Kidnapped by the Arab

In the morning, Ahmed invited Carlo to a breakfast gathering with only men. Vittoria was grateful to have a few hours away from him. The event was in Abu Dhabi, a meeting with Ahmed’s old partners and associates. Although Ahmed usually didn’t attend such gatherings, he agreed this time to keep Carlo away from Aisha.

Ahmed would have liked to let Carlo know that Aisha was now his wife, but he feared that Carlo’s powerful connections in the criminal underworld might endanger her. Carlo was capable of causing harm, and Ahmed didn’t want to take any risks.

As they left the palace, Amira went to accompany Vittoria to breakfast, while Aisha had breakfast with Caroline, avoiding showing her face to Carlo’s wife.

“I thought maybe you would have breakfast with the Sheikha,” said Caroline.

“She apologizes to you; she had a prior commitment. She will join us later.”

Despite the makeup, Amira noticed the bruises on Vittoria’s face. Ahmed had already informed her about what had happened between Aisha and Carlo. In their country, it was common for such things to happen; the Supreme Court allowed a man to discipline his wife and children, as long as there were no physical marks left. Husbands had the right to impose punishment within certain limits.

In Arab and Islamic societies, domestic violence was treated as a private matter, something justifiable due to “women’s misbehavior.” Victims, families, and even police kept silent due to the pressure of social, religious, and cultural norms that few dared to challenge.

Amira remembered the case of one of her friends whose father had beaten her, telling her she was a shame to the family simply because he found her talking to a male friend without wearing her abaya. She later fled the country, fearing that her father or brothers would kill her for breaking a social norm; her boyfriend was a non-Muslim, and her family wouldn’t have forgiven that.

Amira felt sorry for Vittoria; now she understood why Aisha had run away from Carlo. She approached her gently and asked, “Forgive my boldness, but are you okay?”

“Perfectly fine, thank you,” Vittoria replied, pretending to smile.

“If you need any help or anything, know that you can count on us.”

“Thank you.”

Later, they all met with Aisha and Caroline. Vittoria was surprised to see Mia’s sister there, which made her realize the true reason behind this trip. She knew Mia’s family and friends because Carlo had a file with their information in his office. She had seen photos of them all.

“Are you Mia’s sister?” Vittoria asked, surprised that she recognized her.

“Yes, I am,” Mia’s sister replied, nervously.

“Is Mia here?”

“I haven’t been in touch with my sister for a long time,” Mia’s sister said.

“Carlo is still looking for her. If you have any communication with her, tell her that running away from him was the best thing she could have done. That man is a complete demon.”

The girls fell silent. Vittoria’s gaze was sad and hollow. She was clearly not a happy woman, and Aisha thought that wearing the abaya had been a good decision.

“Carlo should forget about my sister; he’s already married to you,” Aisha said.

“He doesn’t love me. I’m convinced he’ll never stop looking for her. I know the reason we’re here is that he found out you’re here, and he came to see if Mia is also in this place. He has several investigators searching for her.”

“If he doesn’t love you, why did you marry him?” Aisha asked.

“Because I was stupid. I’ve been in love with him since I was a child, and our parents arranged our marriage. Since the day I married him, my life has been a complete hell,” Vittoria confessed. She didn’t know why she felt comfortable talking to these girls, but she felt that if she kept silent, she might explode at any moment.

“Why don’t you leave him?” Aisha suggested.

“He won’t allow me to. He’s made it very clear. He doesn’t even want our child to be born. I fear he’ll hurt me.”

“If your marriage is that bad, you should escape,” Aisha said.

“I know that if I do and he finds me, he’ll kill me.”

The girls fell silent as Ahmed and Carlo arrived. Carlo’s eyes fell upon Caroline, and she became nervous upon noticing it.

“Hello, Caroline. Long time no see,” Carlo greeted.

“Hello, Carlo,” she replied.

“How is your sister? Have you spoken to her?”

“Since that day, I haven’t heard anything from her. We fear something might have happened to her.”

-Are you sure?” Aisha asked.

“I have no reason to lie to you. I see that you’re married now, congratulations,” Carlo replied.

“Thank you. What has brought you to Dubai?” Aisha quickly interjected, trying to divert his attention.

“I invited her; we have become very good friends,” Amira chimed in, trying to support Aisha’s story.

Carlo felt that there was something more they were hiding. “The Sheikha seems very quiet. How did you two meet? I imagine that your love story must be very interesting.”

“It truly is. I met her during a visit to the desert tribes. Who could have imagined that our story would be so similar to that of my parents?” Aisha replied.

Caroline excused herself and walked away at that moment. Being in front of Carlo made her very nervous.

After a few minutes, Carlo followed her, pretending to go to the restroom. As she was about to enter her room, he grabbed her arm tightly.

“Do you think I believe what you said? I’m not stupid, Caroline. Either you tell me where your sister is, or you’ll take her place. You have until I leave to tell me, or my men will come for you. No matter where you go, I’ll find you, that’s for sure.”

Amira, who had been following them, approached at that moment. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, I was just talking with Caroline. Excuse me,” Carlo said as he left, leaving Caroline pale and frightened.

“Caro, don’t let that man intimidate you. I don’t know what he said to you, but you’re safe here,” Amira reassured her.

Ahmed and Aisha retired to their room. She told him that Carlo was still looking for her. Ahmed couldn’t believe the audacity of that man. It would be easy to get rid of him now, but he didn’t want to risk going against a significant part of the Italian mafia.

Meanwhile, Basima was in her palace, tired of all her son’s restrictions. She thought it might be better to support Arkham to reclaim his position as the crown prince. After all, he had the support of the Amin family. She regretted pushing Ahmed to take power; everything that had happened was that woman’s fault. Either Arkham took power, or they got rid of her; there was no other solution.

She left her room to look for her son and found him arguing with Aracha.

“Son, what’s happening here?”Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

“This woman refuses to obey my orders. I warned her that if she didn’t, I would have to apply punishment. I spoke with her father and her brother, and they agree with me.”

“Daughter, Arkham is now your husband. You must obey his requests blindly.”

“I won’t, and I won’t allow him to punish me either.”

“Don’t challenge me, woman. It’s better if you don’t,” Arkham threatened.

“This marriage shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have followed your advice, ma’am,” Aracha retorted.

“Silence. Son, I need to talk to you.”

“Tell me, mother. I’m listening,” Arkham replied.

“I think you should reclaim your position as the crown prince. We need to investigate your brother; I’m sure he has something shady going on. I don’t know what it is, but everyone has something,” Basima suggested.

“Mother, that’s a great idea. We need to carefully consider what to do.”

Aracha listened attentively. She would have to change her behavior and pretend to like Arkham. If she managed to oust Ahmed, she was sure she would become the next Sheikha.

Aisha came out of the bathroom and found Ahmed lost in thought, holding a picture of Lyna and their children.

“I can’t say I know what you’re feeling because that would be a lie. It must not be easy for you,” she said.

“For many years, I lived in a complete nightmare until you came into my life like a breath of fresh air,” Ahmed replied, extending the photo to Aisha so she could see their children.

“They were a beautiful family,” she remarked as she looked at the picture. Lyna was stunning, with her red hair, green eyes, and a few freckles. Their son resembled Ahmed, while their daughter took after her mother.

“Yes, you know, I thought I would never fall in love again. But that night, after holding you in my arms, I realized I was wrong. I watched you for a while before leaving. You looked like a porcelain doll, delicate and fragile.”

She listened quietly, touched by his words.

“I left that room, wishing I didn’t have to. I wanted to take you with me right then. Your face and the scent of your skin stayed in my mind. Just closing my eyes was enough to feel you again.”

He leaned in and kissed her passionately, afraid of losing her. Carlo Román was a dangerous man, and Aisha belonged to him, body and soul. He would never allow another man to touch her.