"This is ridiculous! We cannot go and publicly retract your judgement!" A council member snapped, rising from his seat with a clenched jaw.
The meeting had ended, but the council demanded a private session in the chambers to discuss the matter further. Sitting here now, watching their faces contort with frustration, I felt the surreal weight of it all.
Four years ago, I knelt in this very hall; disgraced, and a victim of unfair circumstances. I never expected justice, nor did I ever think my name would be spoken within these walls again. And yet, here I was. No longer kneeling.
Darian's mother, seated at the far end of the mahogany table, stood abruptly. Her knuckles turned white against the polished surface.
"Your Majesty, you will not allow this," she seethed. "You cannot expect this family and the royal court to rewrite history for an exile!"
"Rewrite history?" I repeated with a scoff. "No, Your Majesty. I simply want that the truth be acknowledged."
"It is not rewriting history, Your Highness," Mr. Ali interjected smoothly, his aged eyes sharp with quiet authority. "It is correcting whatever damage has been done to Miss Hamzat as a result of the accusations made."
"I'd also like to add that not agreeing is not an option here, Your Majesty" he continued, adjusting his glasses " I would also like to remind you, Your Majesty, that refusing this is not an option."
The air shifted, and the room grew tense.
"If the Sultan does not formally absolve Miss Hamzat," he stated, "she will be unable to claim her inheritance."
Darian's mother scoffed. "Then let the inheritance go unclaimed. The estate belongs to the Khalid family—"
"It does not," Mr. Ali interjected, his gaze sharp. "The estate was originally owned by the Ishaan family before it was merged with the Khalid holdings. It was Faizal Khalid's wish that it be returned to its rightful heiress."
The impact of his words sent a ripple of shock through the room. My ex-mother in-law's expression twisted in fury, while the council members exchanged uneasy glances.
"If the Sultan refuses," Mr. Ali continued, "the assets, estate, and foundations will be permanently locked. Neither the Royal family nor the Hamzat family will have any claim to them."
My heart lurched. A quiet gasp left my lips as the weight of Grandfather's will settled on me.
"The matter is more serious than I thought."
Across the room, I caught sight of Darian. His brows creased, his lips pressed into a firm line. What was he thinking? He had no reason to care not after four years of silence, four years of choosing to believe the worst of me.
But this time, the weight of his decision was greater.
Acknowledging his mistake would mean admitting his judgment had been wrong. It would mean putting his family and his fiancée on the line.
Speaking of which… where was she?
"This is absurd!" another council member barked. "It will not stand!"
"Oh, but it will," I countered, my voice calm but firm. Every pair of eyes in the room turned toward me. "Because I will not leave until my name is cleared."
The silence that followed was deafening as the council members stared at her in horror. Darian's mother looked as if I had struck her across the face. She shot up from her seat, fury twisting her features.
"You wretched girl! How dare you—"
"Enough," Darian ordered. His voice cut through the air like steel. "This matter will be put under consideration."
I arched a brow, studying him. There was something unreadable in his tone, his response was too smooth.
The council members, however, were not pleased.
His mother paled. "Sultan, you cannot be serious."
"I am," he replied evenly. "The will is legal and binding. That means we cannot ignore it."
The room fell into stunned silence. Darian's mother's fury simmered just beneath the surface, her hands trembling as they curled into fists. Her expression shifted suddenly and she narrowed her eyes.
"So," she whispered, voice low and dangerous, "the Sultan is willing to humiliate his family and the throne for the sake of an ex-wife who disgraced him? Someone who was never worthy of him from the very beginning?"
I stiffened, gripping my chair as the room fell into a heavy silence. Darian turned to me then, his gaze unreadable.
"What disgraced me," he said evenly, "was passing judgment without examining the facts."
His words echoed through the chamber.
"What disgraced this family and the throne," he continued, "was our bias condemning the accused without proof."
A murmur rippled through the council, uncertainty settling over them like a dense fog.
"Your Majesty, I assure you," I added smoothly, locking gazes with Darian's mother "I have no intention of being connected to this family any longer than necessary."
"Let it also be known that along with that statement, the Sultan will perform the separation ceremony publicly. All ties between me and this country will be severed."
"Then, I will leave this country and never return," I finished, meeting Darian's tight with his jaw clenched.
His posture was stiff as he met his mother's gaze, watching a small smirke formed on her lips. I arched my brows at their interaction, watching him avoid his mother's gaze.
"This case will be reopened immediately," Darian declared after a long silence.
"If it is found that she is innocent, a formal statement will be issued. This meeting is dismissed," he ended.
As I stepped outside, the cool breeze hit my face, stirring my hair. I exhaled, my heart pounding. Victory should have felt sweet.
But something wasn't right.
Darian's actions… his words… they felt like they carried a deeper motive. And the look he exchanged with his mother was something else…. Something deeper.
What is going on?
*************
Darian's POV
I watched as Ana walked out, her dark braid swaying against her back. She never faltered before my mother, never hesitated to let her intentions be known to the council members.
The fire in her eyes, the sheer refusal to be silenced burned brighter than I had ever noticed before. For the first time, I realized just how much I had underestimated her.
And for the first time… I knew I wasn't ready to let go.
The doors closed behind her, and the council turned their scrutinizing gazes at me.
My mother's gaze was sharp, her voice edged with fury. "You are making a mistake bringing that girl back, Sultan."
"Maybe," I murmured, jaw tight. "But this time, I will do what needs to be done."
The council members fell into stunned silence. My mother's fingers curled into fists before she turned sharply, her dress billowing as she stormed out.
The others followed, their disappointment palpable as they murmured among themselves. Once the room was empty, the tension finally eased.
Mr. Ali approached me, a small smile playing on his lips. "A wise decision, Your Majesty," he said. "In time, they will see it."
I let out a slow breath. "Whether they see it or not doesn't matter."
I turned to the window, my gaze settling on Ana. She stood beneath the shade of a tree, her expression distant, lost in thought.
"She is the only thing that matters now."
Mr. Ali was silent for a long moment before nodding. "Then I will assist in any way I can."
"Good," I said. "My men will be in contact soon."
As he bowed and walked off, I remained by the window, watching her.
She was fire. A quiet, smoldering flame that refused to die.
And for reasons I couldn't yet decipher, I found myself drawn to it.
"Omar," I called, my voice firm.
My advisor stepped forward. "Yes, Your Majesty?"
"Make the necessary preparations for Miss Hamzat's extended stay."
Omar hesitated. "And… what of Lady Maya?"
I exhaled slowly.
"She is not to return to Akhar until I say otherwise."
Omar bowed. "Understood."
As he left, I stayed where I was, my gaze locked on Anam watching as her face lit up when Mr. Ali approached her.
I had made a mistake four years ago.
And now, because of Grandfather, I have one more chance.
One last chance… to make things right.
Ana decided to stay back to clear her name. But whether she realized it or not… she wasn't leaving.