"A young woman accidentally dozed off on a flight, resting her head against the shoulder of the wealthiest, most ruthless tycoon in the region; yet, what the billionaire did next left every onlooker in the cabin absolutely speechless... 😱

Three months passed.

The line between fake engagement and reality had blurred into nonexistence.

Chloe had moved into the east wing of the Al-Mansoor Estate. Her mother was fully recovered and living in a beautiful seaside cottage funded by Tariq's trust. The downtown pediatric clinic had received four million dollars in new medical equipment, saving dozens of critically ill children every month.

Yet, the greatest transformation had occurred inside the estate itself.

The cold, silent marble palace had become warm, filled with light, laughter, and life. Chloe spent her evenings sitting in Tariq's study, reading medical journals while he worked on corporate acquisitions. They shared late-night meals, walked through the rose gardens at sunset, and talked for hours about their pasts, their fears, and their dreams.

Tariq—a man who had never allowed anyone near his heart—found himself counting the minutes until he could return home to see her smile. He was head over heels, hopelessly in love with his fake fiancée.

And Chloe, despite her best efforts to protect her heart, knew that she belonged to the ruthless sheikh completely.

However, peace was a luxury the Al-Mansoor empire rarely allowed.

One afternoon, three weeks before the final council summit, Chloe was sitting in the grand library, reviewing budget reports for her clinic.

The library doors burst open.

Tariq walked in, flanked by Malik and three armed security officers. But he was not smiling. His face was paler than Chloe had ever seen it, his jaw set in a rigid, terrifying line.

"Tariq?" Chloe stood up, smiling warmly. "What’s wrong? Did the board meeting—"

"Malik, search her room," Tariq commanded, his voice cold, flat, and completely devoid of warmth.

Chloe blinked, stunned. "What? Search my room? Tariq, what is happening?"

Tariq didn't look at her. He stood near the grand desk, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes fixed on the floor as if he were fighting an intense internal war.

Five minutes later, Malik returned down the spiral staircase, holding an encrypted flash drive and a velvet box containing a missing heirloom—the Star of Araby, a fifty-million-dollar blue diamond necklace belonging to the Al-Mansoor family heritage trust.

"We found them hidden inside Miss Bennett's personal medical bag, Boss," Malik reported softly, his voice filled with genuine sorrow. "The flash drive contains the complete blueprint for our offshore energy bidding strategy. It was sent to Lord Rashid's personal server an hour ago."

Chloe felt the world tilt on its axis. Her breath hitched, horror cold as ice flooding her veins.

"No!" Chloe cried, stepping toward Tariq, her hands shaking frantically. "Tariq, no! I didn't touch those! I don't even know what that necklace looks like! I would never betray you! You have to believe me!"

Tariq finally raised his eyes to meet hers. But the warmth, the devotion, the fiercely protective fire that had filled them for three months was gone. They were black, cold, and empty like hollow stones.

"The server logs show the file was transferred using your personal laptop at two o'clock today, Chloe," Tariq said softly. His voice sounded dead. "The security cameras in the gallery were disabled for ten minutes using your access code."

"I was at the clinic at two o'clock!" Chloe screamed, tears bursting from her eyes, streaming down her pale face. "You can call Dr. Evans! I was performing a bone marrow biopsy on a seven-year-old girl! I wasn't even in this house!"

"The evidence has already been sent to the council," Tariq said, turning his back on her. "Lord Rashid has called an emergency hearing for tonight to disqualify me and have you arrested for grand larceny and corporate espionage."

"Tariq! Look at me!" Chloe sobbed, grabbing his dark sleeve, begging him. "Please! Look into my eyes! Do you really believe I could do this to you? After everything we've shared? After everything you've done for my family?"

Tariq remained still as a statue, his back turned to her.

"Malik," Tariq commanded coldly. "Take Miss Bennett to the upper guest suite. Lock the doors. Place two guards outside. She is not to leave the room, touch a phone, or speak to anyone until I return from the council meeting."

"Tariq! Please!" Chloe wept as Malik gently but firmly wrapped his arm around her shoulders, guiding her toward the stairs. "Don't do this! Don't let them win! Tariq!"

The heavy mahogany doors of the library slammed shut behind her, leaving Tariq standing alone in the silent room.

The moment she was gone, Tariq raised his right fist and slammed it violently into the mahogany desk.

The heavy wood cracked down the middle under the force of his blow.

Tariq breathed heavily, his dark eyes flashing with a terrifying, unholy fire. He turned to Malik, who had returned to the room.

"Is the trap set?" Tariq asked, his voice shaking with lethal rage.

"Yes, Boss," Malik replied softly. "Rashid took the bait. He thinks you've fallen for the framed evidence completely. He’s taking Miss Bennett’s 'leaked' files to his private villa at the marina right now to finalize the deal with the foreign buyers."