Chapter 1 - The Midnight Knock
The heavy oak door rattled under the weight of a sudden, violent knock.
Mira froze completely in the center of the lavish office.
Her hand instinctively closed over the tarnished silver key resting on the mahogany desk.
Sheikh Samir did not take his dark eyes off her as he slowly stood up from his leather chair.
The tension in the room was so thick that Mira could barely breathe.
Someone pounded on the door again, this time with much more aggressive force.
A deep, commanding voice echoed through the thick wood.
"Sheikh Samir, we have a confirmed security breach in the eastern wing."
Samir looked at the silver key in Mira’s trembling hand, then looked directly into her terrified eyes.
He placed a single finger over his lips to demand absolute silence.
He pointed toward a narrow, hidden alcove concealed behind a massive velvet curtain.
Mira quickly slipped behind the heavy fabric, pressing her back against the cold stone wall.
She held her breath as she heard the office door swing open.
Heavy combat boots stepped onto the Persian rug.
It was Tariq, the ruthless head of the royal palace security.
"Forgive the intrusion, My Lord, but we are looking for a young maid named Mira," Tariq announced.
Samir’s voice remained perfectly calm and steady.
"Why are you hunting a simple maid in the middle of the night, Tariq?"
Tariq paused for a moment before answering.
"She triggered the Leila Protocol, sir."
Mira felt her heart drop into her stomach at the sound of her mother’s name.
"That protocol has not been active for fifteen years," Samir replied coldly.
"We believe she is carrying the missing item, and the King wants her found immediately," Tariq insisted.
Samir sighed heavily and told the security chief to search the lower levels.
The heavy boots slowly retreated, and the office door clicked shut.
Mira let out a desperate gasp of air and stepped out from behind the velvet curtain.
She began to thank Samir for hiding her from the guards.
Her words died instantly in her throat.
Samir was standing on the other side of the desk with a dark, unreadable expression.
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He had opened the top drawer of his desk.
He raised a loaded silver pistol and pointed it directly at her chest.
