Tatiana's POV
"We therefore announce a w…"
I stood up abruptly, the sharp sound of my chair scraping against the floor cutting through the tense atmosphere like a knife. This wasn't what I had planned, but the Iranians clearly didn't know when to stop pushing, and my patience was wearing dangerously thin. I closed my eyes for a brief second, drawing in deep breaths of fresh air, silently praying for forgiveness for what I was about to do.
"You seem on top of the world, thinking you can drive this entire narrative," I said, my voice ringing out strong and commanding. "I won't waste much time talking. Look at the screen."
With a press of a button, vivid images of their major oil factories flashed across the large display behind me. "Those are your oil factories, and right now they are one command away from catching fire. So let me make your options crystal clear: disagree, wage war, watch your factories turn into heaps of burning rubble, and face an all-out conflict with about fifteen countries… or agree to a reasonable deal, make some good money, and keep your people and infrastructure safe."
With slow, measured steps, I walked over to the Prime Minister, my heels clicking confidently on the polished floor. Leaning in slightly, I added in a low voice, "You also get to keep your hidden family safe too."
I returned to my seat gracefully and slid the contract across the table. The expressions on their faces had completely changed. They looked weary… far too weary. The arrogance they had entered the room with had melted away, replaced by visible fear and hesitation.
The meeting ended abruptly after that. Another victory secured.
The moment we were finally alone outside the conference room, Derek wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulling me close. He snuggled his head perfectly between my shoulder and neck, breathing me in like I was his safe place. He looked so adorable in that moment, almost boyish and vulnerable. Bubbles of pure delight rose inside me as warmth flooded my body. Through the tall windows, I could see rolling hills, lush green valleys, and bustling markets filled with people waving at us enthusiastically. In that instant, it hit me again — these were the people I had sworn to protect. My country. My kingdom.
"I told you you could do it," Derek whispered softly against my skin, his breath warm and comforting. "There was no need to panic at all. You are an incredible leader and strategist. Even I fall behind sometimes… that's exactly why I can never stop loving you."
His words filled me with pride and something deeper. An idea suddenly struck me. Later that evening, without telling Derek, I quietly destroyed every single bug and hidden camera in our chambers — including the one recently planted in the master bedroom.
I needed some goddamn privacy, for crying out loud.
"Derek, I'm bored…" I said, letting my voice turn soft and playful. "Could you entertain me for a while?"
He looked up from his phone briefly, but soon buried his head back into it. I snatched the phone from his hands, glanced at the screen, and tossed it into a far corner of the room.
"Why did y—"
Before he could finish the sentence, intense heat spread through my body like wildfire, as if it had been building quietly for a long time. He held onto me tightly, as if I were his entire world, his anchor in the storm. My clothes slipped down my waist, and soon we were completely lost in a passionate, heated moment together, wrapped up in each other with nothing else mattering.
Afterwards, I lay flat on the bed, feeling both deeply relieved and strangely exhausted. Derek had already fallen fast asleep beside me, breathing peacefully. I just couldn't understand this guy — did he not sleep at night at all?
But something deeper still bothered my soul. I was seriously worried. There seemed to be a clear connection between Becky's suspicious behavior and Robert's sudden dramatic appearance. Were they working together? I had to find out, and the time was now.
I pulled out Becky's file and studied it carefully. Her full name was Becky Sanchez, born in a small border town. Her parents had died in a terrible fire outbreak… the story sounded far too familiar. Digging deeper, I discovered it wasn't just a fire — it was a terrorist attack. She had vanished from the radar completely after that, but according to her official file, she had gone on to earn a PhD in Political Science with first-class honors and become valedictorian at Cambridge University at the incredibly young age of eighteen.
I refused to believe it. I had finished in the same year and was the valedictorian. I had never heard her name once. I searched online thoroughly, but found absolutely nothing. In short, her entire credentials were forged.
"What are you up to?" a sleepy voice asked from behind me.
Finally, sleepyhead had woken up. I wondered why there wasn't a title like "sleepy handsome" — Derek would fit it perfectly.
"Becky's credentials are completely fake," I told him urgently. "I suppose she was taken in by terrorists after her parents died. Does it mean our real enemies could be terrorists? Is that what we are truly up against?"
"I did some digging too," Derek replied, now fully awake and serious. "It seems Robert isn't even English by birth. My database shows he is an American fugitive. After the fight that day, I secretly took his blood samples and realized it was a completely different genotype than his supposed parents."
It seemed as if some major secrets were finally about to surface. Excitement mixed with heavy tension hung thick in the air.