His Revenge

➺Chapter Fourteen

A/N: This is a short chapter because I'm ill at the moment. Because of that, I won't be able to attend Maulana Tariq Jameel's bayan tomorrow and that's breaking my poor heart. Not only that, we have two major weddings coming up with only a week in between them. If anyone knows me, they know I absolutely HATE weddings. Not the concept of marriage really but desi weddings are SO annoying. I don't know how I'll survive TWO. Bleh. Makes me want to wish I could fast-forward these two weeks.

➺Fourteen

Zaeem was a mess. After security had finally managed to break him and Zachary apart, both men had first been rushed to the hospital before they were sat down and interrogated by Sterling. Zaeem had bruises along his arms and upper torso and a rather ugly cut on his cheek from Zachary's signet ring. As for Zachary, he was facing a black eye, bruises on his neck and a large gash on his elbow from when Zaeem had managed to topple him over and his arm had hit the edge of a glass table on the way down. Although they were battered, neither was willing to apologize or admit defeat. If provoked, they would both go for round two.

Of course Sterling wasn't having any of that.

"What happened?" The man demanded. "Why the hell did you two start fighting? God, I leave the room for two seconds and I come to find my nephew and my business partner at each other's throats! Why can't you go unsupervised? The press is going mad about this! Do you even realize what you've done?"

Zaeem clenched his jaw. "Mr. Williams had the nerve to try and rape my wife."

Sterling's eyes widened and he spun to face a silent Zachary. "Is that true?"

"Yes," Zachary sighed. "But for good reason!" He immediately added. "The little bastard doesn't deserve Aaida. He hit her, Uncle! There were bruises all over her body!"

"What?" Sterling paled. His world was literally spiraling out of control as he heard the accusations of the two men. "Zaeem, what am I hearing?"

"What Aaida and I do is none of your business," Zaeem scowled at Zachary. "You stay away from her next time or so help me God I will skin you alive."

Zachary glared at him. "I'd like to see you try."

"Enough!" Sterling shouted. "You two behave like animals. Hitting Aaida? Trying to rape her? What is wrong with you both? Zachary, I've told you a million times to let go of your little obsession with the girl but you never listen! If she even remotely held any affection for you, she would've come running if Zaeem wasn't treating her right." Zachary looked away. Sterling turned to Zaeem. "And you . . . you hit your wife? You two are acting like primitive savages! Forcing yourself on women, hitting them . . . I can't even believe this right now. That poor, innocent girl- oh God." Sterling raked a hand over his face with a loud sigh. "Where is she? If you two don't have an ounce of humanity in you, the least I can do is help her get away from you both."

"You can't do that," Zaeem interjected. "I already apologized for everything. Aaida and I are trying to make our marriage work. And I won't let you take her from me until I've earned my forgiveness."

"No," Zachary cut in. "Aaida won't be staying with you anymore. I'm taking her back to my house and-"

"Do you even hear yourselves?" Sterling growled. "Marking your territories like dogs- Aaida isn't going with either of you. My wife has always wanted a daughter. We'll take her in, Zaeem will finalize a divorce and we can put all of this behind us."

Zaeem's eyes flashed red. "Have you lost your bloody mind? Aaida. Is. My. Wife. She is not going anywhere except back to our home. Sterling, you're my business partner and I respect you but you will not meddle in my family affairs."

"I won't sit by and watch you hurt an innocent girl!" Sterling argued.

"No one asked you to," Zaeem said sharply. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a wife to return to who was nearly raped by a madman."

Zachary would've punched him again but was stopped by Sterling's firm glare. Zaeem stood up and was about to leave when his mother came rushing inside the hospital waiting room they were sitting in. There was a frantic glint in her eyes and she didn't look all too well.

"Zaeem," she cried, running to him. She grasped his arms. "Zaeem, where's Aaida?"

Zaeem furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean? I- she was at the party and- are you sure she didn't come home?"

"Oh God," Mahra's trembling hand found her lips. "Oh God."

Zaeem was growing worried now. Something clearly wasn't right. Sterling and Zachary sensed it too and came to stand next to Zaeem.

"Mamma, what's wrong?"

"She didn't come home, Zaeem," Mahra blinked away tears. "I- I found out about the fight and I came over to the hotel to find her and make sure she was all right and she wasn't there. No one has seen her."

Zaeem felt his world tilt under his feet. "She's gone?"

"Finally made her run, didn't you, Zaeem?" Zachary sneered at him. Zaeem was seconds away from launching himself at him when Mahra's face hardened and she turned her furious glare to the brown-haired man.

"You," she hissed.

And slapped him clean across the cheek.

"How dare you touch my daughter-in-law with your filthy bastard hands?" She demanded. Zaeem was taken aback by her tone and choice of words. "Don't you forget for a moment that I know you aren't Mr. Williams' son and if you dare try to touch Aaida again, I swear to God everyone will know of your true heritage. And no one will be pleased to learn you're the disgusting spawn of a poor gardener." Zachary's face lost all color. "I'd like to see you try to secure your inheritance after that. I will make you homeless. That's not a threat either. But a damn promise."

Sterling stepped in, pulling Zachary away from the mother-son duo. "Please, Mrs. Ibrahim-"

"Miss Mahra, if you would," she said with a sniff. "I don't go by that name anymore."

"Yes, of course," Sterling said quickly. "I apologize for my nephew's behavior. Right now though, I think our main concern is finding Aaida."

"You think I can't multitask?" Mahra snapped at him. "I've already called the constable. Zachary will be charged for sexual assault and physical violence. You didn't think I would really let him go, did you?"

"You can't do that!" Zachary yelled out. "If I'm charged with physical violence than so should Zaeem!"

Mahra had clearly thought this through. "I have eye witnesses. Everyone knows you started the fight. You attacked my son. And now, you will pay the price for messing with my family. Good night, Mr. Zachary and Mr. Sterling."

With her piece said, she grabbed Zaeem's hand and pulled him out of the room.

"We need to find your wife," she said firmly.

Zaeem was too awed to say anything.

Mahra had spent her entire life looking out for him, making sure no one hurt him. She had been only a girl herself when she had had him and yet she had proven to be his savior. She had made herself stronger for him. She was no longer the smitten young lady who had fallen for the wrong man and left everything behind for him. She was no longer that stupid. She had grown so much since then. She had changed. And now, Zaeem was the only one she would ever make sacrifices for. Zaeem and his wife whom Mahra had come to love.