Kidnapped by the Arab

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I need to make sure you’ll respect my conditions. We will marry because it benefits both of us.”

“No contract is necessary. I’ll respect your conditions. Nothing will happen that you don’t want to happen. If being my wife in all that it implies bothers you so much, I understand. You’re not obligated to anything.” Ahmed felt his heart tighten at Mia’s coldness.

“Alright, but we will sign an agreement clarifying that if you don’t respect the pre-established conditions, I can return to the United States.”

“Perfect, so be it.”

Ahmed returned to his room, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. The first step was taken; he would make Mia fall in love with him.

The most challenging part would be informing his mother. He wanted the wedding to happen as soon as possible. Since Mia’s parents were no longer alive, Básima would have to take care of everything according to tradition. He knew his mother would object to providing a dowry for Mia due to her lack of family, but he would find a way to do it. Mia needed to be protected in any eventuality.

He headed to his office. He would talk to his lawyer to prepare an informal agreement as Mia wanted. He would ask for absolute discretion; it wouldn’t be well-received if the Sheikh agreed to a woman’s conditions. If others found out, he’d soon have vultures circling around him.

At the Amin residence, Aracha was demanding her father send an ultimatum to the Assads.

“Father, this can’t go unresolved. Send an ultimatum to Ahmed’s mother. She’s the only one who can make him reconsider.”

“I will, daughter. You must stay calm. Your father will do whatever is necessary for you to become the next Sheikha, no matter what it takes to get rid of that American woman.”

Ahmed was giving instructions to his lawyer when Básima entered his office without knocking.

“What’s going on, mother? I’m busy at the moment.” The lawyer silently left, sensing the displeasure of the Sheikha.

“Under no circumstances will this happen. Before that, you’ll have to bury me.”

“Mother, I’m sorry, but it’s decided. If you can’t accept it, I’d rather break the promise I made to father than give up on Mia.”

“Abdil Amin has sent an ultimatum. If you don’t reconsider, they will retaliate against our family. They don’t accept an American as the Sheikh’s wife. Think it over carefully; marry Aracha and take Mia as your second wife. It’s for the best.”

“I won’t do that. Mia will be my first and only wife. I won’t take additional wives.”

“That goes against our tradition. Sooner or later, you’ll have to do it.”

“Not if Mia demands the nuptial contract specifying that I must be monogamous. If she does, I’ll have to respect it.”

“That woman won’t dare to go that far.”

“Don’t meddle in my decisions, mother. Either accept Mia or I’ll go back to the United States and never return.”

“Do as you wish. Don’t say I didn’t warn you about the consequences of your stubbornness. That family is powerful and could cause us many problems. They’ve been insisting for some time that the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates be governed by a single ruler. Adding to that, they’re annoyed that people around the world still consider Dubai a small country.”

“Mother, even we call it our country.”

“Exactly, that’s what irritates them. But it’s up to you, ungrateful son.” She left, slamming the door. When angry, she tended to forget her manners.

Ahmed was unfamiliar with his mother’s history. Her marriage to his father had happened unconventionally. He met her during a visit to the desert tribes. She was just a fifteen-year-old girl, illiterate and without manners. The Sheikh fell in love with her at first sight, and her parents didn’t hesitate to accept the marriage proposal. After all, their daughter would become the first wife. His father took care of her transformation, but it seemed that Básima had forgotten that.

In New York, Cambell boarded a plane to visit Thara. The Cuban woman wasn’t answering his calls, and it drove him desperate. He kept sending daily flower arrangements, but they were all returned. Thara was pure fire, but it seemed like she had a heart of stone.

At dusk, he arrived in Los Angeles and headed straight to Thara’s apartment. He knocked on the door several times, and Caroline eventually answered.

“Hi, is Thara home?”

“Come in. I’ll call her,” Caroline hurried upstairs while he waited in the living room. He observed the place, and wicked thoughts crossed his mind, memories of their previous encounters with the Cuban woman on that sofa, the kitchen island, the bathroom, and the bedroom. They had witnessed the fire that consumed them when they were together and how creative they used to be.

“What do you want here?” Thara’s strong voice snapped him out of his thoughts. When he turned around, she was standing in front of him, clearly annoyed. He found her gestures amusing when she was angry; those little wrinkles on her nose were adorable.

“Hi.”This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“I asked what you want here.”

“You know perfectly well what I want. You have to listen to me.”

“For what? It’s pointless if you always lie.”

“I sent you a file to your email. If you bothered to open it, you’d know the truth.”

Thara made a displeased face and walked to the table where her laptop was. She turned it on to open the file Cambell mentioned.

As she observed the images, she stood still. Then Cambell approached and stood in front of her.

“This was something completely unexpected that I didn’t seek or want, but it happened. I’ll take responsibility for my child; I can’t turn my back on him. I went through hell myself when I found out I was adopted. My mother didn’t want me and discarded me like trash, without caring about me at all.”

Thara was surprised; she hadn’t imagined that this cheerful and fun guy had suffered traumas in his life.

“I’m sorry; I didn’t know what you’re really going through. I imagined everything but this. How can that woman sell her son like that, no matter if it’s to his father,” she said as she looked at the picture of the contract displayed on the screen.

“She doesn’t want him, and she doesn’t care about what happens to him. She made it clear that she just wants to continue with her life. I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with a man who will soon become a single father.”

Thara hugged him and then kissed him. That man had won her heart, and she couldn’t leave him now.

Carlo was at his parents’ house. Pietro wanted to spend his last moments there, and the whole family was gathered. Carlo had to attend accompanied by Vittoria because Pietro wanted it that way.

“Son, I’m glad to see you with your wife. I know Vittoria will make you happy; a woman like her is worth it.”

“Father, please, you need to rest.”

After what had happened, Vittoria had asked for a divorce, but Carlo refused. He let her know that he would stay by her side until he felt like it. If she had been capable of forcing him to be with her, now he would get his way, and she would have to stay with him. She had become another object in his collection, where he unleashed all his hatred and frustration, and now she was begging to find Mia so that he could grant her freedom.

“I’m sorry I won’t be able to meet my grandchildren. I’m sure they’ll be beautiful boys.”

Greta sobbed as she listened to her husband. She never thought the day would come when they would have to say goodbye. When her parents forced her to marry him, she never imagined that he would become the love of her life.

Pietro said his goodbyes to his son and daughter-in-law and asked to be left alone with his wife.

“My love, after all this time together, the time has come for us to part. Be assured that I’ll wait for you on the other side,” he said, taking her hand with difficulty and kissing it before passing away.

Carlo knew his father had died as he heard his mother’s heartbreaking cries. He, who had always considered himself a tough man, cried like never before. Vittoria felt sorry for him and tried to comfort him, but Carlo rejected her, pushing her away.

“Don’t come near me. Leave me alone.”

The girl quickly moved away. In those days, Carlo had made sure to show her what happened when she didn’t obey him. The prince charming of her childhood had become the worst monster.

Básima had reluctantly accepted Ahmed’s wedding. She couldn’t allow her son to abandon them again. Arkhan and Ibrahim weren’t ready for the position of Sheikh, and her daughter, being a woman, couldn’t take that role.

Ahmed asked his sister to stay very close to their mother so she could inform him if she planned anything against Mia. The girl would have a difficult time in the coming days. He would send his sister to explain some necessary things to her. He hoped she wouldn’t feel too pressured. Once the engagement was officially announced, it would be impossible for her to leave the country. He didn’t know how she would react when she found out that if they had children and someday she decided to divorce, their children, by law, would stay with him.

At night, he entered her room again. She hadn’t fallen asleep yet. He lay beside her, and they remained silent for a while, communicating through their gazes. Ahmed was the one to break the silence.

“I’m truly sorry. I know it won’t be easy for you.”

“I don’t know what to expect in this country. I have no idea how to behave, what’s allowed, what I can do and what I can’t. It’s very complicated. I just know that now I’ll be living among traditions and rules.”

The next day, when Mía woke up, Ahmed was gone. She thought she’d find the usual note on the pillow, but instead, she found a letter. As she read it, she was surprised at everything it contained.