Kidnapped by the Arab

Ahmed was determined to talk to his mother. It wasn’t possible that she continued to think she owned her children’s lives, that they had to do whatever she pleased. He went to look for her at her palace.

“Marhaba, son, how nice of you to come back and take the time to see me.”

“Marhaba, mother,” he replied very seriously, making his displeasure evident.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

“Tomorrow Abdil Amin will come with his family to confirm the engagement with your sister.”

“My sister doesn’t want to marry that man. It’s time for her to understand, mother, that she can’t force us to marry whoever she wants.”

“Your sister’s marriage is a done deal. Arkham is your older brother and he has approved it.”

“He may be the older brother, but I’m not just a figurehead. I am the Sheikh for a reason, as Father put me in this position.”

“I won’t speak of this anymore. I won’t cancel, so if you don’t want to come to receive them, don’t come.”

Abdil Amin was a despicable man, even worse than his father. It was said that he enjoyed organizing orgies with both men and women, something that was prohibited and severely punished. But his father had a lot of power and covered up the traces left by his son.

Ahmed left feeling extremely upset. If his mother thought he would allow that engagement, she was very wrong.

Later, Aisha arrived at her office, accompanied by Amira. They were going to visit some community schools, private schools where children of foreign workers attended. In these schools, they were taught in their own languages, which, on one hand, was good, but on the other hand, it didn’t allow the integration of these children into the educational system.

They did it so that when they returned to their home countries, these children could quickly reintegrate. They didn’t take into account that some of them didn’t want to return to their countries.

Aisha believed that this policy prevented foreign children from integrating into Emirati society.

She couldn’t help but cry when Amira informed her about what was happening to some young children, aged four to five, from Asia, Sudan, and Mauritania. Most of these children were kidnapped, while others were sold by their own relatives to become camel jockeys, which was one of the most popular sports.

These children were forced to work daily, deprived of food and rest, to prevent them from growing quickly and gaining weight. Some of them died before turning eleven.

Ahmed explained that he constantly supported repatriating these children and also provided compensation to help them have a better future.

Aisha thought that an agreement could be reached with the authorities in their countries of origin since sometimes they didn’t receive proper attention upon their return.

She wanted Ahmed to fight to change the age of criminal responsibility, which was set at seven years old, as at that age they could already be severely punished, even whipped and sentenced to death, a penalty that was carried out when they reached adulthood.

In Italy, Vittoria continued to feel unwell. Carlo’s mother insisted on taking her to a clinic, where the doctor ran some tests. He later returned with the results of some of them.

“Doctor, what is wrong with my daughter-in-law?”

“Nothing serious, Mrs. Greta. In a few months, the discomfort will pass.”

“In a few months?”

“Yes, Pietro would be happy with this news. Congratulations, Mrs. Greta, you will soon become a grandmother.”

The obese woman couldn’t contain her tears. Being a grandmother was her husband’s greatest dream, and the news filled her with joy but also nostalgia.

Vittoria, on the other hand, burst into tears. Greta and the doctor thought they were tears of joy, but nothing could be further from the truth. She cried because Carlo would probably never give her freedom.

They left the clinic, Greta with a big smile. She was a sweet woman despite being so robust. She couldn’t understand why her son could be so inhumane at times. She raised him differently, which undoubtedly brought him closer to her side of the family.

They headed to Carlo’s office and entered without announcing themselves. The secretary tried to stop them – as if they needed to announce themselves. They entered the office, and Carlo startled when he saw them. He had a young girl completely naked on his lap.

“Mother, what are you doing here?”

“I see you work diligently.”

“You must leave,” he replied shamelessly, grabbing the girl who tried to move away.

“I only came to tell you one thing. You will be a father. Vittoria will stay with me until the baby is born, and then we’ll see. And you better respect my orders this time, or you’ll see what your mother is capable of.” Vittoria kept her head down, not daring to look at the unpleasant scene in front of her.

Carlo was completely speechless. He ordered the girl to leave, and she hurriedly grabbed her clothes and left.

“Why didn’t you take precautions? Damn it, I clearly told you that the only children I will have are with Mía. Why do you insist on making my life impossible?”

“That’s enough, Carlo. From now on, I won’t allow you to treat her the way you have been. I want my grandchild to be a healthy child.”

“That child is not going to be born, Mother.”

“We’ll see about that. From now on, your father’s men will take care of her. You know they are not under your orders. We’re leaving, so consider yourself warned, my son.”

The two women left the office, while inside, Carlo struggled to contain his fury. That woman had no idea what awaited her.

For a moment, Greta thought her son would be happy with the news, considering his obsession with Mía had become concerning.

Vittoria cried silently, feeling too frightened. She knew Carlo’s threats were not empty. As for the baby, she didn’t know what to think. Under different circumstances, she would have been thrilled to be the mother of his child; it had been her biggest dream for years. However, she now realized she had fallen in love with an image, a memory.

Ibrahim was adapting well to life in the United States. He didn’t know where his sisters had moved for their safety, as it was kept secret from him. Cambell was teaching him how to manage the family businesses, and once he was ready, he would take Bruno’s place.

Sometimes, he felt nostalgic for his home country, but staying away was the best option for him. He knew his mother had never cared about his absence, and that hurt, although he had grown accustomed to her coldness since childhood.

Aisha had to wait until nightfall to spend some time with Ahmed. He usually came home tired, but he made an effort to dedicate some time to her. Occasionally, they would have meals together, provided he didn’t have to dine with others. She had accompanied him to an event where they received the president of another country and his wife. Aisha was nervous, but they turned out to be simple and pleasant people.

So far, everything was going well. Amira helped Aisha a lot, explaining how to behave and the traditions and laws she needed to respect.

That day, Basima sent for her daughter; she wanted her to accompany her to a dinner. Amira firmly refused.

“I won’t do it, Mother. I’m sorry, but I’ll be having dinner with Ahmed and Aisha here at the palace.”

“Very well, daughter. Just remember that you have disrespected your mother,” Basima said before leaving.

Later in the evening, Ahmed, Aisha, and Amira were joyfully spending time together. Ahmed felt that his wife was gradually integrating into their life, and his sister’s assistance was invaluable.

Suddenly, Basima arrived, and the atmosphere changed. “As-Salam Alaikum,” she greeted.

“Wa-Alaikum-as Salaam,” Ahmed replied, trying to be cordial.

However, that cordiality disappeared when he saw that the Amin family was with her. They waited while Basima approached to talk to her son.

“What is this?” he asked angrily.

“Son, you know that your sister’s engagement will be formalized today,” Basima replied.

“I clearly said that I won’t accept that engagement because it’s not what my sister desires,” Ahmed asserted firmly.

Basima thought that by coming to Ahmed’s palace with the Amin family, he would be forced to accept the engagement. Arkham and Aracha were with her.

“I have accepted the engagement on behalf of our sister. As the elder brother, I have the right to do so,” Arkham said, annoyed.

“It will happen over my dead body,” Ahmed replied, clenching his fists, trying to control himself from breaking his brother’s face.

Aisha listened quietly; it wasn’t her place to intervene in this matter. Basima turned to look at her, and her disapproval of Aisha was evident.

Amira turned and hurriedly walked away from there. Her mother tried to stop her, but she ignored her and ran to the garden. She knew her mother wouldn’t leave her alone; she didn’t want to leave her country. She loved her people and some of their traditions.