Storm of Gold and Blood (Chapter Two Jasmine Palace)
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Storm of Gold and Blood
"Between them is a dance on the edge of death.. He sees her as a traitor who sold her heart for power, and she sees him as a homeland she protects with the darkness of her fake identity. Adam El Menshawy came to destroy the 'White Snake', unaware that the poison he fears is the antidote that saves his life."
Five lean years passed over Adam's heart, but they were years of boom and explosion in his wealth and influence. He was no longer that young man wearing faded shirts; he became "Adam El Menshawy", the name that makes businessmen tremble in global stock markets. He built his empire from the wreckage of his heart, driven by only one instinct: revenge. He collected money not out of love for it, but to possess the power that made Laila leave him one day.
In his luxurious office in a towering skyscraper overlooking the city that witnessed his brokenness, Adam was sipping his bitter coffee, his eyes fixed on a black file his private secretary placed in front of him.
"Are you sure?" Adam asked in a resonant voice, with a hoarseness of cruelty.
The secretary answered: "Yes, sir. The woman in the photos is Laila. She is the right hand of 'The Crow', the leader of the largest smuggling mafia in the Middle East. They call her 'The White Snake' for her glamorous beauty and deadly coldness."
Adam opened the file, dropping a photo of Laila getting out of an armored car, wearing black glasses and a dress dripping with luxury, surrounded by heavily armed guards. She wasn't the girl he loved; she was a strange creature, tainted with power and crime. The fire ignited in his chest, and he squeezed the picture until it tore.
"So, palaces and gold weren't enough for you, Laila.. You wanted blood too. Well, I will buy that entire mafia just to see the brokenness of your eyes under my feet."
On the other side of the city, inside a fortified mansion resembling medieval castles, Laila was standing in the central operations room of "The Crow". Digital maps filled the walls, and weapons were scattered like decor pieces.
"The Crow" entered upon her, a sixty-year-old man, with a piercing gaze and a scar slicing his face.
"Laila, a new player has entered the arena. A businessman named Adam El Menshawy started buying the shipping companies we use for smuggling. He is tightening the noose on us, and it seems he is targeting us personally."
Laila's body stiffened for a moment, but her features remained like a solid rock. "Adam?" she whispered in secret, while her heart fluttered a beat that almost killed her. She quickly regained her coldness and said: "I will deal with him, sir. Businessmen think that money protects them, but they forget that bullets are faster than signing checks."
The Crow replied with a malicious smile: "I want you to go to the Yacht Club's annual gala. He will be there. Seduce him, lure him, or kill him if necessary. I don't want anyone in my way."
On the night of the gala, the lights were reflecting on the surface of the water, and classical music filled the luxurious atmosphere. Adam entered the gala, stealing the spotlight with his towering height and formal suit designed to reflect his prestige. He was looking for her with eagle eyes.
Suddenly, silence prevailed in one side of the hall. Laila was stepping through the door with indescribable charm, wearing a crimson silk dress, highlighting her power and overwhelming beauty. All eyes turned to her with awe and fear, for she is not just a beautiful woman, but she is "Death" incarnate.
Adam approached her with steady steps, and the audience watched the meeting of the giants. He stopped right in front of her, separated by a few inches. The scent of her perfume was the same one he adored, but her look was strange, devoid of any memory.
"My beautiful lady.. would you allow this dance to your new rival?" Adam said it in a voice dripping with sarcasm.
Laila looked into his eyes, and despite the storms hitting her soul, she smiled with a provocative coldness: "Mr. Adam El Menshawy.. I heard you have a lot of money, but you lack wisdom. Playing with the big boys might cost you your life, not just your companies."
She put her hand in his, and they began to dance. In those moments, Adam was pressing on her waist with a force suggesting a desire for revenge, while she exchanged looks of defiance with him.
"Why did you return, Laila?" he whispered in her ear bitterly, "Is the money you stole from my dreams no longer enough for you?"
Laila laughed aloud: "Adam, you are still that old romantic boy. The world is not run by love, but by power. I am here because I have power, and you are here because you are still chasing my ghost.. and this is your weakness."
Suddenly, the power went out for seconds, and a screaming sound was heard outside. There was a rival gang trying to eliminate Laila at the gala. At that moment, and with lightning speed, Laila drew a small gun hidden in her leg.
Adam instinctively pushed her behind his back to protect her, but she pushed him hard and stepped forward. In cold blood, she fired three bullets hitting the attackers in their heads with amazing accuracy. Adam stood amazed by her professionalism, and the killer look in her eyes.
She turned to him, wiping a drop of blood that splattered on her cheek: "Don't try playing the hero role, Adam. In my world, I am the one who protects and I am the one who kills. Go collect your money, and leave the weapons to their people."
Laila left, leaving Adam boiling with anger and contempt. He no longer doubted now that she had become an innate criminal, and that his heart which loved her must be buried under the rubble of his pride.
Adam decided that night to set a plan to detain her, not to kill her, but to torture her with the truth he believes: that she sold her honor and soul for power.
As for Laila, as soon as she got into her car and drove out of sight, her strength collapsed. Her hands trembled as she held the steering wheel, and she let out a muffled scream that tore the silence of the night.
"Adam.. forgive me.. if you knew that I am here to protect your homeland and protect you from these monsters, you wouldn't have looked at me that way."
She wiped her tears quickly when she saw a light blinking from a hidden wireless device in the car's dashboard.
The commanding officer's voice: "Captain Laila, has contact with the target been established?"
She answered with an iron voice: "Yes, sir. The operation is proceeding as planned. Adam El Menshawy has entered the game, and I will use him as a cover to reach the major weapons shipment.. even if it costs me him seeing me as a devil forever."