His Revenge

➺Chapter Thirteen

Author's Note: Children! I have decided. Barbara Palvin is my Aaida! She even has blue eyes like my baby! Thank goodness I found someone.

Oh and hold on tight my darlings! The ride is about to go through a sharp turn! Lots of action in this one!

➺Thirteen

Aaida nodded at the waitress. "Thank you."

She stood up and walked towards the exit. A sense of foreboding filled her and she felt a shiver run down her spine. She felt as if someone was watching her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose. She whirled on her heels, her eyes searching through the throngs of lavishly-dressed guests.

Her gaze landed on an old man watching her intently.

Aaida's eyes widened a fraction.

The man with white hair and a fine black beard held an expression of keen interest on his face. He was dressed in a black tuxedo with a black bowtie at his neck. Something about him seemed so familiar. And for the life of her, Aaida couldn't understand why he was peering at her so.

As if snapping out of a trance, the man stiffened, blinked twice and looked away.

'Strange,' Aaida thought. 'Perhaps he recognized me from somewhere.'

With that conclusion drawn up, she rushed off to meet her husband.

Aaida found the suite easily. It was located near the top of the hotel and a maid was kind enough to point her towards it. Aaida thanked her and skipped through the rooms to find the one Zaeem had told her about. She wondered what he wanted to discuss. Perhaps he had tired of the party and wished to take rest in the suite. He had probably called her to inform her not to look around for him. Whatever it was, she would find out in a few moments.

'4-1-9-9,' Aaida read off its plaque. She raised her hand and knocked on the door gently. Much to her surprise, she found that it was open. Pushing it a bit more, she saw that the room was empty. Zaeem hadn't arrived yet. Aaida walked inside and closed the door behind her. She removed her veil and loosened her scarf to relax a bit. Even though she was used to wearing it and had learned to both breathe and eat in it, sometimes it did get a little suffocating. Especially when she had to do it up in such heavy cloth.

The suite was very nicely made. It had a four-poster bed and a beautiful view of the city from floor-to-ceiling windows. There was a wardrobe for clothes and a second door leading to the en suite washroom. It was simple yet perfect in its own way. Aaida wouldn't mind spending the night here. Everything about the suite looked soothing and comfortable.

Aaida walked over to the bed and sat down, releasing a small sigh. So much time had passed since she had been in complete solitude. Her life had once been boring and bleak, spending hours upon hours alone. She didn't attend parties or gatherings like her mother and Aliya had forbidden her from making friends that weren't in the same class as them. Mama Susie had been her only friend growing up and even she had so much to do around the house that she barely found time to spend with Aaida.

And now.

Now she was a wife. An unwanted one. With a husband who struggled to let go of the past. She knew Zaeem had already asked forgiveness and was trying to move forward. But there was still so much resentment in him. It wouldn't take a day for him to accept her and Aaida was slowly growing exhausted. She was tired of their everyday fights and his distances. She was tired of trying. Mama Susie had told her that to win his heart she would have to be strong but she was losing her strength. Sometimes she felt as if she was drifting through her life like a ghost.