Chapter 6 LaíS Carter

• Laís Carter
• I was sitting on a bench watching Henrique get knocked down by Petter again in less than five minutes. My thoughts were on the mess my brother Mahjub caused, with Hope.
• I know that for my parents, the shame they are feeling right now is the worst, but if they support my brother, all of this will soon become just a chapter in this story, and something tells me we need to dip our toes in to solve this situation.
• My mother always said I needed to be a strategist, like she always was. Over the years, I came to see the same vision my grandfather Salim had when he imagined Mahjub with Mattia’s daughter.
• I got up from the bench and left my husband there getting beaten by his advisor, and went to find Leon, who should have been watching something with Ella. This is our kids’ vacation month.
• That’s how I managed to convince Amélie to let them get to know each other better. I passed by the TV room and saw the four of them sitting there watching a cartoon on streaming. I picked up the phone that was on the couch next to them.
• “Mommy, Grandpa Hassan called and asked you to call him back later,” Leon said and went back to eating popcorn with Ella by his side.
• I approached and kissed his forehead. My parents will have to forgive me, but I’m going to get involved just a little bit in this situation.
• Those two deserve to be happy, and my brother needs to learn how to treat his wife.
• With my thoughts swirling in a whirlwind, I called the one person I thought might think twice before answering. I found Alessa's contact and dialed.
• I walked towards the office to have a private conversation with her, and on the fifth attempt, she answered.
• “You're going to keep calling, aren't you?” she asked after sighing.
• “Of course not!” I said, laughing. “I was going to take the jet and fly to the capital, it's only an hour-long flight.”
• I heard her laugh and say she'd call back soon. She must be at the hospital at this time of day, since it's just after noon. I walked around the desk and sat in Henrique's chair, like the head of the American mafia.
• “How is she, Alessa?” I asked, worried.
• After all, Hope is only sixteen years old. She grew up hearing from everyone that my brother would treat her like a queen, that he would always take care of her, just like she sees her father adore her mother.
• “She’s very hurt, she loves him and is determined to go to Moscow!” she exclaimed.
• I turned the chair and kept my eyes on the clearing that was beginning to bloom with flowers for the approaching spring.
• “Alessa, I'm thinking of teaching my brother a lesson and giving Hope a devoted man, just like my husband and my parents,” I said, hearing a thud on the other end of the line.
• “Laís, I promised my daughter that I wouldn’t insist on this matter anymore. She’s hurt by the whole situation. What do you expect me to do?”
• “Let her go to Moscow, let her enjoy her youth, of course, with responsibility,” I said as the idea took shape in my mind.
• “We’ve already allowed her to go. Hope is moving next week; she’ll become a student at the Bolshoi,” she replied, and I was happy to hear it.
• This will be great. When my brother sees Hope maturing little by little, especially far from his eyes, he will realize that she is the perfect woman to be his wife.
• “I will make my brother redeem himself and see that your daughter is the woman who will be his sheikha,” I said confidently, with a plan beginning to form.
• “Your parents aren’t supporting you!” Alessa exclaimed.
• “They don’t know what I’m planning, so I need you to keep this quiet,” I requested.
• I knew that if my parents found out, they would stop me from helping my reckless brother, who should be taking care of the girl meant to be his fiancée in two years.
• I heard her laugh. Over the years, we managed to build a good friendship, probably because we were close in age and because I helped her when she needed it most.
• “I love you and your kids, but remember, I will kill your brother if he does anything to make things worse for Hope. She didn’t deserve to see him practically screwing around at the club,” she said, making me laugh.
• The closeness of Alessa and Giulia to our family had made her as fierce as Helena and me. I love it when they come to New York; I let her train with some of our soldiers. Knowing a little bit of everything never hurts.
• “Don’t worry, I’ll still help you,” I said, laughing, and she joined in. “Alessa, we need to talk about what I’m planning, but not over the phone. I’ll be there in two hours at most. Can we meet at the conference?”
• We needed Mattia’s support because if my parents found out, they would influence my grandfather Salim, and he would persuade Mattia to oppose it since he respects Salim like a father.
• “That works. I’ll let Mattia know!” she said.
• We ended our call, and I practically ran out of the office, already informing them that I needed the jet and that it would be a quick round trip. I needed to discuss this with them in person.
• I went up to my room, took a shower just to freshen up, and decided to wear a dark tailored suit. I chose a watch and left my hair down.
• “Laís?” I heard Henrique’s voice.
• I finished getting ready and called him to the closet. I looked towards the entrance and watched my husband, who was starting to show some gray hairs, making him even more charming. He walked into the room with his shirt wet from his workout. I approached and kissed his lips, seeing his eyebrows furrowed with curiosity.
• “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, taking off his shirt.
• “To the capital,” I said, quickly adding, “I’ll be back to sleep by your side.”
• He stopped in the middle of the closet, started taking off his pants, and looked at me worriedly. Henrique didn’t like having my three fathers talking in his ear. He said each visit from them was enough for a headache that lasted a semester.
• “Laís, whatever you’re planning, your parents won’t like it.” I rolled my eyes, approached my husband, and kissed him again.
• “Just like they were furious when we faked my kidnapping?” I asked, walking past him and giving his butt a smack.
• I heard his laughter as I left our room. At this moment, my parents really couldn’t know what I was up to, not even Mahjub, since he needed to suffer and learn to appreciate the oil princess he would have in his hands.