Back In Dubái
Three months had already passed, and Aisha’s pregnancy was becoming noticeable. She didn’t have any girdle or bandage to continue hiding it; she was already almost five months pregnant, and the clothes Carlo had brought her no longer fit. One of the guards had brought her several gowns.
That day, Carlo asked her to come down and have lunch with him. In reality, she had seen very little of him lately, and when she came downstairs, she noticed he looked emaciated, with dark circles under his eyes, indicating his lack of sleep.
“Hello, beautiful.”
“Is something wrong? You look terrible.” This question changed Carlo’s demeanor, and he became furious.
“Something is wrong. That idiot Ahmed has teamed up with Vinizzio, making my life impossible. But I’ll get rid of them soon; you can be sure of that.”
Aisha lowered her head; she had to change the topic immediately.
“You look tired; you should rest.”
“I only have a couple of hours, and I want to spend them with you. I have an important meeting.”
After lunch, Aisha sat in the living room, knowing that Carlo had already noticed her growing belly. He was staring at her intently, and she felt a chill run down her body.
“I think it’s time to talk. It’s obvious you’re pregnant; that’s why I didn’t want to see you.” He sighed heavily. “I asked the doctor, and it’s too late to terminate the pregnancy. These days I’ve been trying to come to terms with it. I love you, and I’ll accept that baby as mine.” Carlo was lying, trying to keep her calm, but when the baby was born, he would find a way to get rid of him.
“Thank you.”
“Let me know if you need to see a doctor.”
“It’s not necessary.”
Carlo approached her and laid his head between her legs, falling asleep like that. She watched him, not understanding why he had become obsessed with her. She would never love him, and he could be with a woman who truly loved him.
He woke up a while later and smiled to see that she had stayed still not to wake him up. He believed that the fact he cared about his rest was a sign of progress.
“I have to go; I’ll be back in the morning.”
“Okay, take care.”
Carlo smiled upon hearing her, wishing he could marry her and start a family. He hurriedly left, lying about having a meeting. Instead, he would personally receive a shipment since all previous ones had failed, and he was under pressure from clients and partners.
Zaro accompanied him as always. Carlo didn’t know that Zaro was in love with Vittoria and had been visiting her in the hospital, staying to take care of her when Greta went to rest. He would sneak in secretly, and Vittoria appreciated his company.
Zafir had contacted Zaro, convincing him to help them get rid of Carlo. He agreed after some thought to prevent him from harming Vittoria and the baby.
They arrived at the warehouse where the delivery would take place, everything seemed normal until the truck arrived with the merchandise. Carlo’s men approached to open the back doors of the truck, and they would check everything was alright with the cargo. Carlo and Zaro observed from a distance.
As the truck was opened, armed men came out, and in an instant, chaos ensued. Realizing they were outnumbered, Carlo decided to retreat.
“Damn it!” A bullet hit his arm; he looked around for Zaro but couldn’t find him anywhere, thinking he had joined the fight.
“Sir, we need to retreat; we’ll take you out from the back.” Two of his men approached to protect him.
Before leaving, Carlo saw his men falling one by one. He immediately made a call to arrange for his plane to be prepared; he was certain his enemies would go to his house. He called to have Aisha taken to the hangar, where he would meet her.
The position Carlo held was highly coveted by other mafia bosses, as the areas under his control generated substantial profits. When the word spread about his problems, they joined forces against him, just as his mother had warned. Assim Amin was the only one willing to help him, considering him an ally against Ahmed.
Frightened, Aisha didn’t know what was happening. One of the men told her to pack a small suitcase for herself and another for Carlo; they would take her to the airport. Upon boarding the plane, Carlo was already inside, and she could see his arm bandaged and his clothes stained with blood, indicating that something serious had happened.
“What happened to you?” She pretended to be concerned.
“I fell into a trap. Assim Amin offered us refuge.”
“You know that man will try to get rid of me because of what happened with his daughter.”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
“We have an agreement. He won’t lay a finger on you, and for now, I have no other choice. The remaining men will travel with us; the others are dead.”
Carlo thought Zaro was also dead, but he was very mistaken. At that moment, Zaro arrived at the hospital to take Vittoria and the child; of course, Greta would travel with them. He owed it to Pietro, who had picked him up and raised him since he was a child. If he left her in Italy, they would soon come looking for her to kill her. Now they had to distrust everyone; anyone could be their enemy. They boarded Carlo’s jet and flew to the United States.
“Zaro, how is my son?”
“Sir Carlo, he’s fine. He fled to Dubai; Mr. Amin offered him refuge.”
“We won’t go there. It’s better to lay low until things calm down. But if you want to go with him, just say so.”
“No, my place is with my daughter-in-law and my grandson.”
He looked at the baby in his arms; he was indeed cute, identical to Carlo as a child. Vittoria felt relieved, hoping she would never see Carlo again; she feared for her life and that of her son.
Carlo didn’t realize the mistake he had made; instead of fleeing to another place, he had chosen to enter the mouth of the enemy.
Zafir called Ahmed to inform him of everything that had happened.
“Sir, we managed to convince the other bosses to unite against Carlo Román. Fortunately, they considered him a threat due to his violence, and Vinizzio’s support was instrumental.”
“Perfect. Where is my wife?”
“Mr. Román fled. I investigated and found out that Mr. Assim offered him refuge, so I imagine they’ll arrive in Dubai soon.”
“He’s an idiot. Assim Amin will harm Aisha. I’ll speak to the president to expedite the review of the evidence. Carlo has put the noose around his own neck; I have evidence that he has distributed drugs within the Emirates. This, along with what happened to Caroline here, will allow him to be tried under our laws.”
Ahmed was worried about Aisha. Mahib drew a map of the inside of Assim’s house, as it was an old construction with several passages. He knew that by doing so, he was handing over his father and brother, but he couldn’t allow them to continue causing harm. He only asked them to keep his mother safe. Badira didn’t agree with what Assim and his son, Abdil, were doing. She tried to raise Aracha differently, but she inherited her father and brother’s evil heart. In contrast, Mahib was as noble as her.
After almost seven hours of flight, Carlo and Aisha arrived in Dubai. As they disembarked, she took a deep breath, realizing this was the same air Ahmed breathed. Now, she understood that she hadn’t valued him enough.
Several trucks were waiting outside the private hangar; they would transport Carlo, Aisha, and the men accompanying them to the Amin’s house.
Carlo didn’t know when things had spiraled out of control. The power he had inherited from his father was slipping away.
Upon entering the Amin’s house, they were welcomed by Assim and his son. Arkham was also there, and the latter smirked maliciously when he saw Aisha’s swollen belly. He would never allow that baby to be born; he didn’t want Ahmed’s children in this world.
She lowered her head, realizing the hatred with which these three men looked at her. Badira hurriedly approached, took her hand, and led her away.
“My dear, I know what you’re going through. You’re in great danger here. I loved my daughter, but I know she brought this upon herself by not listening to me. My husband and my son don’t understand it. I’ve been in touch with my son Mahib; I’ll try to keep you safe until they come for you.”
Aisha silently observed the woman; she was so different from her daughter. Her face reflected sweetness. How was it that such a woman was the wife of that man?
Life at the Amin’s house made Aisha feel that time passed slowly. She was very scared. During the day, Badira was with her, and during the night, Carlo slept with her. He hadn’t tried to force himself on her; he only made her sleep in his arms.
He wanted a grand wedding, and after that, he would make her his wife. Not touching her was a tremendous effort for him, but he had promised it, and he intended to keep that promise.