Chapter 17

The silence that followed the automated voice message lasted only a heartbeat before Khalid Saab's laughter shattered it. He doubled over, clutching his stomach as he pointed a trembling finger at Tariq. "This is hilarious! Truly, the joke of the century!" Khalid gasped for air, his eyes watering from the sheer absurdity. "The 'New CEO' calls his secretary, and the number is out of service? Tariq, if you're going to hire a voice actor to pretend to be a corporate assistant, at least pay for a working SIM card. You've outdone yourself in making a fool of this entire room." Rami Al-Farsi didn't wait for Tariq to respond. He lunged forward, snatching the phone from Tariq's grip. With a snarl of pure disgust, he slammed the device onto the marble floor. The screen shattered into a spiderweb of glass, but Rami wasn't finished; he raised his polished leather shoe and stomped on the remains until the plastic casing cracked and the internal electronics were crushed into the grout. "You pathetic piece of trash!" Rami yelled, his face turning a dark shade of crimson. "How dare you stand in our grandfather's hall and spout these delusional lies? You are a stain on the Al-Farsi name. Every word out of your mouth is a fresh insult to our intelligence!" Behind Rami, the rest of the Farsi family erupted. The cousins and aunts who had been watching the spectacle began to hurl insults with practiced ease. "Look at him, standing there like he actually believes his own nonsense," one cousin sneered. "He's mentally ill," an aunt whispered loudly. "To think we've shared a table with this beggar for years. He's a parasite who has finally lost his mind." Tariq stared at the ruins of his phone, his expression frozen. A flicker of genuine confusion crossed his mind. Nadia Hale had been his most trusted subordinate during his previous tenure with the Mansours. She had personally handled his transition back into the role of CEO. Why would her contact number be disconnected now, of all times? She hadn't mentioned a change in service. The timing was more than just a coincidence; it was a calculated disaster. Before he could process the implications, a sharp crack echoed through the hall. Lina Haddad's hand moved with the speed of a whip. The slap landed squarely on Tariq's cheek, the force of it snapping his head to the side. Her chest heaved with fury as she stood over him, her eyes burning with a cold, sharp hatred. "Do you have any shame left?" Lina hissed, her voice trembling with the weight of her humiliation. "You've turned my daughter into a laughingstock. You've turned this entire family into a circus in front of a guest as prestigious as Khalid. You are a disgusting, low-life liar. Get out of this house! Get out before I have the servants drag you into the street like the stray dog you are!" Layla Al-Farsi stepped forward, her hand reaching out as if to block her mother, but she stopped short. Her eyes were wide, filled with a mixture of pity and frantic worry. She looked at the red mark blossoming on Tariq's face and then at the mocking smiles of her relatives. "Tariq, stop it. Please," Layla whispered, her voice low enough only for him to hear. She leaned closer, her breath hitching. "I haven't agreed to the divorce. I haven't signed anything. But you're making it impossible for me to help you. Look at them! They're going to hurt you if you keep this up." She gripped his sleeve, her fingers trembling. "Just apologize to Khalid. Tell him you were joking. If you lower your head now and admit you lied, maybe Grandfather will let this go. Please, before it gets worse." Tariq looked at her, his eyes calm despite the stinging on his face. He didn't move to apologize. Khalid, sensing the tide was fully in his favor, turned toward Kamal Al-Farsi. The patriarch sat at the head of the table, his knuckles white as he gripped the arms of his chair. "Grandfather Kamal," Khalid said, his voice dropping into a tone of chilling professional concern. "I brought the investment proposal from Mansour Corporation today out of respect for Layla and your family. But I must be honest. If this... individual... remains associated with the Al-Farsi name, my superiors will hear of it. Mansour Corporation does not do business with families who harbor delusional lunatics who impersonate our leadership." Khalid stepped closer to the old man, his shadow falling over the table. "If Tariq stays, the funding disappears. Not only that, but I will make sure the industry knows why. You won't just lose the investment; you'll face bankruptcy within the quarter. For the sake of the Farsi legacy, you must kick him out now." Kamal Al-Farsi's eyes narrowed as he looked from Khalid to the silent, defiant figure of Tariq. ════════════════════════════════════════