2026-02-08 01:48:08
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Chapter 114 Family Drama
The weekend at home had become a rare, precious thing. Zaid's schedule, even with Imran's ruthless optimization, still devoured most of his time. But he had carved out this Saturday, determined to check on his mother, to see Sami, to remind himself that there was a world beyond analytics and deadlines.His mother was doing well. The diabetes management had become routine—her blood sugar readings were stable, she had adjusted to the new diet, and there was color in her cheeks that had been missing for months. She moved around the kitchen with her old efficiency, preparing lunch, humming a melody from an old Fairuz record. The relief Zaid felt was profound, a quiet gratitude that the diagnosis had not been the catastrophe he'd feared.But Sami was a storm cloud on the sofa.His younger cousin sat hunched over his phone, scrolling with aggressive intensity, not looking up when Zaid entered. His responses were monosyllabic grunts. His usual easy smile was absent. When their mother asked h
Chapter 113 A Confession
The video of Zaid learning to make kibbeh had done something no amount of levelling up videos or fashion campaigns had managed. It had made people feel something genuine, not for his face or his follower count, but for the quiet, respectful way he had listened to Umm Salim, the seventy-two-year-old woman who ran a tiny, beloved kibbeh shop in the old district.The concept had been pure Imran—find a small, authentic business with a compelling owner, pair Zaid with them, and let the human connection do the work. But the execution had been all Zaid. He hadn't performed humility; he had simply been humble. His flour-covered hands, his genuine frustration when the bulgur-to-meat ratio was off, the way his face lit up when Umm Salim finally declared his third attempt "acceptable." And then, at the end, when she had patted his cheek and called him "ya waladi," he had smiled and said, softly, "You remind me of my grandmother."The camera had caught the slight warmth in his eyes before he look
Chapter 112 Business Meeting
The first official “business meeting” of the new partnership was held in Zaid’s dorm room, the air thick with a tension sharper than any model contract negotiation. Khamees had arrived with a storm cloud hanging over him, his arms crossed, leaning against the wall as far from the desk as possible. Imran sat at Zaid’s small study desk, his tablet propped up, the very picture of calm, irritating competence. Zaid stood in the middle, feeling like a referee at a duel.“Alright,” Zaid began, his voice too loud in the quiet room. “We’re all here. We need to figure out how this works.”Imran didn’t look up from his tablet. “The operational framework is clear. I provide strategic direction and capital oversight. Khamees executes on content production and platform management under my directives. Zaid is the primary talent and public face. Our first objective is to leverage the notoriety from the Summit loss into a sustainable narrative arc that increases engagement by at least 35% within the
Chapter 111 Confrontation
The fragile, uneasy peace Zaid had brokered with Khamees and the terrifying knowledge gifted by Bassam made him feel like he was walking a high wire over a pit he’d only just discovered. He moved through the school with a new, hyper-awareness, seeing potential threats in every glance. His attempt at normalcy, attending a study group in the library with Hosam and Karam—was shattered when Fares stormed in, his usual veneer of aloof superiority replaced by raw, incandescent fury.He didn’t bother with greetings. He slammed a printout on the table in front of Zaid, making the others jump. It was a grainy, long-lens photo from the local society pages. It showed the entrance of the Al-Andalus Center on the day of the summit. In the foreground, unmistakable, was Zaid, getting out of the hired car, his face clear. The caption read: “Exclusive Gathering of Young Innovators at Al-Andalus.”“A ‘Young Innovator’?” Fares spat, his voice trembling with outrage. “You? How? How did you get an invite
Chapter 110 The Truth
The silence in the days that followed was a physical presence. Khamees was gone, a ghost haunting the chat logs with nothing but automated "Read" receipts. Bassam moved through the school corridors like a shadow, his eyes avoiding Zaid's, their easy camaraderie replaced by a wall of unspoken dread. Zaid’s world had narrowed to the cold, transactional exchanges with Imran, who had indeed installed his own "more efficient" systems—project management software, brutal performance dashboards, and a schedule of "capacity-building quests" that felt like homework from a robot overlord.The weight of the isolation finally grew too heavy. On the fourth day, Zaid cornered Khamees in the library, where his former friend was hiding behind a stack of computer science textbooks."Khamees, please. Just talk to me."Khamees didn't look up. "What's there to talk about? The new CEO has everything under control.""It's not like that," Zaid insisted, lowering his voice. "Listen. Yes, it's messed up. Yes,
Chapter 109 The Catastrophe
The weight of the new partnership agreement was a digital shackle, heavy in Zaid’s inbox. He had signed it, transferring authority over his online life to a fourteen-year-old he barely knew, all to pay a debt he never understood he was taking on. The first order of business, according to Imran, was “organizational alignment.” This meant introducing him to the current social media manager: Khamees.Zaid found Khamees in his dorm room, surrounded by three screens displaying channel analytics, editing software, and a spreadsheet for upcoming potential brand deals. He looked up, a tired but familiar smile on his face. “There you are. You vanished for two days. I was starting to think you got kidnapped by a rival brand. So? The big secret event? How did it go?”Zaid didn’t smile back. He stood stiffly in the doorway. “Khamees, there’s someone you need to meet.” He stepped aside.Imran walked in. He was dressed in neat, unassuming clothes, a tablet tucked under his arm. He surveyed the room
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