The King's Sinful Obsession

Chapter 14: New Enemy, Old Game

Arian sat in the cafeteria of Columbia University. The coffee in front of him had gone cold, but he hadn’t taken a single sip. Raisa was beside him, with Zarif and Mayra on the opposite side. None of the four spoke much today. Emilie’s presence the previous day had left everyone unsettled.

“Will we see her again today?” Mayra asked, her voice tinged with fear.

“Yes,” Zarif replied. “She studies in the same department. Law Honors. Arian’s classmate.”

Arian said nothing. His mind kept replaying Emilie’s words—“I’ve come to challenge you.” A challenge. Emilie had challenged him. But why? Simply because she was his father’s agent? Or was there another reason?

Raisa gently squeezed Arian’s hand. “Why are you overthinking this?”

“I’m trying to figure out what Emilie really wants.”

“She wants to weaken you. Your father sent her here to destroy you.”

“My father is in prison. Controlling someone from behind bars isn’t that easy.”

“Then what?”

Arian took a deep breath. “Then Emilie has her own agenda. I’ll find out what it is.”

---

Before the period began, Arian went to the library. As he reached for a book, he heard Emilie’s voice behind him again. “Here we are again. New York isn’t a small city, yet you and I keep crossing paths. Fate, don’t you think?”

Arian turned around. Emilie stood before him. Today she wore blue jeans, a white T-shirt, and a baseball cap. She looked like an ordinary college girl, yet there was an extraordinary sharpness in her gaze.

“Not fate,” Arian said coldly. “You’re following me.”

“I am following you. Because you’re interesting. The King of Dhaka, reduced to an ordinary student here. That’s worth watching.”

“I was never ordinary. Nor will I ever be.”

Emilie smiled. That smile held no mystery—only competition. “We’ll see about that. There’s an event at the university this week. A debate competition. Are you participating?”

“No.”

“You should. Because I am. And I want everyone to see—just how big Arian Khan really is.”

Emilie walked away. Arian stared after her. Rage simmered inside him, but he suppressed it. He knew—Emilie was provoking him. And taking the bait would be a mistake. He would not make that mistake.

---

4:00 PM, The Apartment

Arian sat on the sofa, searching on his laptop. Emilie Wang. Her complete profile. f*******:, i********:, LinkedIn—whatever he could find. But every profile was clean. No posts older than three years. As if someone had deleted everything.

Raisa came and sat beside him. “What did you find?”

“Nothing. It’s as if she didn’t exist before 2022.”

“Then she’s using fake identities. Hiding her real past.”

Arian closed the laptop. “Where did my father find her?”

“If you want to know, you’ll have to ask him. Your father.”

“I don’t want to talk to him.”

“You have to. If you want the truth.”

Arian remained silent for a moment. Then he took out his phone. He dialed the prison number for his father. After a few seconds, the line connected. Hearing his father’s voice, Arian felt a tightness in his chest.

“Father, it’s me, Arian.”

“I know. Who else would call me?”

“I want to know—who is Emilie Wang?”

Silence on the other end. Then his father’s voice, accompanied by that old, raspy laugh. “You found her? Faster than I expected. I thought it would take you longer.”

“Is she your agent?”

“She’s my protégé. I raised her. Her father was my right hand. He ran operations in Dubai. When he died, I took responsibility for her. I taught her. Taught her to fight. Taught her to hate.”

“Hate what?”

“My enemies. And now, my enemy is you. So she hates you.”

Arian’s hand trembled. His voice grew firm. “I am not your enemy. You are your own enemy.”

“Be that as it may, she’s after you now. I can’t stop her. If you want to survive, come back home.”

“I will not come back. I’m staying here. And I will prove—that I am a better man than you.”

Arian ended the call. Raisa took his hand. “What did he say?”

“He said Emilie is his protégé. He taught her to hate. Against me.”

“Then Emilie isn’t just an agent. She’s here for revenge.”

Arian looked out the window. Below, the busy streets of New York. People rushing, cars rushing, no one looking at anyone else. He wondered—how alone was he in this vast city? How safe was he?

Raisa placed a hand on his back. “You’re not alone. You have me. You have Zarif. You have Mayra. We’re all here.”

“I know. But Emilie isn’t alone. Behind her stands my father’s empire—which I thought I had destroyed. But I haven’t. It has taken a new form here.”

---

8:00 PM, Apartment Balcony

Arian stood alone. All around him, the skyscrapers of New York glittered, the entire city ablaze with light. His phone buzzed. A message. From an unknown number. It read: “In America, trust no one. Not even yourself.”

Arian looked at the message and laughed. A bitter, harsh laugh. He typed a reply: “Losing trust means losing the war. I didn’t come here to lose.”

The reply came: “Then prove you can win. But be careful. Emilie is worse than you.”

Arian blocked the number. He stepped back inside from the balcony. Raisa was sitting in the living room, reading a book. Arian went to her and laid his head in her lap. Raisa closed the book. She ran her fingers through his hair.

“Are you scared?”

“No. But a little tired. Everything is happening so fast.”

“We’ll handle it. Together.”

Arian closed his eyes. Raisa’s touch brought him a sense of calm. He stayed like that for a few minutes. Then he opened his eyes.

“I’m going to take part in the debate competition.”

Raisa was startled. “Why?”

“Emilie wants me to participate. She wants me to step onto the field. I don’t want anyone to think—that I’m afraid. I am Arian. I have never been afraid. I never will be.”

Raisa said nothing. She simply kissed Arian on the forehead. “Do what you think is right. I’m here beside you.”

---

Next Morning, the University

Arian signed up for the debate competition. A few students were surprised when they heard the name. Arian Khan. An Asian name, yet signing up for the debate so quickly? Some tried to learn more. But Arian gave no one his time. He went straight to the library to prepare.

In the afternoon, he went to the practice session. Emilie was already there. She smiled when she saw Arian. “You came. I knew you would.”

“I gave you what you wanted. Now show me how great you really are.”

“I will. But it won’t just be me—you’ll be showing yourself, too. Let the whole university see—who Arian Khan really is.”

Arian sat in the chair next to her. He looked at Emilie. “I know you’re my father’s protégé. I know you were taught to hate. But I’ve come to teach you—that love is greater than hate.”

Emilie’s smile faded. “Have you really changed, or are you just acting? The truth will come out soon enough.”

“I’m here to prove it. Not just for you. For myself.”

The practice session began. Emilie and Arian were given the same topic—“Is social media a threat to democracy?” Emilie stood and began her argument. Her reasoning was sharp, her data rich, her presentation almost bewitching. The entire room listened in silence.

Then Arian stood. He began his argument. He knew—this wasn’t just a debate. It was a battle of power between him and Emilie. He finished his speech. A few people applauded. But not everyone.

Emilie stepped closer and said, “It was good. But your argument lacked genuine emotion. You recited memorized lines. I spoke from the heart. That’s the difference.”

Arian smiled. “Debates are won on logic, not emotion. You brought emotion. I brought logic. We’ll see who wins when it counts.”

The two locked eyes. Neither backed down. The air in the room grew heavy. When the practice ended, everyone filed out. Arian followed.

Outside, Raisa was waiting. “What happened?”

“I can surpass her. I know it.”

“I love seeing your confidence.”

“My confidence is you. With you here, nothing is impossible.”

They walked hand in hand across the campus field. The sun was setting. The sky was a canvas of orange and pink. In Arian’s mind, only one plan now dominated—he had to win the debate competition. Not just to defeat Emilie. But to prove something to himself. To prove that Arian could change. That he could walk the right path. That he could make love greater than hate.

But would Emilie let him win? Or would she strike an even bigger blow before that?

Arian knew—in this city, no one trusts anyone. But he wanted to believe. That one day, everything would be all right. That one day, all the darkness would pass.

But before that day came, more nights had to be endured. More battles had to be fought. More tears had to be shed. And to win that war, would he have to summon the old Arian? Or would he have to fight as the new Arian?

He wanted to know. And that, above all, was his greatest strength.