— “I don’t think you’ve lost it. If you had, you wouldn’t have walked into that gallery. Sometimes we just need a reminder to take the first step back toward ourselves.”
Zaid, who had spent years looking for someone who understood him beyond his net worth, found in Anna a woman who was genuine, intelligent, and grounded. Over the next few weeks, they were inseparable. They walked the lakefront, shared long dinners, and spoke about dreams that had nothing to do with business.
A month into their whirlwind romance, during a walk along the Chicago River, Zaid stopped and looked at Anna with an intensity that made her heart race.
— “Anna, I… I want you to be my wife.”
Anna was stunned. She cared for him deeply, but the speed of it all was overwhelming.
— “Zaid,” she said, taking his hand. “I need a little time. This is all moving so fast, and I want to make sure we’re building something that lasts.”
Zaid nodded, respecting her boundaries. He didn’t push.
— “I understand,” he said. “I’ll wait for as long as you need.”
Zaid returned to the UAE shortly after, but they spoke every day. They shared their lives through video calls and long messages, bridging the thousands of miles with words and laughter. The distance only seemed to make Anna more certain.
A month later, Zaid returned to Chicago. Over dinner, he asked her again.
— “Anna, my feelings haven’t changed. You are the only person I want to build a future with. Will you marry me?”
Anna didn’t hesitate this time. She smiled, her heart full.
— “Yes,” she said. “I will.”
The wedding was planned quickly. Zaid arranged a stunning ceremony at his estate in the Emirates, a level of luxury Anna had only seen in magazines. It felt like a dream—the custom designer gown, the family diamonds, the breathtaking scenery.
The wedding day was spectacular, but there was an underlying tension Anna couldn’t quite place. Zaid had chosen a magnificent palace he’d recently acquired for the occasion, surrounded by lush gardens and fountains that seemed to defy the desert heat.
The morning of the wedding, the palace was filled with the scent of thousands of white roses. The ceremony took place at sunset, the marble walls glowing gold in the fading light. Anna looked radiant in her silk gown, feeling as though she had finally found the stability and love she had always wanted.
Zaid waited for her at the altar, his eyes fixed on her. To Anna, it felt like the start of a beautiful new chapter with a man who truly respected her.
However, beneath the surface of the celebration, Anna noticed something was off. Zaid was his usual attentive self, but there was a shadow of fatigue in his eyes. During the vows, his hands felt unusually cold, and he seemed slightly distant. Anna brushed it off as nerves or the exhaustion of planning such a massive event. She didn’t want to ruin the moment by worrying.
The reception was a fairy tale of lights and music. Anna and Zaid moved through the crowd, but Zaid remained unusually quiet. He was polite to the guests but kept his responses brief. Anna, thinking he just needed some air, encouraged him to take a moment to himself.
Later, as the evening wound down, Zaid suggested they head to their private suite early. “It’s been a long day,” he whispered. Anna agreed. They retreated to their rooms, which offered a panoramic view of the city lights.
The room was quiet, but the air felt heavy. Instead of the excitement of a wedding night, there was a strange tension. Zaid sat on the edge of the bed, head in his hands. When Anna approached him, he gave her a weak smile.
— “I’m fine, just exhausted,” he said.
His face looked pale under the soft lighting, more haggard than she had ever seen him.
Anna suggested calling the house doctor, but he waved her off.
— “Don’t worry anyone,” he insisted. “I just need sleep. Tomorrow will be better.”
Anna was uneasy but tried to let him rest. She drifted into a light sleep, only to be startled awake by a sound in the middle of the night. Zaid wasn’t in bed. Panic flared in her chest as she hurried into the hallway, hearing heavy, labored breathing coming from the bathroom.
She found him leaning over the marble vanity, his face deathly pale, beads of sweat on his forehead. He was gasping for air, gripping the edge of the counter so hard his knuckles were white.
— “Zaid!” Anna cried, rushing to his side. “What’s happening? Talk to me.”
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