The moment Lina's car pulled away, the weight of the night finally settled on Nadia's shoulders. The alcohol had dulled her edges, but the sight of Mama's soft gaze and Ayla's worried expression cut through the haze like a blade. Baba stood rigid at the center of the foyer, his jaw tight, arms crossed, a storm brewing behind his sharp eyes.
The room was quiet—too quiet. The grand estate, usually filled with warmth, now felt cold. The sound of the front doors shutting behind her echoed like a gavel striking down judgment.
She waved off a worried Lina promise she'll be fine as she drived off, she turned to back to her family
"Nadia," Baba's voice was calm. Too calm. "Inside. Now."
Mama and Ayla followed as she stepped into the living room. A tense silence settled, stretching the moment unbearably.
"You disobeyed me," Baba finally said, his voice heavy with restrained anger. "I gave one order—one—and you went against it. Do you have any idea what could have happened to you tonight?"
Nadia swallowed, but the lump in her throat didn't budge. "I just needed to clear my head—"
"No." His voice was sharp, slicing through the excuse like a knife. "You needed to be protected. And instead, you let yourself be vulnerable in a public space where anyone could take advantage of you. You put yourself at risk."
His jaw tightened. "You defied me."
"She's not a prisoner, Zafir."
"She's a target." His voice was sharper now, laced with barely restrained frustration. "You think I enjoy being strict with her? You think I don't want her to be free? But until this scandal is under control, I need her safe—not drinking in some club where anyone could have taken advantage of her."
She stepped forward, her hands reaching for his, but he pulled away, raking a hand through his hair.
His wife's expression softened. "I know you're afraid, habibi. But she is not a child. You cannot shield her from the world forever."
His breath came out slow, measured. "I can try. Isla"
Nadia watched, silent, as her parents faced off—not as adversaries, but as two people trying to protect the same person in different ways.
Her mother, ever the voice of warmth and wisdom, had chosen to let her breathe.
Her father, ruled by logic and love so fierce it turned into control, had chosen to lock every door that could lead to harm.
And tonight, those two instincts had collided.
Isla stepped closer again, and this time, when she touched his face, Zafir didn't pull away. He exhaled harshly, closing his eyes for a brief moment as her fingers brushed against his cheek.
It was a sight Nadia had seen many times—her mother, soothing the fire in her father's chest with nothing but a touch.
"I won't apologize for keeping her safe," he muttered.
"And I won't apologize for letting her breathe," Ayla countered. "But I am sorry for defying you."
That was the thing about their mother—she could disarm a man like Zafir Al-Fayed without ever raising her voice.
He sighed again, heavier this time, his fingers finally curling around hers.
Nadia looked away, feeling like an intruder in an intimate moment, if Ayla wasn't also feeling guilty for being an accomplice in letting Nadia leave to, she'd have probably dropped a sarcastic comment, something along the lines if "ewww old people flirting".
Isla cleared her throat. "I promise, she was never in danger."
Zafir's gaze flickered to Nadia then, scanning her like a father assessing damage on something infinitely precious, his daughter.
He sighed. "Go to bed, Nadia, Ayla."
There was no more anger in his tone—just exhaustion.
She hesitated. "Baba, I—"
"Go."
She swallowed hard, nodded, and turned toward the grand staircase.
As she climbed, she caught one last glimpse of her parents—her mother still holding her father's face, her father finally allowing himself to lean into her warmth.
And beneath all that frustration and control…
There was love.
Deep. Unshakable.
The kind of love that could start wars and end them.
Nadia swallowed the lump in her throat and disappeared into the halls.
Tonight, she had broken his trust.
Tomorrow, she would have to find a way to earn it back, at least before he made a stupid decision and claim it on her being irresponsible therefore forcing his hand to make the decision to "protect" her.