Chapter 88: Chapter 88

“What the hell do you mean by Zada’s boyfriend?” Zayed thundered after overhearing a phone call his wife was having with his daughter.

“Zayed. You can’t eavesdrop like that.” Ava said, glaring at her husband.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I happened to overhear you speaking to Zada. Now answer me, damn it.” Zayed demanded furiously.

“Stop screaming, will you?” Ava asked, totally unfazed by her husband’s fury. She was quite used to all his moods, so it wasn’t a big deal.

“Does Zada have a boyfriend?” Zayed asked once again, trying to calm down. He knows his wife very well. If he becomes overbearing, she will simply ignore him and walk out. Now he needs answers.

“Yes.”

“Since when?”

“It’s been a few months.”

“And why am I only knowing about it now?”

“Come on, you are a dad. Daughters naturally keep their boyfriends hidden from their dads.” Ava said, with a casual shrug of her shoulders.

“Why would you keep it hidden from me, Aveline?” Zayed asked, glaring at her.

“Because I didn’t want you to become impulsive and ruin things for our daughter when her love was in the budding stage.” Ava said honestly.

“She is only twenty one. How can she get a boyfriend now..” Zayed asked, throwing his hands up in the air.

“For your kind information, you knocked me up when I was just a few months over eighteen. I had your three children when I was nineteen.” Ava said and Zayed had the gall to look sheepish.

“That’s another thing. You were my wife.” Zayed argued.

“Oh yes. How can I forget that you had married me at the tender age of eighteen, without even asking for my consent.” Ava said and Zayed shot an exasperated look at her.

“Why are you bringing it all up now?” Zayed asked and Ava grinned.

“Because I love to annoy you.” Ava said cheekily.

“Now tell me about this guy.” Zayed demanded.

“His name is Liam Fredrick.” Ava said.

“Liam Fredrick? As in the boys’ best friend? That playboy?” Zayed asked in disbelief.

“Yes..”

“My daughter is in love with a playboy?” Zayed asked, panic flashing through his eyes.

“I happen to remember someone who had a live-in relationship with a girl for almost five years. And guess what? He didn’t want to commit to her. The poor girl wasted her five years on this commitment phobe and he broke up with her at the first chance he got.” Ava said, blowing on her nails with a bored look on her face. Zayed paled at the reminder of Brianna, his ex-girlfriend.

“Why the hell are you bringing up my shortcomings when we are talking about our daughter?” Zayed asked in exasperation.

“Just making sure that you remember all this while you rain down on the poor kids.” Ava said and Zayed shot an angry glare at her.

“That you are right, my darling Aveline. I am going to rain down on them like hell.” Zayed said and walked out of the room in search of his brothers.

Zayed stormed through the hallways, his temper barely contained as he went in search of his brothers.

‘Liam Fredrick? Of all the people… a playboy for my daughter?’ His mind whirled as he reached the recreational area of the palace where Salim and Basim were gathered, casually talking over some coffee. Camille and Katie were in the corner, checking out some magazines.

“Zayed, what’s gotten into you?” Salim asked, raising an eyebrow as his brother barged in, his face red with anger.

Without a greeting, Zayed launched into it.

“Zada has a boyfriend,” he stated, his tone filled with disbelief.

Salim immediately sat up, all his protective instincts kicking in at once.

“What? Since when?” He demanded, already on high alert. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, and he looked ready to spring into action.

Zayed shook his head, still trying to digest the information himself.

“A few months apparently,” he muttered, “and get this — his name is Liam Fredrick.”

Salim’s eyes widened.

“Liam Fredrick? The boys’ best friend? That Liam Fredrick? The guy who’s been bouncing between girls like they are fashion accessories?” His tone was sharp, his face showing the same disbelief that Zayed felt.

“Exactly! And Aveline knew about it. She has been keeping it a secret from me!” Zayed fumed, pacing the room, his hands running through his hair in frustration. Salim clenched his fists.

“This is unacceptable. We need to fly to the UK right now and meet this guy in person. If he thinks he can mess with our baby’s heart, we will show him otherwise.” Salim’s voice was firm, and he started to stand, already making plans in his head.

“You will do no such thing, Salim.” Just as Salim was about to grab his phone, Camille, who had overheard the conversation, stepped in with a sharp glare.

Salim froze mid-motion, turning to his wife in surprise.

“Cami, you can’t be serious,” he said, frowning. “We can’t just sit here and do nothing while some playboy makes moves on Zada.”

Camille folded her arms, her expression unamused.

“I am very serious. First of all, the poor darlings are so much in love. They have just gotten free from all the atrocities Zahir and Zian rained down on them. Let them live in peace for a while.”

“You knew about this?” Salim shot Camille, a look of shock.

“Of course, I knew,” Camille said coolly. “Ava told me. We have been keeping you lot out of the loop because we knew exactly how you would react—like you are doing right now.”

“You knew it, and you didn’t say a word to me? How could you hide something this important?” Salim stared at his wife in disbelief, his voice rising.

“Why would I?” Camille shot back, unfazed by his anger. “When I knew exactly how you would respond. You would hop on a plane, storm into their lives, and scare the poor guy off. They are adults, Salim. They have a life. Let them live it their way.”

“But… Liam Fredrick, Cami? That boy has never been serious about anything in his life.” Zayed blinked, still reeling from the revelation.

“People change, Zayed. And if Liam has stuck by Zada, even with Zahir and Zian looming over him like a couple of bodyguards, then maybe he is not the boy you think he is.” Camille shrugged.

Zayed opened his mouth to argue but was cut off by a soft chuckle from Basim, who had been quietly sipping his coffee and watching the whole exchange with amusement.

“Cami’s got a point,” Basim said, leaning back in his chair with a grin. “If Liam’s managed to survive the boys’ scrutiny and is still be in a relationship with Zada, then the guy’s probably a keeper.”

“How can you be so calm about this?” Salim glared at his younger brother.

“Look, you two are overreacting. Zada is a smart girl, and if Liam’s sticking around despite the boys, maybe there is more to him than you think. And let’s face it — if Zahir and Zian haven’t scared him off yet, what makes you think you will?” Basim shrugged, unfazed.

Zayed and Salim exchanged a look, their initial fury slowly giving way to reluctant acceptance. As much as they hated the idea of their baby being with someone like Liam, they couldn’t deny the truth in Basim’s words. If Zada had chosen him and if he had survived the wrath of her protective brothers, maybe he wasn’t just a playboy they had him pegged to be.

Camille watched their expressions shift and allowed herself a small, satisfied smile.

“See? Now just let the poor kids enjoy their relationship without you two swooping in like storm clouds ready to rain down on them.”

Zayed sighed, rubbing a hand over his face as the weight of the situation sank in.

“I don’t like this,” he muttered, still not fully convinced but knowing there wasn’t much he could do.

Salim, though still tense, sat back down, his hands clenching and unclenching as he struggled to accept the situation.

“Fine,” Salim said grudgingly, “but the second this guy slips up…”

“We will handle it,” Camille said firmly, cutting him off. “But for now, trust your daughter. She has grown up with enough of your overprotective ways. Let her figure this out on her own.”

“To Zada and Liam. May they survive the collective madness of this family.” Basim raised his coffee cup for a toast, still grinning.

Zayed and Salim shot him matching glares, but Basim’s laughter filled the room, lightening the tension that had gripped them moments before. Cami gave Salim a final, pointed look before walking out of the room with Katie trailing behind her.

“I still don’t like it.” Zayed sighed once more, sitting down heavily beside his brothers.

“None of us do,” Salim muttered, but the fire in his voice had dimmed, replaced by a resigned acceptance that there wasn’t much more they could do.

“Maybe we should pay a friendly visit to this guy..”