Emerald's Pride

CHAPTER 6

Emerald St. Clair's POV

"You look so beautiful!" Candice, my assistant, exclaimed after helping to dress inside my room for the photo shoot.

"Thanks," I replied with a tight smile on my face. There's something about this photoshoot that made me nervous. In the past, I never felt this kind of anxiety before the start of my work. So why is this one different? I wondered silently.

Yesterday, after my confrontation with Khalil Al-Farsi and the team finally arrived here at the palace after being rescued from those desert thieves along with our other personal belongings and the St. Clair jewelry, I discussed with them, especially the production team, Al-Farsi's offer to redo the shoot inside the palace garden.

Of course, they agree without a heartbeat. And for some reason, the decision of our team reached Al-Farsi's ears, and later that night, sets of traditional wedding finery arrived at the palace so we could use them for the shoot.

"What's wrong?" Candice asked me concernedly. "You look nervous."

"I am," I told her truthfully, taking a deep breath while trying to calm my nerves.

"We need to slay this photoshoot so we can go back to New York," she said with a smile, arranging the beautiful handmade wedding gown studded with Swarovski crystal beads and embroidery. Then she fixed the veil that matched the traditional wedding gown. "There. You look like a Sheikh's bride now."

Upon mentioning that, my heart skipped a beat when my mind wandered back to that loathsome soon-to-be king of this land. I didn't bother to answer while banishing that man out of my head. I just stared down at my hands with henna.

Apparently, to make it as authentic as possible, they asked one of the palace maids to give my hands henna just like any other local bride on her wedding day. Now I stood in my room with all this wedding refinery for the photo shoot while I draped in St. Clair Diamonds.

"Ready?" Candice asked brightly.

I only managed to nod in her direction as she helped me go out of my room so we could go to the shoot's location in the palace garden. We were warned by the security team of the palace that there's some part of this royal residence that we're prohibited from using as a backdrop for our shoot.

Only the palace garden and the hallways on the first floor were permitted to use, which was more than enough for us.

I saw Andrew and his assistant readying his camera while the others were busy setting up the area.

"I'm ready."

"Okay, let's—" Andrew trailed off his words when his gaze caught the sight of me. "—beautiful."

I rolled my eyes at him. I was aware that every eye in the garden was on me. Even the palace guards who were here to supervise the whole thing were looking at me. "Thanks. But this dress is quite heavy, I might just add. Shall we start?"

Andrew swallowed hard, still looking at me. He cleared his throat when he realized that he was still staring at me. "O-Of course. Can you please help her sit on the lawn over there?"

Candice was about to help me with my dress when I stopped dead in my place when my eyes collided with the familiar cobalt eyes walking in the hallway a few feet away from us with men trailing behind him.

He also abruptly stopped walking and stared at me from head to toe. I could feel my body burn the way he trailed his eyes on my body. I raised an eyebrow in his direction, refusing to let him know how much his stare bothered me. And then I saw the corner of his mouth curve with a smile while shaking his head before continuing to walk.