The princess of bloom

46. Shane Gilbert.

Abdul was on his way back to the office when he got a video call from a foreign number. He clicked his tongue and stopped the car before taking the call. A white haired man sat behind and table in a black coat, hand gloves, and face mask.

"Hi, Mr Abdulmumin Kareem Taj. How are you?" The man asked in a crooked voice.

"I'm good. How are you?" Abdul smiled calmly.

"As usual and I felt so good having someone like you going after me." The man replied casually.

Abdul shrugged. "I'm sure you know what I am going after. Let's not make things complicated shall we?"

"I, Shane Gilbert have been roaming around the glide getting my hands on any worthy deal." He said. "Someone approached me with a pretty good deal and all I had to do was cover up the tracks and get the drawings for free. Heh, they let such good pieces go, so I auctioned them off for a sweet price."

Abdul was filled with surprise but he tried his best to hold it in. What sort of deal did Othman manage to make with Shane that enticed him to make such measures?
"I'm surprised that you are willing to tell me everything so easily," He said with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, you don't want to hear about everything. This is all I can tell you for now and if you want your wife's name to be revealed, we can do that," Shane said.

Abdul pushed back his happiness and asked curiously, "You wouldn't help me that easily right? What do you want in return?"

Shane laughed heartily and sighed. "You are a smart boy. You were wronged and have the upper hand to sue all those involved but you decided to make a deal with me. That's quite a smart move there,"

"You won't let yourself get caught," Abdul smirked. This man had so many connections and going after him will be a disaster. Abdul can't risk anything now.

Shane nodded and kept his chin on his crossed fingers. "I know that KT company is arranging a new deal…." The more Shane spoke, the more he surprised Abdul. How did he know of their inner workings? The number of people who knew of his plan was few.

Shane laughed and said, "I have an offer for you boy."

"I'm not interested in making you part of the deal," Abdul refused with a frown.

"Heh, many want me to invest in their business but you want to thicken up. I am quite interested that's why I asked," Shane shrugged.

"How can I be sure that you won't backstab me later?" Abdul raised an eyebrow. Shane didn't have a good reputation all the time.

"Be rest assured. I'm not as bad as you think," Shane smiled through his eyes. "And it's better cooperating with you than some old man. You're younger and have a better hold of KT "

"What old man?" Abdul inquired astonished.

"If I were you, I would never let my guard down. Don't worry, I will do as I promise. Time's up," Shane added and ended the call.

Abdul dropped his phone and held the steering wheel in contemplation. That old man? Was it Uncle Erkan? This further made him conclude that his uncle was acquainted with Rezan and the case with Gulay was his intention too. And now he tried getting Shane to work with him.

What worried Abdul was Shane's loyalty. Can he even trust that man? His uncle Erkan was also on his neck, trying to harm him at all costs. For now, he knows that the man worked with Rezan before and they are still in contact.

Bringing back Zahra's name and the events that will take place later was still in mystery. Abdul knew he had to put his ace up because all these fell on his shoulders. He drove back to the office and met Yildiz as they arranged their plans again. He made sure only both of them were around as he didn't want his company's secret to be shared anymore. The person he trusted the most was Yildiz and they've been on top of the project.

Later in the night, Abdul and Yildiz watched their plan again before sighing with relief.
"I think this will work," Abdul pointed out.

"In Sha Allah," Yildiz nodded and had a gulp of water. "So have you decided to make Shane Gilbert your partner?"

"Hmm. If we wait for two or three months, we can still pull this through just as we planned from the beginning but with his help, it will be easier and faster," Abdul thought.

"KT will be boosted and if that man is trustworthy, we just work with him now and he leaves after that," Yidliz shrugged.

Abdul rubbed his chin and nodded. "That's what we pray for, and if he double-crosses me, we have plan B now. I still hope it doesn't reach that state."

"Thinking about it Khaleef," Yildiz smiled. "If you can make KT go back to its former glory before the six-month deadline, it will be officially and fully yours without needing your wife's assistance,"

Abdul's eyes shined hearing this. "You mean that, we won't need that stupid contact anymore?"

Yildiz laughed and said seriously, "I know I suggested that contract marriage Khaleef but now, I'm regretting it. Even as your friend, I don't want you to lose Zahra. So I'll support you fully and make sure we achieve our goals with no mistake,"

Abdul shook his head and said, "I don't blame you Yildiz because I was the one who asked for help. I'm not just the CEO of KT company now but also the head of the Kareem Taj family, I can't lose any. I will try my best and put hope in Allah and Sha Allah, we'll succeed."

"In Sha Allah," Yildiz smiled before they wrapped up and left for their respective homes.

Abdul drove back home and despite being relieved of the plans he had now, he still had insecurities. Zahra was being nice to him now but what about when their contract ends? He was the one who put the idea forward and he can still remember how rude he was to her at first. How will her reaction be then? Abdul was scared of her leaving him then and even scared of asking her about it. He loved the atmosphere now and didn't want to ruin it.

He arrived home and met Zahra in the living room in pink pajamas and her hair lying on her shoulders. She was watching cartoons and giggling alone when she heard his Salam.
"Wa alaikumussalam. Welcome Khaleef," She waved her hand without turning back.

"Uhm...thanks," he forced a smile and walked towards her. "I'll go in and freshen up first. Wear something quick, we're going out for a ride," He added and turned around.

"A what now?" Zahra turned to him surprised but he was already on the stairs. A ride? She shrugged and switched off the TV before going upstairs too.

💝 We are getting closer to the climax people.