When Faiza was brought before Al Nadeem, she appeared dazed, her eyes vacant, uttering words that nobody else could understand.
Yes, she had gone mad, truly mad. To prevent her from saying anything she shouldn't, on the way there, Dawud had his men drug her. For now, this was the best course of action. At least she could live in her own world, carefree.
"Your Highness, I've come to beg for forgiveness," Dawud said, his voice filled with sorrow as he stood before Al Nadeem.
Because of Faiza, Al Nadeem had never held Dawud in high regard. But when he saw Faiza, looking as though she had gone mad, he was taken aback.
"What happened to her?" Al Nadeem asked.
"Faiza masterminded the crash of the plane, blinded by jealousy," Dawud explained, trying to portray Faiza's madness as a result of a guilty conscience, hoping to justify her actions.
Al Nadeem's eyes widened, "What are you saying? You mean this crash was not an accident, but her doing?"
Dawud hung his head in shame. "Yes, I only just found out. My daughter is responsible for the accident. She loved you so much and was so jealous of Miss Moran, who could naturally be close to you, that she tampered with the plane's crew."
Prince Al Nadeem didn't hear everything he said as his eyes, now reddened with anger, were fixed firmly on the babbling and drooling Faiza. He didn't care whether she was truly insane or faking it. All he knew was that this malicious woman had dared to harm the person he was pursuing!
As for other royal family members who stood behind him, they had already guessed the truth. They thought it was too coincidental that they had just rescued someone, and now they had a culprit who had gone insane. Nevertheless, they were willing to accept this version of events because it was beneficial to them to have a perpetrator to hand over, whether she was genuinely insane or not.
Prince Al Nadeem hadn't become as smooth-talking as the others. All he knew was that the woman he had deep feelings for had almost died at the hands of this wicked woman due to jealousy. The thought of Laila, who was so beautiful, talented, and pure in his eyes, almost returning to the embrace of God because of the jealousy of this vile woman, made him wish to kill Faiza right then and there.
Dawud solemnly said, "It's all my fault; I've spoiled Faiza for so many years. If I had discovered it earlier and kept her away from those who influenced her negatively, this wouldn't have happened. It's all my fault."
In front of everyone, he was a pitiable father who had lost his beloved daughter. Who could blame such a grief-stricken old man?
Even Al Nadeem, when faced with Dawud's sorrowful demeanor, couldn't find the words to say. He knew how indulged Faiza had been, enjoying luxuries and privileges that sometimes exceeded even those of the legitimate prince. If it weren't for genuine love, how could she live such a princess-like life?
"Never mind," he waved his hand in disappointment. "I don't want to deal with this anymore. We'll see how the Moran family handles this when they arrive. This matter can't be brought into the public eye. Life or death, it's up to Lord Oswald to decide. I won't interfere."
Dawud, observing the dejected prince and the expressions of the royal family members around him, knew he had played his cards right, and the response was exactly what he had hoped for. Everyone would prefer a scapegoat in this situation, and whether or not Faiza was truly mad, didn't matter. Now he could only watch how the Oswald family, the Morans, and the royal family would handle this situation.
What happened afterward, Laila was not entirely sure. She woke up in her New York home, and her first sight was her mother, Janet, who was crying. Janet's tears shook her to the core, making her think she had died again. After calming her mother down, she was subjected to the condolences and reprimands of her family.
Once she had a moment to catch her breath, Roy was the only one left sitting at the foot of her bed, silent and still.
"Hi," Laila finally said after feeling uncomfortable in the room's oppressive silence.
She felt that something had changed in Roy. He seemed more profound and exuded a different aura. But she couldn't quite put her finger on it, though she knew she didn't dislike the change. Perhaps the recent events had left a profound impact on him. She had been extremely ill at the time, and she didn't know what he had experienced.
"Hello," Roy replied, finally breaking his long silence. He moved closer to Laila, embracing her tightly, almost as if he were afraid she would slip away. The thought of seeing her in a near-death state in the desert, her fevered body burning up and unconscious, haunted him, and he found it hard to breathe.
"Don't get sick again. Don't scare me like that," he said in a low, pleading tone, his voice tinged with worry.
In situations like these, most girls would respond with tenderness, promising their love and care. However, Laila had always been emotionally challenged, and even in such a moment, she said something that left Roy flabbergasted.
"Sorry, but I can't control getting sick. People need to eat grains, how can they avoid getting sick?" She was genuinely torn, wanting to promise him but feeling unable to do so.
Don't assume that while she was unconscious, she had no awareness. She had her moments of clarity, even when she couldn't open her eyes, her fever had burned her skin to a crimson hue. She was awake when he was fumbling around her body looking for the GPS, but she was just too sick to open her eyes. So the blush on her face at that time really couldn't be entirely attributed to the high fever, Mr. Roy's hands were the culprit.
However, thinking about that sensation was not advisable. With Roy so close by, looking handsome enough to be a feast, she could ill afford to think about such things.
Roy burst into laughter at her response, rubbing her head affectionately. "Well, try to get better as soon as possible. Your fans are waiting for you to come back."
Laila was undeniably cheeky, ordering him to fetch her notebook without any hesitation. After all, the sickest person should receive the most care, right?
When she got online, Laila first checked the news on the NBC website to find out about what had happened. While she was sleeping, the outside world had been quite tumultuous.
Her near-death experience, however, had been a complete blur for her, as she had been unconscious and then suddenly found herself back at home. The sedative that caused her to sleep during the plane crash and the high fever that followed kept her oblivious to what had happened.
When she saw the GPS term on her screen, she began to feel a rush of heat and tingling in her cheeks, as if his fingers were once again sliding across her skin, sending electric shocks through her body. She had to shake her head to stop those thoughts from progressing, for she was sitting next to the handsome young man by her side would be in jeopardy.