The streets of Miami, Florida were always the busiest during the summer. The city is home to some of the wildest parties, best beaches and businesses in the United States.
At the heart of Brickell, the city's central business district stood the tallest among all skyscrapers, FZ enterprises. Founded by none other than the mysterious Arabian, Faiz Malik. Many rumours surrounded his name, no one knew anything about him for he was beyond private. His wealth and success made headlines over the years as his business broke records across the world. He was especially known for his compassionate and charitable nature which made him the ideal man every woman in the city desired.
At the penthouse located at the very top of FZ enterprises, Faiz's lean but fit figure sat leisurely on his black leather chair, his feet perched atop his glass desk as he listened to his little sister's rant.
"Honestly, Faiz! You can't begin to imagine how horrific the man was!" Came Samira's familiar shrill voice. Faiz found it funny, no matter how many miles apart they were, Samira would always find a way to complain and rant about her entire day to him. It didn't matter to her whether he was busy or not, she was a princess by attitude and blood and would always be treated as such.
"Yes, I'm sure Baba's new vizier was a cannibal in his past life," he snickered, which resulted in Samira shrieking. He knew if his eardrums were to survive this call, he would pull the phone away from his ear and put it on speaker, although he knew the last action wasn't necessary.
"Don't you dare mock me, child!"
Faiz threw his head back, his deep laugh resonating from the back of his throat as it filled the whole office. "Me? Child? I'm eight years older than you."
"Age is but a number," was Samira's cocky response which made Faiz roll his eyes. "I hear you are doing remarkably well in the States."
"Mhm. Stocks keep going up, Alhamdulilah," Faiz said gratefully. "I plan on establishing three orphanages, one here, another in Europe and one in Dubai inshallah."
"I'm glad," a moment of silence passed before she added, "But when will you be returning home?"
Faiz released a sigh before massaging his temples, his pale fingers picking up a pen and an old contract he had been dreading to go over, "I don't know, amira." He said, calling her princess in their native language.
"You have to know!" She snapped, causing him to flinch with surprise, "Don't be so selfish! Think about me! No one cares about me here!" Faiz heard the crack in his sister's voice and although he knew she was well taken care of, he also knew she was right.
After the death of their mother, Samira was seen as nothing but a useless item waiting to be thrown away. Their Baba barely remembered her due to all his work and responsibilities and their brother, Hassan was out and about looking for a suitable family to marry her off to.
"I could request that you come to live here with me-"
"You know that's not possible."
More heartbreaking silence.
"Please just come home, I'm sure Baba would accept your conditions if you just-"
"You and I both know that will never happen, you remember what happened that night."
How could she not? Everyone home that day could never forget that night. It was the night the kingdom of Al Khari wept as their prince fled, it was said he had abandoned them. But deep within the people's hearts, they knew it wasn't true for they knew their prince.
It was five years ago when the glass shattering, yelling and cursing came from the grand throne room, awakening the entire kingdom.
"Stop this rebellion at once, Faiz!" Kia Malik roared at his eldest son.
"It's not rebellion, Baba! It's my dream to be a businessman, I want to work for my money and help those in need beyond our borders. I don't want to sit on a throne all day and order people around. That's not my calling!" A younger Faiz protested, his deep blue eyes looking into those of his father's pleadingly.
"It is your destiny to be king! Anyone would be happy if given this opportunity! And 'helping those in need beyond our borders? Preposterous! Help our people because they are your top priority. Why are you being so difficult!" Kia's thin lips formed a disapproving frown, the corners of his mouth hiding beneath his greying beard.
"Our people are fine, Alhamdulilah! But have you watched the international news? Children are starving on the streets and dying!"
"I know, son. But do you think you can help them all? It's impossible! Masha'Allah, His grace will fall upon them but it is not your concern." Kia said in a gentler tone, hoping to convince his son against his foolishness.
"Oh, but it is father. I know I can't possibly help every homeless and hungry child out there, but my soul won't be at rest until I give some form-"
"ENOUGH!" Kia roared once again, this time throwing a gauntlet in Faiz's direction, intentionally missing him. "How can you possibly think you can handle both your royal duties and perform charity work in different countries?"
Faiz took a deep breath because it was obvious his father wasn't paying attention to anything he had been saying, "I do not wish to be king, Baba."
Silence.
And then,
"WHAT?!"
A twelve-year-old Samira who had been eavesdropping through the great doors jumped back as a sudden series of screams and the sound of different objects breaking burst from the throne room.
"YOU WANT TO THROW AWAY YOUR ENTIRE LIFE'S PURPOSE JUST DO CHARITY WORK?!" Faiz watched as the skin not covered by his Baba's beard turned a bright shade of red.
"I'm sorry, Baba…. I truly am, I just-"
"You just want to throw everything you've trained your entire life to become! But let me tell you this; It. Will. Not. Happen."
Faiz's brows shot to the top of his face, "Excuse me?"
"You will never be able to cross our borders henceforth. Like I said earlier, your duties are to your people and only your people and that's final! This will be the last time I hear of this." Kia said coldly as he stared down at his son with hard eyes. Faiz stared at his father, hoping to see some wavering empathy in his eyes. There were none.
"You're right, it will be the last." Were his last words to his father before fleeing his home that very night through a canoe on the river. The next day, he migrated to the United States where he started smaller businesses such as baking, shoemaking and tailoring. He had shed an unbelievable amount of blood, sweat and tears before building the great empire known as FZ enterprises.
To this day, their father never sent so much as a search party to go find him. For he believed that the son he knew and raised would return home, someday.
"Faiz?" Samira's voice snapped him back to the present, he noticed how it had become a whole lot quieter which was unlike her, "It's been five years since I last saw you. You didn't even say goodbye to me… I miss you, brother."
"I miss you too, amira," Faiz replied sorrowfully. If there was one thing he truly missed back in his hometown, it was her. Her cheerful and bubbly nature brought life not just to him, but to the entire kingdom as well. "How are your studies going though? Any challenges?"
A lingering silence came from the other end.
"Samira…" His voice became a lot deeper, which usually indicated that he was being serious.
"Hassan ordered that I stop. He said it was pointless since I would be getting married soon."
"What?" He seethed, subconsciously snapping his pen in two. He knew how much Samira wanted to become a doctor, how could they just throw her dreams away all in the name of marriage? He wasn't surprised though. After all, Hassan was the spitting image of their father. Both physically and in character.
"Mhm, possibly after my birthday in six months," he could tell she had started crying by the little sniffles she tried so desperately to hide.
"I promise you, my amira, that it will not happen. I will stop all this one way or another and you'll get to study and become a doctor as you've always wanted-" he was interrupted as Samira burst into a full-on sob. "Please don't cry," he said gently. He felt more than guilty now for leaving his little sister behind, he knew somewhere within his mind that she'd be the one to suffer greatly from his absence.
"I-I love y-you so much, brother," she sobbed into the phone.
"I love you too, baby sister. Now wipe away your tears, you can't let these people see you weak," he said, referring to his family as 'these people. Because that's all they were to him.
"I won't," she sniffled, her voice a whole lot stronger now. "I have to go now, I have to meet with the royal council to decide on what to do with the rice scarcity going on."
"There's a scarcity of rice?" Faiz asked in surprise. Al Khari was one of the few places in the whole world that lacked anything, not to mention something as common as rice.
"Yes, there is. When I tell you that you are needed, I don't just mean by me. Our people need you as well."
"I'm sure it's just a temporary setback. And I have faith that you'll be able to handle it properly," and he meant every word, not knowing the smile he had brought to her face.
"I hope so. Bye, love you."
"Love you too."
Their call ended and Faiz wasted no time in returning to his piling work. Minutes turned to hours until the day had gone by completely, yet he remained at that very spot behind his desk, going over files, contracts and business propositions. His phone rang.
He sighed tiredly as his eyes swept over the caller ID before picking up. "And where the hell is my best friend when I need him the most?!" Blake Henley yelled at the other end and Faiz began to wonder if any of his favourite people knew how to talk normally.
Blake Henley, CEO and founder of the largest Tech firm in the United States, TechMake enterprises. He had a net worth of over six hundred million dollars and was, of course, the best friend of Miami's heartthrob, Faiz Malik.
"Yalla, lower your voice would you?" Faiz groaned.
"NEVER!"
Faiz wanted to facepalm himself at the immaturity of his best friend. How Blake managed to keep his business going was a mystery to him if he were, to be honest.
"When the hell are you getting here? I can't start this shit if my best bro ain't here!"
"I've told you to stop cursing-"
"Stop avoiding my fucking questions!" Blake snapped and Faiz gave up, he knew Blake without cursing was like the sun without its warmth. The two just couldn't be apart.
"I have a lot of work, man. And I-"
"Aye! Whatever happened to bros before hoes?!"
Faiz raised a brow even though Blake couldn't see it, "Hoes? What hoes?"
Blake snickered at the way his friend pronounced the word, his Arabian accent made it sound strange and unfamiliar.
"Exactly, you can't see them because you're not here!"
What?
Faiz stood up for the first time in hours, stretching his freakishly long figure as he stepped into the balcony of his penthouse that overlooked the entire city of Miami. The cool evening air hit his pale skin as he gazed upon the city lights that looked like little stars twinkling below.
"Hello? Earth to Faiz?!"
Faiz scowled at the interruption of his peaceful moment. He knew it was no use avoiding his best friend's request because knowing Blake, he would drive from clubspace to Brickell just to drag him out of there and have fun for the night.
"Alright alright, I'm coming."
"Hurray!"
Why does he feel like he's going to regret this?