from the holidays. I just need to get to work and get my mind back in the right place.”

“Of course,” Mackenzie agreed. “There’s a long line of voicemails waiting for you. Saw them blinking as I walked by.”

Yvonne nodded, feeling numb as she walked through the chattering crowd, picking up pieces of conversation as she went.

“Did you know he was planning on leaving?”

“I had no idea! What do you think this means for the company? I mean, I know what he said, but let’s be real here. If a CEO leaves a company, there has to be a reason, right?”

Passing through the sea of unease, Yvonne finally reached her office, glancing across the way to see if she could catch a glance at Zadid. His office was empty.

Opening her office door, she slipped inside, her phone blinking with the messages she should have been dealing with instead of taking a break. With a heavy sigh, she plopped down into her chair, staring at the black computer screen in front of her.

After a moment, she turned on her computer and began sifting through emails, determining what could wait and what needed to be handled immediately. A knock at her door broke her concentration, and she looked up to see Zadid standing in her doorway.

What was once such a welcome sight now had her feeling nauseated.

“Can I come in?” he asked.

“You’re the boss…at least, until the end of the day,” she said, her tone ice-cold.

He winced almost imperceptibly at her comment, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

“We need to talk,” he said.

“You think?” she replied.

In that moment, she didn’t care if she was coming off as curt. He owed her an explanation, and she leaned back and crossed her arms as he sat across from her.

“You have no need to worry about your job. I’ve spoken with John over the break and he has every intention of keeping you on as an assistant. He never really needed one because of all the work I did, but with my departure, he’ll need you more than ever.”

She stared at him in stunned disbelief. Mistaking her silence, he continued.

“You shouldn’t have to move desks. For the time being, John is going to move into my office, and he’ll be by later this morning to touch base with you about how he gets his work done. I think you’ll find him a very amiable person to work with.”

Yvonne continued to stare at him. Finally, after a heavy pause, she leaned in.

“Are you serious right now? You think I’m worried about my job?”

He shrugged.

“I imagine it’s a concern when your one task—assisting me—has been removed without much notice, yes.”

“How about the fact that you slept with me, fully knowing that you had no intention of sticking around? Did you ever think that I might be a little upset about that, Zadid?”

His cheeks colored slightly, though his expression remained unreadable.

“I understand how it must look, and I’m sorry, Yvonne. I really am. You showed me a wonderful holiday, one to remember, but I have my reasons. I’ve entered into a new business venture back in Abu Algar, and I have to return home immediately.”

“So your reasoning behind all of this is business,” Yvonne said, her voice a shard of disappointment.

“The world continues to turn at the speed of light, Yvonne. If I don’t keep up with it, I fall behind. You are an ambitious woman with promise beyond words. Surely a part of you understands that, even if you are upset.”

He was trying to reason with her, to tell her that she was being foolish. Her heart felt like a cold lump of snow that was melting slowly, painfully. She thought for a moment that she had found a man worth her time, worth her love.

She had been proved painfully, terribly wrong.

“When are you leaving?” she asked.

“Right now. I just wanted to meet with you before I go. As I said, John will be in soon to hash out the particulars.”

“Okay,” she mumbled.

Another heavy silence fell over them, suffocating Yvonne with each passing moment. Finally, Zadid stood and opened the door.

“I really am sorry, Yvonne. Had things been different…” he stared out into nothing, lost in his own thoughts for a moment before shaking his head. “Well. I wish you the best. You’re a great worker and a wonderful person, and I hope that you know that.”

“Thanks,” she said.

The Sheikh’s words rang hollow when compared with his actions. He could compliment her until he ran out of breath, but it wouldn’t change the fact that he had slept with her, never called, and then left the country, all within the span of a week.

Yvonne came to the conclusion that she was cursed to live without a family of her own as Zadid nodded once last time and then disappeared, gone forever.

Her fragile snowball heart crumbled under the weight of it. A sob ripped from her chest, and she stood to close her door, pressing her hand to her mouth as she silently cried her heart out. Every time hope reared its beautiful head, it was always wiped out. Why had she dared to assume that, with Zadid, anything would be different?

Taking several deep breaths, she collected herself, grabbing a tissue from her desk and wiping her tears away. She would do her best to have those be the only ones she shed for Sheikh Zadid Al-Alamein. Sitting back down in her chair, she busied herself with work once again, responding to emails even as she wondered what the best answer would be.

With Zadid gone, she had no idea how to move forward.

There was another knock at her door, and Yvonne self-consciously wiped at her face before calling to let the newcomer enter. It was John, as promised.

Handsome and young, John was blond with luminous blue eyes. He stepped in and closed the door behind him, sitting across from her.

“So, we’ve been abandoned,” he said, and Yvonne chuckled.

“You feel it too, huh?”

“He told me right after Christmas. I’ve had more time to recover than you have, but I wanted to let you know that we’re going to get through this, Yvonne. Zadid has done nothing but speak your highest praises, and I’ll need you more than ever as we move into this new territory. I brought Zadid on because I didn’t believe that I could lift this company up by myself—and between you and me, I was right.”

“You give yourself too little credit, John. You did this. Zadid simply came in and managed the troops.”

“That’s just it, though. I know nothing about the management of people. I just know finance and business—that’s what I’m good at. I don’t know what I’m going to do without Zadid managing things on the ground.”

He looked so sad and insecure, and Yvonne wondered just how they had gotten to where they were. Was it really Zadid that had held them together all this time? Did he know that? Would he have left if he did?

Yvonne leaned across the desk, forcing John to look at her.

“We’re going to hold this company together, John. We can do this.”

He searched her gaze for a moment, seeking reassurance. After a moment, he grinned.

“You know what, Yvonne? I believe you’re right.”