Chapter 100
A few hours later
SAMUEL RUIZ’S HQ
11:45 a.m.
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I knock on the door of the old warehouse, silently praying he’s there. I don’t have the strength to turn back.
After a few minutes, he finally opens the door. He stares at me, stunned by my condition.
“What the hell are you doing here, beautiful? Who did this to you?”
I don’t answer his questions. I just collapse into his arms.
When I was little, his arms–along with Maria’s–were the only places I felt safe.
It’s been at least ten years since I last initiated any sort of affectionate gesture toward anyone. Normally, it’s always him who offers his arms for me to fall into.
“You’re scaring me. Are you sure you’re okay? What happened, kid? You’re burning up like you just came out of an oven!”
I look up to hold back the tears that threaten to fall.
“Can I sit for a few minutes, please?”
I deliberately dodge his questions.
“You don’t need to ask, you know this is your home.”
He grabs my arm and pulls me inside his shabby warehouse.
He guides me to a couch in the middle of the room.
I sit down, my head pounding–something that’s happening more and more often lately.
The couch smells awful, but I won’t complain.
We’re in a base, not a five–star hotel.
“You’re pale, you look seriously weak, and you’re really starting to worry me. Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“No, not the hospital, please.”
I roll up my sleeves and show him the whip marks on my arms.
“What the hell is this?”
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Chapter 100
Sam is in shock and grabs my arms to examine them more closely.
“Does your father know? Damn it, who did this to you? Are those whip marks?!”
Sam knows my father beats me–that I’m his living punching bag.
Still, I think he sincerely believed my father was incapable of going this far.
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“Listen, Sam, I came here to ask for information only you might have. I don’t want your pity or for you to try to help me if it puts you in danger.”
“I won’t answer any of your questions until you tell me everything that’s going on in detail. And if I sense you’re lying, you can forget getting anything from me.”
I sigh and tell him everything that happened since my father sent me undercover to spy on Alexander
Graves.
He’s angry, but not surprised—he knows my father and his thirst for
power.
He tries to convince me not to give up my virginity. Seeing that I don’t want to talk about it, he lets it go.
“Be careful with Alexander Graves too. He’s nervous and impulsive, but extremely calculated. Every move he makes is planned and deliberate. He leaves no room for improvisation.”
I nod.
“Alright, kid, I’ll try to give you the best answers I can.”
“Do you know what Khalid is hiding? The secret seems linked to Alexander’s and it must go back a few
years.”
“I’d never heard of any such conspiracy until you mentioned it just now.”
That would’ve been too good to be true.
“I told you my father is looking for something my mother supposedly stole from him. Do you know what it could be?”
“I remember your father never spoke kindly of her, but he never mentioned theft.”
“Does nothing come to mind when you think of her? Any strange or suspicious behavior before she died? It’s very important.”
“I only saw your mother twice in my life, and we never spoke. She was the closed–off type.”
He continues thinking. I hope he has a lead to give me.
“I do remember one scene that stuck with me the first time I met her. I had hidden some drugs in baby formula containers. You were only four. Seeing the babies on the box, you naturally thought it was milk powder. You tried to eat it, but we caught you just in time. Khalid beat and insulted you that day. I didn’t know you back then, it was the first time I saw you, but I tried to step in and he sent you to your room as punishment.”
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Chapter 100
I remember that day, I cried a lot and regretted my greed.
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“I used the excuse of going to the bathroom to check on you. Your mother was in another room, the door slightly ajar. She seemed to be hiding something and didn’t want to be caught, but I couldn’t see what it was. When she stood up, she put something in her pocket and I saw a chain dangling. I don’t know if it’s important, but that’s the only detail I remember. That scene stayed with me all these years like it mattered.”
I smile.
I was so shaken yesterday that I didn’t realize what my father’s looking for has been on me all these years.
I touch the necklace around my neck.
I remove it under Sam’s stunned gaze.
I pull a pin from my pocket–I always carry one, for my hair or to pick locks.
I use it to unlock the necklace’s mechanism while Sam watches closely.
After a few minutes, the latch gives, revealing the content of the pendant that’s so dear to me.
“What is it?”
“A piece of the puzzle.”
Inside the pendant is a micro–USB key.
For sixteen years, it was hidden there, waiting patiently for me to discover it, though I never knew it
existed.
My mother was a remarkably intelligent woman.
I take the USB key, which seems to be in good condition.
“I think this is what Khalid is after, but there’s no way I’ll give it to him without knowing what’s on it.”
Sam heads to a corner of the room under my questioning gaze.
He grabs a laptop and hands it to me. I take it.
He heads toward the warehouse exit.
“Where are you going?”
“This moment belongs to you–it’s your private life. I don’t want to interfere.”
I nod to thank him.
He leaves the warehouse and closes the door as I load the USB.
A folder appears. I click on it.
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Chapter 100
The screen shows a woman.
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She has a darker complexion than mine, almond–shaped dark brown eyes filled with determination, rosy full lips.
Her features are soft and symmetrical.
Her ebony hair flows all the way down her back.
My mother.
It’s my mother.
I didn’t remember her being so beautiful. Over time, her image had slowly faded from my memory.
I’m so happy to finally see her face–the face of the woman who gave me life.
I stare at her, captivated by her beauty and presence.
But I don’t have time to get emotional.
I’m here for a reason.
I click on the mysterious video.
“My name is Noor El Saoudi. I’m twenty–three years old as I record this video, which is for one–time use. It will self–destruct after viewing, and the lost data will be unrecoverable and destroyed forever.”
Her voice is soothing. She took every precaution to ensure the video couldn’t be misused.
“I’m making this video for my child, the most precious person in the world to me. As I record this, you’re still a baby, my little Inara, barely four years old. If you’re seeing this, it means I’m no longer here to tell you these things in person. Sadly, this is the only way for you to learn the truth.”
Mom…
“Where to start? I don’t have much time before Khalid shows up. First, I want you to know how I met your father and how you were born. As you may have noticed, he’s older than me. I fell in love with him when he came to Saudi Arabia on business. We had a real love–at–first–sight moment, started dating quickly, and he took me to his country: France. He treated me like a queen… until I got pregnant–with you. That’s when everything started to change.”
Of course. It’s my fault.
“Khalid desperately wanted a boy. I didn’t care, as long as you were healthy. He had a hard time accepting your gender because he wanted a male heir to carry on his name and expand his empire. He became distant and started neglecting me. After you were born, he turned violent and unstable. I tried to escape, but it was impossible. I’ll spare you the grim details, but he was cruel. Since the day you were born, I’ve lived in fear of what he might do to you.”
All of this… because I was born a girl.
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Chapter 100
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“I had no way to flee or protect myself until the day I overheard a conversation between Khalid and one of his associates. That conversation became my way out. He mentioned hiding a USB key in a safe behind a painting in his office. I managed to break into the safe and took the key. I planned to use it to blackmail Khalid for our freedom. I don’t know what’s on it, but I know it’s priceless to him. I hid it somewhere he’ll never find it—unless I want him to. I’m recording this in case something happens to me, do you understand? Honestly, I hope you never find it, because I don’t know what it contains. I only know it’s dangerous and could cause you a lot of trouble. But if you do choose to find it, just know it won’t be easy. I hid it well, but I believe in you. You’re determined and smart–you won’t give up.”
She planned to use the key but died before Khalid ever learned she had it.
Now I understand why Khalid only asked about it yesterday–he must’ve just found out she took it.
So… this isn’t what Khalid is after?
My search is just beginning.
Another USB key… but what is it for?
“This video isn’t meant to push you to find it if I’m no longer here, but to help you understand why I took it. I know Khalid will quickly realize I’m the thief and try to make you help him find it. I hope you understand me and won’t see me as a monster.”
How could I see as a monster the woman who gave me life and risked hers to protect me from Khalid?
“I suppose you’ve become a beautiful, strong, and brave young woman who fights for the people she loves and knows what she wants. I hope your father didn’t mold you into his image, and that you’ve kept your
innocence.”
If only she knew what I’ve become.
Besides a ball of hatred… what else am I?
“Know that I love you with all my heart and that I’m proud of who you’ve become, my daughter. I love you with all my soul. You’re the reason I held on and dared to stand up to that bastard Khalid. I’ll always watch over you, even if I’m not physically here, my baby. Be strong, and remember: yes, the blood of a monster flows through your veins–but also a pure blood that will help you move forward. If you ever feel lost, look ahead, and trust me–you’ll find your way.”
The video ends.
A tear slips down my cheek without me noticing.
I wipe it away with a smile.
I’m happy I got to see my mother, even if it was for the last time.
Thanks to her, I finally know what I have to find.
I’m looking for a USB key. I will discover what’s on it.
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Chapter 100
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I’ll make you proud, Mom.
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