Chapter 5: Tangled Threads

The air was thick with the scent of roses and fresh pine as Noor walked back to her car, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. The meeting with the Sultan family had been productive—no one could deny that—but it had left her more unsettled than she cared to admit.

Zayd had been distant, his gaze as cold as ever, yet it hadn't gone unnoticed how his eyes lingered on her. A slight change in his demeanor, a quick glance when no one else was watching—Noor wasn't foolish. She knew something had shifted, and it had nothing to do with business.

"You're quiet today," her father remarked as they walked side by side. His voice had a hard edge, the tone of someone who'd just gotten off a particularly tense call. "Did everything go as planned?"

"Yes," Noor replied curtly, forcing her thoughts back to the present. "Everything went fine."

Her father nodded, though the furrow in his brow didn't disappear. He knew her too well to believe the simple answer, but he didn't press. There was a bigger storm brewing, and it wasn't just business that was complicating things.

When Noor got into the back of the car, she stared out the window, watching the city pass by, each street she passed now seeming foreign. Was it her imagination, or had everything in her life begun to shift since that one fateful encounter with Zayd Sultan? She had known the man was dangerous, his reputation preceded him, but it wasn't just his past that was the problem—it was the pull he had over her.

She didn't want to feel anything for him. She couldn't afford to.

---

Zayd sat alone in his study later that evening, his thoughts tangled in a web of confusion and frustration. The meeting had gone smoothly, the discussions of business, power, and influence just as he had expected. Yet, there was something else that had kept his attention—something distracting.

Noor.

She had been cold, almost distant, hiding behind polite formalities, and yet—he had seen it in her eyes. That fleeting moment of recognition, of something deeper, something beyond the business deals they were discussing.

She was different. And that made her more dangerous than any of the high-profile figures he usually dealt with.

"Why do I care?" he muttered under his breath, slamming his fist against the desk in frustration.

His brother, Rayyan, stepped in, sensing his unease. "What's going on, Zayd? You've been like this all evening."

Zayd looked up at his brother, his eyes hard. "She's getting under my skin."

Rayyan raised an eyebrow. "Noor Farid?"

"Don't remind me," Zayd growled. "This is bad, Rayyan. I don't even know why I care. She's... not like the others."

Rayyan sighed, walking over to the bar. "You've got to let it go, man. She's part of that family, the one we're trying to outsmart. Getting tangled in this mess won't end well for you."

Zayd clenched his jaw, standing up and pacing. "I know. But every time I look at her—every time she speaks—I feel something. It's not rational. It's not part of the plan."

Rayyan watched him carefully. "So, what's the plan, then?"

Zayd paused, his hands shaking ever so slightly. "I don't know anymore."

---

The following days passed in a blur of business and family obligations. Noor threw herself into her work, keeping her emotions tightly controlled. The memories of the Sultan meeting played in the background of her mind like an endless loop. She couldn't escape them, no matter how hard she tried.

Then, one afternoon, just as she was heading to her office, she received a call from an unknown number. A sense of unease settled in her stomach. She hesitated but answered anyway.

"Hello?"

"Ms. Farid," a deep, gravelly voice said on the other end. "We need to talk."

Noor froze. The voice was unmistakable—Zayd's.

"I—I don't think we have anything to discuss," she replied, her voice steady despite the pounding in her chest.

"You'll want to hear me out," he said, his tone almost teasing. "You can't hide from this, Noor. Not anymore."

The line went dead before she could respond. Her heart raced as she stood frozen in place. Was he threatening her? Or was this just another game to him?

---

Zayd stood in the shadows outside the Farid estate, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His mind was a battlefield, torn between his desire to be near Noor and the warnings of his family. This wasn't the right time, but something in him refused to step back.

The moment she had hung up on him, he had realized how badly he wanted to see her again—how badly he needed to make her understand.

It was more than just the business. It was more than the delicate balance of power. It was about something that neither of them could name yet, something undeniable that pulled them together like magnets.

He knew it was dangerous. But the more he tried to resist, the stronger the pull became.

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