Free Bought For One Night: The Sheikh's Offer by Holly Rayner Page B

didn't deserve what Jack did to you—no one would.”
     
    Even the mention of his name made my stomach turn. “Jack is monster. I kick myself every day for not seeing the truth of what he was until it was too late. And it's so hard to watch people I thought cared about me—or at least cared about working with me—ignore me while they trot around with him. I've never felt so alone.”
     
    “Cowards,” sighed Zane, shaking his head. “Monsters like him exist everywhere, clambering up the ladder, stepping on person after person to get there. They work very hard to deceive people; you can't blame yourself for falling for it any more than you can blame yourself for losing a race to an Olympic athlete. Jack has a lot of practice at what he does. Of course he's going to win.”
     
    “I hadn't thought about it like that,” I replied.
     
    “I've known men like him. Once I notice them close to me, I swiftly change course. Or if they work for me, I make sure they are assigned somewhere far away from the core administration. They are rare, but the cowards, like the ones who sided with Jack even after he humiliated you, are much more common. It's impossible to avoid them. They will always be around to trail after the perceived winner in order to make themselves look stronger.”
     
    “And in doing so, they helped Jack's victory. It's like a snake eating its own tail.”
     
    “It happens when everybody is fighting tooth and nail for a piece of the pie. When people don't want to work together, but only want to get ahead.”
     
    “If that doesn't describe Hollywood, nothing does,” I chuckled bitterly.
     
    “I will never understand Hollywood's treatment of women,” said Zane sadly. “Or American culture in general, I suppose. You're not even thirty years old and already considered less valuable by your industry—it's nearly opposite to how things work in Al-Dali.”
     
    “Oh?” I asked, curious. “What do you mean?”
     
    “Women in my culture do not have a 'sell-by date'. Elderly women are the most revered group, which means every year of a woman's life, she becomes more powerful and respected. You can see this in our movie industry, too. Roles are written with older actresses in mind, and it's the young actresses who must work to prove themselves among seasoned veterans. Looks alone won't get them very far,” explained Zane.
     
    I shook my head in disbelief. “Seriously? Where can I sign up for your version of the Screen Actors Guild?”
     
    I laughed along with Zane, but in the back of my head, knew I was half-serious about wanting to explore the industry of Al-Dali. If everything Zane said was true, how could I ignore it? Maybe being introduced to Zane was a bigger stroke of luck than I had originally thought. From the second I landed in Al-Dali I had found a level of comfort I couldn’t explain. Maybe the universe knew I needed to be here, because there was hope for me—just not in LA.
     
    My thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of our food, the fragrant spices filling the air as steam rose from the dishes. The restaurant owner made sure we had everything we needed before departing to give us privacy.
     
    After a few minutes of quiet, I turned to Zane and said, “Hey, I just wanted to say thank you for what you said. It feels good to be able to talk to someone who understands.”
     
    Zane stopped spooning rice onto his plate, and turned a heavy gaze to me. A gentle smile crossed his lips. “I'm happy I could help. I know we don't know each other very well, Julianne, but I hope you'll believe me when I say that I want you to be happy and taken care of.”
     
    His words touched my heart. I couldn't find any words to reply with. Instead, I put my hand over one of his and gave it a squeeze. Zane quickly returned the gesture, his touch sending excited sparks through my nerves.
     
    Dinner was as delicious as Zane promised, and when the owner brought out a complimentary bottle of wine for us to