Tainted Souls

Chapter 11

Alia 

My eyes widened when I noticed the Eiffel Tower through the aircraft window, and then I turned to Leonardo, sitting across from me. 

"You must be kidding me," I covered my mouth, staring at him in astonishment. 

When Leonardo said he wanted to take me out for dinner, I didn't expect it would be to Paris. We took a chopper from Lauterbrunnen to Zurich and boarded his company aircraft. I protested, but Leonardo didn't listen. 

"Women love Paris," Leonardo shrugged. 

Of course, I loved Paris. It was my favorite go-to destination for a vacation. The only place I loved, and I didn't go with Taimur. I took several shopping trips to Paris after our marriage, but for some reason, Taimur couldn't join me. 

"I am not dressed to dine in Paris," I looked at my simple skirt and blouse. 

"You look gorgeous," Leonardo gave me a once over, making my toe curl. 

"Leonardo, I can't walk into a restaurant wearing this." 

"You can walk in naked, and no one will bat an eye," he smirked.

"I have no desire to get arrested," I gave him a pointed look. 

"Darling, no one will dare report you when I own the place," Leonardo smirked. 

It was useless arguing with him. The man had a comeback for everything. Still, I couldn't like him less. Leonardo filled my monotonous life with excitement. He made me feel alive for the first time in years. 

I looked forward to spending time with him; he was good company. Leonardo didn't mind listening to my blabbering about medical science. He never stopped me when I narrated to him the new advancement in the field of ophthalmology. 

When I stepped into my room after a long shower, I found a white evening dress on the bed and a pair of diamond earrings. I stepped forward and brushed my hand over the soft material of the dress, then lifted it. The dress was light as air, the fabric was delicate and flowy, and adorned with the finest lace on the bodice. 

I stared at my reflection in the mirror for a long time; after I was ready and I couldn't recognize myself. I didn't only look beautiful—I felt beautiful. It always takes a man to make a woman feel desired, and Leonardo's every action portrayed how much he valued and wanted me. 

A knock sounded on the door, and I stepped away from the dresser and strode to the door. Leonardo's eyes raked over my body in admiration. My cheeks heated, noticing the need in his obsidian orbs. 

"You are beautiful," he stated in a raw voice. 

"Thank you," I accepted the hand he held for me, and Leonardo drew me against him.

He placed a soft kiss on my lips, then pulled away. I watched him in a daze, with my lips tingling from his kiss. His strong male scent made my mind dizzy, and I followed him out of the suite and to the car in a trance. 

The Jules Verne restaurant was deserted when we entered it. I looked around in astonishment. I had dined at the restaurant before, and it was always booked to its total capacity. 

"I booked the whole restaurant so we could have privacy," Leonardo informed, reading my expression. 

"How long did you plan this?" I knew one needed to make reservations at Jules Verne weeks in advance. Sometimes the waiting time was months long. 

"Just last night," Leonardo smirked. 

I knew Leonardo was an influential man. I didn't have the impression of how influential he was. If he could book the whole restaurant only a day prior spoke volumes. 

Leonardo led me to a table along the window overlooking Paris and pulled out a chair for me. The waiter started serving the moment we settled. 

"Everything is halal," Leonardo said when he saw me eyeing the entré before me skeptically. 

"Thank you," I thanked him for his consideration. 

"You are mine, Alia, and I take care of what's mine," he smiled. 

My insides melted at the possessiveness of his tone. Leonardo looked at me as if I was the most precious thing to him in the world. He made me feel special, and I couldn't ever repay him for making me realize my worth again. 

The dinner consisted of seven courses, and by the time we finished, I was stuffed to the throat. Leonardo then took me to the summit of the Eiffel Tower. We stayed there for an hour and then returned to the ground. 

"Tired?" Leonardo inquired while we headed to the car. 

"A little," I replied honestly. 

"One last stop before we head back to the hotel," Leonardo tucked a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.

"You can't be serious," I said when I saw Leonardo pull a padlock from his pocket. 

We were at the famous Pon des Arts bridge in Paris. The love lock bridge. Where lovers attached personalized padlocks to its railing and threw the key into the river Seine, it symbolized love locked forever. 

"You fear I won't be able to love you because I was in love with my wife. I want to attach this lock to the railing as a promise always to love and cherish you. I will never stop loving you, Alia, not in this life. Let this bridge that is a symbol of love to countless people be a witness to our love locked forever," Leonardo held my hand in his and placed a gentle kiss on its back. 

Tears welled in my eyes, blurring my vision of Leonardo. 

"Will you make a promise to love me forever, Alia?"  

"Yes," I said, "I will love you forever, Leonardo," there was no hesitation in my voice. 

At that moment, I knew that I had found my soulmate. Leonardo would love me how I longed to be loved my whole life. The reason I left everything behind was that I wanted someone to love me with all their heart and prioritize me over everything in their life. Leonardo was that man, and he had proved it with his actions and not just words. 

Leonardo and I attached the padlock with our initials to the railing and then threw the key into the river Seine. We roamed the streets of Paris until late at night and only returned to the hotel when my legs refused to walk further. 

"Thanks for the most beautiful night of my life," Leonardo lifted my hand to his mouth and placed a kiss. 

"The pleasure was all mine," I said, opening the door to my room. 

Leonardo dropped my hand but stayed at the door until I stepped inside and shut the door behind me. Staring at the empty bed in my room, I was half tempted to invite him inside but stopped myself. I was still married to Taimur and didn't want to commit adultery while in his Nikaah. 

I had my whole life to spend with Leonardo, but first, I needed to think of a way to get a divorce from Taimur Al Jahaan. The thought of seeing Taimur again tightened my chest. The pain wasn't as intense as it had been before Leonardo, but it was still there. I couldn't forget what Taimur did to me, but I could understand he did it under the influence of love. He loved Eva, and he was lucky that she loved him back. The only problem was that I lost everything, including my sons, in his madness to have Eva in his life—I would never forgive Taimur for it. 

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