Chapter 20 · Chapter 20

His thumb swept across the back of my knuckles, firm and steady over the cold brass. For a suspended breath, neither of us shifted. The ink dried beneath the weight of our hands, the Al-Ghamdi crest joined irreversibly to his name, bearing witness to what had previously been divided among ghosts.

A measured, double knock sounded at the outer perimeter door.

The sound was muted by the thick cedar and the corridor beyond, but in the stillness of the private wing, it was as sharp as a dropped blade. Turki did not startle. His hand released mine smoothly, lifting the signet and placing it beside the parchment without haste.

"Stay," he said, his voice quiet, dropping into the cold authority he carried naturally beyond these walls.

He turned, his white thobe sweeping cleanly across the carpet as he crossed the expanse toward the outer entrance. He did not pull the inner heavy curtain aside entirely, leaving my silhouette concealed within the deeper alcove of the room.