Chapter 22

The heavy glass doors of Al-Nujoom Club swung open, revealing an interior that redefined the standards of luxury in Al-Wadi. Crystal chandeliers dripped from gilded ceilings, casting a shimmering light over velvet-upholstered lounges and polished marble floors. The air was thick with the scent of expensive cigars and imported perfumes, a sensory testament to the wealth that flowed through these halls. Tariq Murad stepped onto the plush carpet, his eyes scanning the opulent surroundings with a clinical coldness. Beside him, Lina Quinn walked with a rigid posture, her presence a sharp contrast to the hedonistic atmosphere. A woman moved toward them, her heels clicking rhythmically against the stone accents of the floor. Nadia Vaughn, the club's manager, adjusted the strap of her form-fitting dress, a predatory smile playing on her lips. She stopped a few paces away, her gaze lingering on Lina with visible disdain. "Hey, Lina Quinn, what brings you here today?" Nadia's voice was a melodious purr, dripping with a vampish mockery that didn't reach her eyes. Lina didn't return the smile. Her expression remained a mask of professional ice. "Nadia Vaughn, enough with the nonsense. Where is Rana Ghazi?" Nadia let out a soft, theatrical laugh, tossing her hair over her shoulder. She looked around the lobby as if searching for a ghost. "Lina Quinn, you must be joking with me. There isn't any Rana Ghazi on my premises. Only men come here, not women. What's more, isn't it a little inappropriate for Lina Quinn to just barge in like this?" She tilted her head, her eyes flashing with a coy contempt. "You should know the rules of Al-Nujoom better than anyone." Tariq stepped forward, cutting through the space between the two women. The luxury of the club meant nothing to him; the golden fixtures were merely obstacles in his path to his wife. His gaze locked onto Nadia's, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous register. "I'll only ask once," Tariq said, the temperature in the room seeming to plummet. "Where is she?" Nadia blinked, momentarily taken aback by the intensity in the man's eyes, before her face twisted into a sneer. She turned back to Lina, gesturing toward Tariq with a manicured hand. "Wow, Lina Quinn, isn't this little boy toy of yours too ignorant? Is there any place for him to speak up here? You really should train your pets better before bringing them into a place like this." The sound of the slap echoed through the marble lobby like a gunshot. Nadia's head snapped to the side, her cheek blooming with a violent shade of red. She stumbled back, clutching her face, her eyes wide with shock and burgeoning rage. The silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the distant thrum of music from the inner lounges. "Ann Lina Quinn! How dare you slap me?" Nadia screamed, her melodious voice replaced by a jagged screech. "You're only Mazen Al-Ghamdi's dog, what right do you have to lay a hand on me? Don't you have any respect for our Al-Nujoom Club? Do you have any idea whose territory you are standing on?" Lina Quinn straightened her sleeve, her face devoid of regret. "That's right," she said, her voice an indifferent blade. She didn't look at Nadia, her attention remaining fixed on the path ahead. Tariq's patience had evaporated. He didn't care about the politics between Mazen Al-Ghamdi and Malik Barakat, nor did he care about the sanctity of the club. The thought of Rana being held in this den of vice sent a surge of cold fury through his veins. He stepped into Nadia's personal space, his shadow looming over her. "I don't care what you think this place is or who supports you in the dark," Tariq hissed, his words sharp enough to draw blood. "I'm warning you, don't provoke me or I'll flatten this whole place! Spill! Which room is Rana Ghazi in?" Nadia stared up at him, a hysterical laugh bubbling in her throat despite the stinging pain in her cheek. She looked at Lina, then back at Tariq, shaking her head. "Lina Quinn, this boy toy of yours sounds more arrogant than you. Flatten my club? No one has dared to say something like that in a long time. You're the first. Do you even know who Malik Barakat is? Do you know who backs him?" Lina stepped up beside Tariq, her gaze fixed on Nadia with a look of genuine pity. "Nadia Vaughn, I don't want to waste time with you. Lead the way now. Even a second's delay is not something you can afford to compensate for! You are playing with a fire that will consume you before you can even scream." Nadia's expression hardened, the mock fear vanishing. She stood tall, drawing on the perceived power of the walls around her. "Are you trying to scare me, Lina Quinn? Don't think that just because you're under Mazen Al-Ghamdi that I would be afraid of you. I'm telling you, the guest at Al-Nujoom Club today is not someone you can provoke. Even if Mazen Al-Ghamdi himself is here today, he would have to play by the rules! And you two want to take that woman away? Dream on!" She leaned in closer, a smug, venomous grin spreading across her lips. "Heh! I'll be honest with you Lina Quinn, the guest inside is a big-shot from Madinat Al-Dhahab. As for that Rana Ghazi, she sure is a great beauty, very enticing. It's her honor to be able to serve that guest. Perhaps, by now she's already..." Nadia let the sentence hang, her implication clear and filthy. Tariq's aura shifted. The air around him seemed to vibrate with a suppressed, lethal force. He didn't wait for her to finish her taunt. His hand shot out, not to strike, but to point toward the interior of the club, his fingers steady and terrifying. "Don't challenge my patience," Tariq said, his voice ice-cold, carrying the weight of a death sentence. "Take me there now or I'll make sure you live the rest of your life in pain and regret!" Nadia felt a shiver run down her spine that had nothing to do with the air conditioning. For the first time, she looked at the man before her and didn't see a "boy toy." She saw a predator whose patience had reached its absolute end. She glanced at the security guards beginning to gather at the edge of the lobby, then back at Tariq's unwavering eyes. The silence stretched thin, a wire pulled to the breaking point. ════════════════════════════════════════