"I want to see Rauf."
Henson paused. He hadn’t expected her to ask to see him so soon. After all, Rauf had told him she wanted some space alone, and they were respecting that idea.
Her stomach growled again.
But she looked at Henson with so much determination.
"Okay, ma’am. I’ll tell the boss."
One of the instructions he had received was to always obey her orders.
Satisfied, she nodded.
"Let me eat first."
She needed the energy from within to be able to face Rauf.
Henson smiled as she settled down and attacked the meal.
"When you’re done, you can call on me. I’ll be waiting."
She murmured with food in her mouth as Henson excused himself.
The food was exactly what she needed. Without meaning to, she ate more than she wanted.
By the time she stood up from the dining table, her stomach was bulging a bit more than usual. She picked up her plate and retreated to the kitchen. She didn’t want to wait for Henson to help her.
She was just stepping out of the kitchen when she saw Henson returning.
"I would like to be taken to him now."
She wanted to settle their affairs before she caught her first sleep in his house.
Henson nodded. He led her through a different route from her room.
It seemed wherever Rauf had decided to take shelter, he wanted it a bit farther from her.
After a while, they arrived at the room, and Henson knocked once.
"Come in."
The voice was bold and very familiar.
He opened the door, and June followed right behind him.
"Boss, ma’am wanted to see you."
Rauf lifted his head, and their gazes met at that second. He turned to Henson with a nod.
"Thank you. You can excuse us."
Henson was glad to be excused. He left with much more speed than he usually would have.
June took a seat opposite Rauf without being asked to.
Rauf, who had been busy with his laptop, closed it and gave her his full attention.
"You wanted to see me. Are you okay?"
The question irritated June.
To her, it seemed Rauf hadn’t expected her to come to him.
As if that wasn’t his plan when he decided to hide from her and attack her when she least expected it.
"Yes. I want to talk." She nodded to emphasize her point.
"Okay. I’m all ears."
"First, I want us to set the boundaries." She started, watching his face for any reaction. "When we left the hospital, I promised to stay here under some conditions. I want us to set those conditions now."
She smiled within.
She could bet he wasn’t expecting that, but there was no way she would be caught off guard.
"No problem," Rauf responded without so much as a fight.
The smile vanished from June’s lips and was replaced with a frown. She was already trying to come up with an argument in case he refused, but he had accepted so easily.
"What do you want?"
June didn’t let her guard down.
She could tell he was trying to make her let her guard down. She knew the game he was playing.
"One, I want my total freedom. I’m free to do whatever I want and go wherever I want."
Rauf sat up.
He could tell she meant business.
He nodded.
"But on the condition that you’ll be followed by guards wherever you go."
June smirked within.
She knew it. Now, he was finally showing his claws. He wanted to control her like always.
She shook her head.
"I don’t want anything from you."
Again, he gave that annoying nod.
"You already emphasize that point a lot. But the only reason you’re here is to be protected by me. And letting you go out without a guard would contradict that."
June frowned. There was a point in what he had said, but...
"I’ll be fine. If the enemy’s attention was focused on Amie, I’ll be totally fine."
"You’re free to do whatever you want and go wherever you want as long as you leave with a guard."
She stared at Rauf.
He stared back at her.
A line of determination was fixed on his face.
She could tell there was nothing that would change his mind.
"Fine. This is because it concerns my baby."
His eyes moved to her stomach, then back to her face.
"Is there anything else?"
"Two, you’ll never step a foot into my bedroom without permission."
Rauf smiled.
"I don’t plan to. The first time I go in there, it will be with your permission."
June hated the look of assurance on his face.
"Don’t worry, I’ll never invite you in there."
"Never say never."
But June didn’t want to dwell on that topic.
"Three, I’m free to invite whoever I want to the mansion without you scrutinizing them."
A pause.
Unlike the other times, Rauf didn’t readily accept this clause.
When he didn’t say a word, June took it as acceptance.
"Four, you don’t get to question me about my affairs and my baby."
Rauf stared at her.
She really was determined to keep him out of his child’s life. He might be ready to accept everything, but that, he wouldn’t.
"Okay. But I have an amendment on three and four."
Her heart pulsed, waiting for him to overrule those points.
"Three, you’re only entitled to have a female guest."
There was no way Rauf would allow a male guest in his house with his wife.
June stared at him.
"What about my brother? Isn’t he welcome to visit me?"
Rauf amended that part.
"Well, except Chris."
She thought about it.
Apart from Andy, she really didn’t have other male friends, and she would be seeing Andy at work.
She already planned to return to work from the moment she mentioned the part about going and coming as she liked.
So, she was fine with that bit.
"You’re also not permitted to have a female guest."
She thought of the dress and toiletries in the room.
But instead of an argument, Rauf smiled.
"There’s no other woman than you."