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1. English Translation
Hidaya gazed at him, and instantly his eyes locked with hers. He didn’t even realize when he pulled Sabeeha away from his body. Yet she didn’t give up; even though he pushed her away, she moved to hug him again. Ammu rushed over to where they were standing, glared at Sonata, and demanded, “What sort of nonsense is this? Who is this, and where did she come from?”
Without missing a beat, Fadwa jumped in with, “That’s his ex-fiancée. Of course he knows her, since he promised to marry her.”
The moment Sonata heard that, a smile spread across her face—this had been her plan all along. When Afiya informed her that he had regained his sanity, she came fully prepared to do whatever it took to win him back. She had deliberately brought up the subject because she knew Ammu would expose everything on the spot. She had been searching for a way to stop Hidaya from controlling the narrative.
Before Fadwa even finished speaking, Ammu fired back, “Didn’t you people tell her that he already has a wife? Why is she stalking him here?”
His heart skipped a beat (damm). Hearing that, panic flashed across Hidaya’s face as well. This wasn't how she wanted him to find out. What was Ammu planning to do?
“A WIFE?” he blurted out, the word escaping his lips before he could stop it. “Yes… no…”
“Ammu…” Hidaya cut Ammu off. Ammu shot her a piercing look before saying, “Why all this secrecy? Why can't everything be brought out into the open? He needs to know everything.”
From the moment Ammu started speaking, he stared at her, struggling to process what his ears were hearing. Ammu took his hand and said, “Yes, Khaal married you off to the person who understands your pain better than anyone else—someone who stood by you when no one else saw you as a human being, at a time when…”
“Ammu…” Hidaya interrupted her again, staring at Taj, who had completely transformed in an instant, his eyes burning red. Ammu ignored her completely, standing right in front of him as she continued, “Before Khaal died…”
That was the last phrase he heard before his hearing went completely dead (dummm). Desperate and frantic, Hidaya grabbed him and pulled him back, turning to Ammu to snap, “Can’t you see the state he’s in? We can’t just tell him everything all at once; it will cause utter confusion!”
Ammu stared at her coldly, fully aware she was lying. Hidaya was simply scrambling for any way to keep the truth from coming out. Ignoring Hidaya, who was frantically dragging him upstairs, the people in the parlor sat frozen. Sabeeha, eavesdropping by the doorway, had heard everything. She never expected Ammu to be so bold as to drop the truth on him like that all at once. A wave of relief washed over her; at least now there was hope for the future, and Hidaya had finally met her match.
As soon as Hidaya left, Ammu smiled to herself and thought, “Who told you that you’re the only master manipulator? No matter how much you try to hide things, your lies will eventually unravel.”
Turning her attention to Afiya, she asked, “And you, where did you crawl out from?”
Knowing Ammu’s fiery temperament, Afiya hurried over, hugged her with a smile, and cooed, “Ammuuu… I missed you! When did you get back?”
“A typical street-runner,” Ammu muttered to herself, though she managed a polite smile and replied, “I’ve been in this house for a week now.” With that, she cast a venomous glare at Sonata, who quickly averted her eyes, knowing from Ammu’s expression that a tongue-lashing was imminent.
Leaving the parlor, Ammu spotted Sabeeha lurking nearby. She pulled Sabeeha into her room and closed the door. Noticing Sabeeha’s distressed expression, Ammu asked, “Why didn’t you tell me they brought that prostitute-looking woman into the house?”
Lowering her gaze, Sabeeha whispered, “I thought she had left, Ammu.”
“Hmm, we have a lot of work ahead of us. It’s clear they planned this carefully and never expected me to bring up your marriage. My only fear was that you would become their target. I know Hidaya is already plotting how to ruin your reputation with him. She’s just like her mother and will stop at nothing. But don’t worry, I have their measure. I am fully prepared for them.”
Throughout Ammu’s speech, Sabeeha kept her head down in silence.
Upstairs, Hidaya dragged Taj straight to his private suite. Pushing him down onto the edge of the bed, she sat right in front of him. One look into his intense, piercing gaze told her he was already suspicious—especially after Ammu’s pointed remarks about secrets. She knew he would inevitably confront her, and the thought terrified her.
Before she could even panic further, his questions struck her like a bolt of lightning: “IS WHAT AMMU SAID TRUE? WHAT KIND OF LIFE DID I LIVE? WHAT HAPPENED TO ME? KHAAL IS DEAD?!”
He delivered the questions calmly, but panic raged inside her. She felt like a caught thief, desperately scrambling for excuses. The fact that he had gathered the courage to question her meant real trouble. His red eyes locked onto her with terrifying intensity.
“What are you hiding from me?”
Her eyes widened in horror. If he could touch her chest right now, he would feel how erratically her heart was hammering. Running out of options, she had to deploy a backup lie.
“TAJ, listen to me. I’m doing all of this to protect you because I knew you would be shattered.”
He closed his burning eyes tightly for a second before opening them again. He just wanted the truth. He couldn't understand why everything was being kept from him. With great effort, he pressed on, “I need to know everything. What happened to me a year ago? How did I end up like this?”
Hidaya averted her gaze and bit her lip. She didn't want to show weakness by backing down, but she was terrified of what he might uncover. Inspiration suddenly struck her.
“You want to know everything? Well, listen to me carefully. You had a tragic accident that caused dissociative amnesia. A year ago, you completely lost your mind, and Khaal exploited your vulnerability to get what he wanted…”
She completely twisted the narrative, painting Khaal as the ultimate villain who orchestrated everything to seize their company and even his property. “Thank God truth always prevails and his dirty secrets were exposed! We were shocked to learn his love for us was fake. All his hidden crimes came to light—he laundered company funds, and he even attempted to—” Here, she faked another tearful breakdown to make her lies look absolute. “I had to protect you all this while! I didn’t want to tell you because I knew it would break your heart. Outwardly he acted like he cared, but behind closed doors, he was selfish. He only wanted the company, which is why he pushed for your return. That girl he forced you to marry is part of his grand scheme—he married you off to her so she could help him steal your shares and properties!”
Reaching for her phone, she shoved it into his hands, displaying forged documents showing Khaal making Sabeeha his next of kin and sole heir to his properties. “I tried to annul the marriage, but Khaal used his power against me. I had no choice but to let it be because I lacked the legal right. Now you know the kind of life you were forced to live behind your back.”
He listened to her from start to finish in stunned silence. His mind warred between believing her fabricated words and trusting the instincts of his own heart and mind.
“Now that you’ve regained your senses, I know you’ll never accept this. Just tell me what you want done. I refused to throw that girl out of the house only because I knew a day like this would come, and now it’s here. Just tell me what you want.”
When he remained silent, she pressed further, “I know you’re in shock. Don’t overthink it, please—your specialist consultant explicitly warned that overthinking could cause severe confusion or mental relapse. Everything is over now. Just rest, and we’ll talk more tomorrow, okay?”
He gave her a slight nod. As she walked out, his mind was a battlefield. The lost year of his life didn't bother him nearly as much as the venomous accusations hurled at Khaal. He simply could not believe them; his heart screamed the exact opposite. Furthermore, the girl Khaal supposedly forced him to marry—if his scattered memories were any indication—bore no resemblance to the villainous picture Hidaya painted. He remembered fragments of deep emotional connection, crying together, laughing together, and sharing an unbreakable bond with an unfamiliar face. Could Hidaya’s warning about "confusion from overthinking" be a smokescreen? Definitely. Something was deeply wrong, and he needed to investigate.
His head pounded viciously. Had he really spent a year acting like a child? Just the thought tasted like ash in his mouth.
He didn't sleep a wink all night. He spent the dark hours scrolling through his phone. Every single accusation Hidaya made against Khaal was a lie, except for one headline he found on the internet regarding a kidnapping charge involving the Taheel heir—which matched a Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority (SAMA) financial crime notice about corporate asset embezzlement. Still, despite seeing documents online, his gut rejected the narrative.
Though he wasn’t deeply close to Khaal, he felt in his bones that Khaal wasn't capable of such malice. Khaal had always shown him genuine care, sincerity, and deep affection. Hidaya’s claim that Khaal only wanted him back to loot company shares clashed entirely with reality; Taj had never cared about the corporate empire and had never intended to join the family business, a fact Khaal well knew.
And what about the girl Khaal supposedly married him to? His heart demanded answers about her. Why did his inner memories contradict everything Hidaya claimed? He resolved to find out the truth.
Book 2: Paid Chapter 65
The Next Morning…
Taj finally drifted into a restless sleep around 6:00 AM. He woke up with a singular, unshakeable mission: to uncover the truth behind every single unanswered question.
Quietly, the door pushed open. Sonata stepped inside, draped in a seductive red silk nightie, her blonde hair cascading down her back. Though the bedroom was dim, lit only by a bedside lamp and sunlight filtering through the curtains, she spotted his handsome face immediately. A wicked, cunning smile curved her lips as she approached the bed like a predator closing in on its prey.
Her history with him flooded her mind. She had tried everything to keep him, but he had shut her out after discovering her betrayal. The incident had happened right inside his private apartment. Since she frequented his space, she even knew his security PIN and came and went as she pleased—a normal arrangement among their wealthy circle, though he strictly forbade anyone staying overnight in his absence.
On that specific day, he had flown to Jamaica for a week-long business trip to resolve branch importation issues. Being a workaholic, he solved the problem swiftly, skipped sleeping over, and boarded a red-eye flight back home, arriving unexpectedly early the next morning.
Standing over him, she watched the steady rise and fall of his broad, unbuttoned chest, admiring the dusting of dark hair across his skin. Slowly, she trailed her hand down his chest toward his navel.
The touch felt like a phantom sensation in his half-sleep. Being a light sleeper, any minor disturbance snapped him awake.
His eyes fluttered open, locking straight onto Sonata stroking his body. Rolling her eyes seductively, she whispered in a low purr, “Good morning, zaddy.”
Before she could lean down to hug him, he bolted upright, shoved her away violently, and fixed her with a look of pure, unadulterated disgust. Undeterred by his icy hostility, she tried to close the distance again to kiss him. With a sharp shove, he pushed her back, his voice dripping with venom: “Are you insane?!”
“Babe, please! I’m sorry about what happened! It was a mistake! You never gave me a chance to explain before you kicked me out. Please give me another chance. I can’t live without you; I couldn't move on!”
As she reached for his hand, he roared, “Don’t you dare!” The shout dragged up the agonizing memory of walking into his apartment and hearing her moaning with another man on his own couch. He had stood frozen in shock, hands in his pockets, staring at her nakedness alongside a strange man. The man panicked upon seeing Taj, grabbed his clothes, and fled. Taj hadn't uttered a word; he simply turned around and walked into his bedroom. Sonata had followed him in panic, babbling apologies, but the moment he turned his red, bloodshot eyes on her, she knew she had screwed up beyond repair. From that day onward, he blocked her entirely. Betrayal was his ultimate unforgivable sin; when he loved, he gave everything—his wealth, his attention, his soul—and wiping someone out of his life meant treating them as if they had never existed.
Initially, she hadn't cared much because their relationship had felt one-sided. But when she later discovered his true identity and immense, low-key wealth—complete with unlimited black cards—panic set in. She had desperately searched for a way back to him. When she finally learned he had left London and vanished, she hit a dead end, until Afiya tracked her down, exposed Taj’s true background, and orchestrated their alliance.
“How did you even know where I am? How did you find me here?” Taj demanded, his sharp gaze pinning her in place. Knowing lies wouldn't bypass his penetrating eyes, she spilled the entire truth—how Afiya contacted her, revealed his identity, and brought her to the estate.
“I even told her your identity,” she whimpered, looking up at him with manufactured pity. “Babe, please!”
He silenced her with a sweep of his hand, staring deep into her eyes. “How long have you known?”
“After our breakup. I was tailing you. I couldn't move on. I love you so much.”
He clenched his jaw and massaged his throbbing temples. “Oh shit.”
He never imagined it would intertwine like this. If Sonata knew, then Afiya definitely knew, which meant Hidaya knew as well. So why hadn't Hidaya said a word about it?
He shifted his gaze back to Sonata. Why did Afiya dig into his London past to unearth his ex-girlfriend? What was her motive? And why did Hidaya keep silent? He had valid reasons for keeping his identity hidden from them all, but their collusion alarmed him.
The only reason he didn't throw Sonata out right this second was because he needed answers. She utterly disgusted him; the mere sight of her reminded him of the betrayal in his own home. He had abandoned every single item in that apartment afterward out of sheer revulsion.
Her whining voice broke his train of thought: “Babe… please don’t push me away. I’ll do anything you want, just let me stay in your life.” She batted her eyelashes and forced out a few fake tears, hoping to manipulate him. Without a word, he stood up and walked straight into the bathroom.
Her silence-means-consent theory thrilled her. A wicked smile crossed her face as she watched the bathroom door click shut. “Well, that was easier than expected. Now my work begins. I’ll do whatever it takes to own you completely and kick out that ugly maid they claim is your wife.”
After spending roughly thirty minutes in the bathroom, Taj emerged wearing fresh, light loungewear. True to form, Sonata was waiting like a spider in a web. Though his expression remained aggressively hostile, she latched onto his arm. “Let’s go have breakfast,” she purred, dragging him along.
He walked ahead with Sonata trailing closely behind. As they descended the stairs, Fadwa and Tareeq crossed their path toward the dining room. Fadwa shot Sonata and Taj’s linked hands a venomous look before storming into the dining area. Tareeq followed, deeply confused by Fadwa’s erratic and suspicious behavior lately.
Everyone took their seats, waiting for matriarch Ammu. Moments later, Ammu arrived, accompanied by Hidaya, whose eyes were heavy, red, and swollen from a sleepless night.
Taj politely greeted Ammu first, followed by the others. But just as Ammu took her seat, she stood right back up and walked away from the dining table. Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Scarcely two minutes later, Ammu returned. Behind her trailed Sabeeha, her head bowed in quiet anxiety.
“It is unacceptable to hold a family breakfast while the legitimate daughter-in-law of this house is excluded—especially when outsiders are invited to join us,” Ammu declared sharply.
With a wave of her hand, Ammu pointed to the empty chair beside her, directly facing Taj. “Sit.”
With trembling steps, Sabeeha pulled out the chair and sat down.
Throughout the exchange, Taj kept his eyes glued to his breakfast plate, refusing to look up. Across the table, Sonata’s blood boiled with intense hatred for the young woman, while her mind raced with schemes...
2. Comprehensive Summary
- Family Confrontations & Secret Revelations: Ammu boldly bypasses Hidaya's cover-up attempts, revealing to a stunned Tajudeen that Khaal arranged his marriage to Sabeeha—the woman who stood by him when he was broken. Hidaya panics, aggressively pulling Taj away to spin a web of lies blaming Khaal for corporate fraud and manipulation.
- Taj’s Internal Battle: Isolated in his suite, Taj rejects Hidaya’s fabricated narrative regarding Khaal. His own instincts, fractured memories, and online searches tell a different story, fueling his determination to uncover the truth about his past and his mysterious wife.
- Sonata’s Calculated Return: Sonata arrives at the estate, orchestrated by Afiya and enabled by Hidaya’s silent compliance. Despite Taj’s intense disgust and rejection, Sonata clings to him, plotting to seize his wealth and oust Sabeeha.
- The Strained Morning Gathering: At the breakfast table, Ammu aggressively asserts her authority by pulling Sabeeha into the family fold and seating her directly opposite Taj, intensifying the friction between Sonata, Hidaya, and the rest of the household.
3. Detailed Description
This chapter serves as a high-stakes turning point where psychological warfare replaces physical confrontation.
- The Clashing Narratives: The central conflict revolves around the battle of perceptions. Hidaya attempts to rewrite history by casting the deceased Khaal as a villainous embezzler who trapped Taj in a fraudulent marriage. In stark contrast, Taj’s intuition and fragmented memories reject these falsehoods, creating a profound cognitive dissonance that drives him toward independent investigation.
- The Intrigue of Allies and Adversaries: Ammu emerges as a fearless disruptor of Hidaya’s authoritarian rule. By physically bringing Sabeeha to the main dining table and seating her opposite Taj, Ammu directly challenges Hidaya's gatekeeping. Meanwhile, Sonata’s re-entry introduces a toxic variable driven by greed and obsession, contrasting sharply with Sabeeha’s quiet, steadfast resilience.
- Atmospheric Clues: The narrative highlights physical manifestations of stress and deceit—Hidaya’s puffy eyes from insomnia, Taj’s pounding headaches, and Sonata’s predatory persistence. Every interaction is loaded with subtext, signaling that the house of cards built by Hidaya is on the verge of collapse.
