Sad And Lonely
One week had passed, and Vinizzio stayed by Caroline’s side without leaving her for any reason. He had a special permission to have his meals in the room, so he never neglected her, fearing that Carlo might send someone to end her life.
When Carlo found out that Caroline was still alive, he became furious. His brothers were dead, and no child of Vinizzio had the right to be alive.
Ahmed was gathering evidence against his enemies, knowing they were powerful and united against him. Life had turned into a nightmare.
Ahmed held the position of Vice President of the United Arab Emirates, while the president was the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi. He learned that Assim Amin had requested a meeting with the president, and now he did the same, hoping to be heard. His enemies were ready to shut him out completely.
Basima truly regretted her behavior. She didn’t want to spend the rest of her life alone, seeing her son suffer. Ahmed had told her that Aisha was expecting a child, which worried her even more about their well-being.
Carlo continued showering Aisha with affection and attention, convinced that he would make her forget Ahmed. He was aware of the situation in Dubai and communicated regularly with Assim. His ultimate desire was to see the Sheikh overthrown, and then he would kill him.
The nights were increasingly worse for Ahmed. The mere thought of that man sleeping next to his wife filled him with rage. He should have acted sooner, but he kept postponing it, thinking that as long as his identity remained a secret, she would be safe by his side.
Closing his eyes, he remembered the day he met her, the first night he held her in his arms, waking up to admire her beauty. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, and her face and scent were imprinted in his mind forever. Her skin was the softest he had ever touched.
Zafir had moved to Italy, and Ahmed would have wanted to do the same, but leaving the country at that moment would be the worst mistake he could make.
They knew where Aisha was being held; the place was heavily guarded with men on the ground and in the air. To Carlo, she was his most precious treasure, and he wouldn’t let anyone take her away again.
Aisha was afraid. If Carlo found out she was pregnant, he might try to harm her child. Vinizzio offered Zafir the support of his men in Italy, and, together with the Russian command, they were disrupting all of Carlo’s operations, intercepting shipments, and preventing the merchandise from reaching its destination, causing problems with his clients.
Furious at not receiving the drugs to distribute, Carlo’s men requested a meeting with him, but he kept giving excuses, not wanting to leave Aisha’s side until Ahmed was dead. However, he also didn’t want to meet them at his mansion, fearing betrayal.
Zafir communicated with Ahmed to update him on the situation. “Sir, we’ve been acting according to plan, and soon Carlo Román will be cornered. We must weaken him first before going for the lady. If we act now, it might put her in danger.”
“You must keep disrupting his shipments; that way, he’ll soon have his partners and clients against him.”
“We will do as you say, sir.”
Ahmed felt impotent and frustrated, wanting to go for his wife and child but knowing he couldn’t act hastily.
In the hospital, Caroline woke up, feeling confused and not remembering what had happened.
“Dad,” Vinizzio, who was dozing in a chair, heard his daughter’s voice and immediately got up.
“Daughter, you’ve finally awakened.”
“What happened?”
“We’ll talk about it later. I’ll get a doctor.”
As Vinizzio turned to leave the room, Caroline remembered what had happened, and she started screaming in desperation.
“Dad, please don’t let them touch me, please don’t.”
Vinizzio turned around and rushed to her side. “Calm down, my daughter. You’re safe now; no one will hurt you again.” He saw the immense fear in her eyes.
A nurse came running upon hearing the screams and administered a sedative to Caroline.
Vinizzio cried, partly relieved that his daughter had awakened, but also knowing it would be difficult for her to forget what she had been through.
Ahmed met with the President, hoping to be allowed to present the evidence he had gathered before the Supreme Council. The process would be slow, and he felt he no longer had time.
He wished to solve all the problems once and for all so he could go to Italy and rescue his wife.
In the United States, a woman was drunk in a bar, begging a customer to buy her a drink.
“Buy me just one drink, sweetheart, then I’ll go with you. I assure you, the best night of your life will be with me.”
The man looked her up and down; despite her not being young, she had a good figure.
He agreed to buy her the drink, and later, they headed to one of the rooms upstairs in the bar. The woman stumbled as she walked.
“Be careful, woman, or you’ll fall. You’re quite clumsy.”
In the room, the man took her in a terrible way, ignoring her pleas not to harm her. When he was satisfied, he fell asleep. The woman got up, took her clothes, saw that the man’s wallet was full of money, put it in her purse, and hurriedly walked toward the door to escape.
The man woke up at that moment, realized he had been robbed, and went after her. He caught her on the service stairs; she was going down there to avoid being seen.
“Where do you think you’re going? You damned bitch, give me back what you stole from me!” The woman tried to run, but he held her by the arm.
That day, Sonia was brutally beaten. She had been deceived by a much younger man, who stole the money Caroline had given her. He left her on the street, so she had to return to the bar, now drinking uncontrollably.
Days later, she started feeling unwell. She thought it was due to the beating she had received. She had lost a lot of weight, felt weak, and tired. She decided to see a doctor to get some vitamins prescribed. The doctor insisted on doing some tests, and that day he would deliver the results.
“Well, doctor?”
“Have you been taking precautions during sexual intercourse?”
“Sometimes.” When the doctor asked her that, she felt nauseous and scared, thinking she might be pregnant.
“I’m sorry to have to give you this news.”This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.
“Am I pregnant?”
“No, ma’am. You have contracted HIV.”
Sonia felt like the ground was sinking beneath her feet. This couldn’t be happening to her.
“There must be a mistake. This can’t be happening to me.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am. I’ll file the appropriate report. You’ll be registered in the system, and I’ll send you to a place where you’ll receive psychological help and medications. If you follow the treatment, you can lead a completely normal life.”
Sonia didn’t respond; she left with her head down, sat on a bench, and remembered her past life. The image of Bob, Mia’s father, came to her mind. He truly loved her, was devoted to making her happy, and she simply got carried away by ambition. If she hadn’t, he would be alive, and her life would be different because he would protect her. She wouldn’t feel sad and alone as she did now.
She stood up, with a lost look in her eyes, and climbed to the top of a building. Once there, she simply opened her arms and let herself fall. The people passing by on the street were shocked by the scene. Life had made Sonia pay for everything she had done.
In Italy, Aisha had to accept dinner with Carlo again. He kissed her hand when they were interrupted abruptly by Greta walking up to her. Without saying a word, Greta slapped her several times and then turned to her son and did the same.
“While your wife and child are fighting for their lives, you’re here with this woman.”
“Mother, leave immediately. I won’t allow you to humiliate her. She’s the woman I love, and don’t ever dare to lay a hand on her again, or I’ll forget you’re my mother.”
Greta’s eyes were spitting fire. She never thought her son would dare to threaten her.
“I know you’re throwing away everything your father built over the years. In the underworld, they say Carlo Román has gone soft because of a woman’s skirts. Keep it up, and they’ll come here to finish you off. I thought you were smarter, son, but it seems the love you feel for this woman has clouded your brain. I hope that when you come to your senses, it won’t be too late.”
Greta glared with hatred at Aisha, then turned around and left. Aisha couldn’t understand why that woman hated her when her son was the one to blame for everything.