51

Ava walked into the cafe where she was supposed to meet Brianna and was instantly led to the table where a woman in her late twenties is waiting for her....

So this is Brianna Cooper!

"Aveline" Brianna murmured smoothly.

"I am so grateful that you agreed to come, but let's not tell Zayed about this. Men hate it when we go behind their backs." Brianna added with a cheeky smile

Ava took due note of the fact that her husband's ex girlfriend was more scared of consequences than she was. As Ava had no intention of keeping their meeting a secret unless it suited her to do so, she did not reply.


"I didn't think that Zayed would ever marry" the woman said plaintively.

"But we're adults. There's no reason why we can't be, er ... distant friends"

Only one, Ava completed inwardly. If you have any intention to sleep with my husband I might try to murder you.

"Zayed and I have been in a very intimate relationship for more than five years. Then we had a fall out. I did hurt him pretty badly. And I can understand him having a rebound relationship with you very soon. He told me as much" she said and Ava stiffened hearing that.

She knew theirs was no love match, when they got married. But to think that

whatever happened between them was a result of rebound. It was unacceptable.

"But then we got back a few weeks ago" Brianna said

Not a muscle moving on her taut face, Ava compressed her lips and pretended to sip at the too-hot coffee that Brianma had poured for her.

"I have no intention of poaching on your territory," Brianma declared importantly. "I have never wanted to be a wife or a mother, so I don't covet what you have."

"But you do covet, Zayed" Ava heard herself say

"Any woman would covet him," the other woman fielded, her sultry eyes widening in

amused emphasis. "But there's no reason why we can't share him."

"Just one," Ava murmured flatly. "I don't share."

Brianna's pencilled brows drew together in surprise at that bold statement. "Is that a declaration of war?"

"It's whatever you choose to make of it. Why did you invite me here?" Ava enquired drily.

"I wanted to reassure you that I have no desire to damage your marriage. Zayed really does need a wife to do wifely things like looking after his houses and his children. Naturally I am aware that it is a marriage of, shall we say" Brianna looked unconvincingly coy for a moment "mutual

convenience?"

"Oh my. Is that what you think??" Ava asked looking amused

"You do realise, I hope, that your husband is still shagging me every chance he gets!" Dropping the civilised front with a resounding crash, Brianna surveyed Ava with angry, resentful dark eyes.

"That just proves how little you know about Zayed" Ava said flatly

"He was with me for the last four Friday nights and I have no intention of giving him up." Brianna said hotly

"Whatever" Ava framed woodenly, setting down the cup with precise care and rising to her feet again with all the dignity she

could muster. "I think we've shared a little too much for comfort. If you contact me again I will tell Zayed"

"Don't you dare threaten me!" Brianna ranted furiously.

Ava walked out and she didn't look back or breathe until she was safe inside the car.

She closed her eyes and sighed.

Her husband's ex girlfriend claims that she is having an affair with him.

She has found the divorce papers in Zayed's office.

Zayed has been distant with her for a month now.

But deep inside her heart, she knows Zayed would never cheat on her.

Her heart and mind is at a war now.

And who is gonna win!

****

Zayed gave a manly hug to both Ben and Julian.

"Zayed, man! Long time" Julian exclaimed happily

"Yeah. It's been a long time. How are you guys doing? And your family? How is Elena and the little one?" Zayed asked Julian.

Elena was their batch mate at university and Julian and Elena dated for years at

university and finally tied the know a couple of years later.

"All doing good. What is it that I hear, Zayed. That you got married and fathered a set of triplets. It came as a shock man" Julian said, still trying hard to digest that fact.

"Honestly. You couldn't even think about a marriage with your long term girlfriend, Brianna. And now we hear that you have been married for more than seven years" Benjamin Lockwood asked curiously

Zayed sighed and gave a shortened version of his story with Aveline.

"Man! You almost ruined it" Ben said shaking his head in disappointment.

"Tell me about your Isabella and Sapphire" Zayed prompted.

A huge smile appeared on Ben's face as soon as those names were mentioned.

"They are my life, Zayed. I feel like I am the luckiest man alive on this earth" Ben said, with a dreamy look on his face.

"I am happy for you, Ben. You finally found your soulmate. You were so confident that you will find her no matter what. I often thought you were mad for being such a romantic at heart" Zayed said with a chuckle.

Back then ,he didn't believe in love.

Now he knows better.

"Well, come home Zayed. Bring Aveline and the kids" Ben said

"It's Ava" Zayed said making his friends frown.

"Oh, I thought her name is Aveline" Ben said in confusion

"It is. But everyone prefer to call her Ava. So, stick to that" Zayed said

"But you were referring to her as Aveline throughout" Julian said, with a confused frown

"Well, only I get to call her Aveline. Rest of all can stick to Ava" Zayed grumbled making his friends look at him in amusement

"Is that possessiveness I hear in your voice, your highness?" Julian asked in mock horror

"So, Sheikh Zayed Ahmed al Zidra has jealous bones too in his body. Not bad not bad" Ben added with a chuckle

"Shut up" Zayed said

Zayed's phone rang distracting him. He attended it on the second ring.

But what he heard, made blood drain from his face.