I like the bows better.
AL BAJAA ATELIER
-What were you saying? -The ones with bows are nicer.
They're also four times as expensive.
What's wrong with these?
-They're nice and practical. -I'll try them on anyway.
Farida!
Hey there.
Listen, darling.
If you're feeling upset,
but you're embarrassed about it, it's okay. You can leave.
Listen.
I'm here for Jude.
Jude doesn't need protection.
We took care of her while you were on vacation.
Auntie? What do you think?
Wow! Amazing! Stunning!
It's absolutely stunning. It looks amazing on you.
-Try to walk in it. -Okay.
Wow.
Everyone must look good at my wedding.
I don't like those shoes. You can do better.
I like the Ferragamo. The ones with the bows.
Give me the Ferragamo shoes, the ones with the bows.
Her size, please.
It's amazing.
-But it feels a bit loose. -They can tighten it for you.
What? I'll pay with my own money.
Listen to me.
I don't want you to develop the habit of overspending.
First, you bought me that Ascot hat.
And now, those shoes. Listen.
Overspending is a trap you can't escape.
You gave me this job to figure these things out, didn't you?
The shoes are here!
Let me see.
Yes, these are much nicer. Much nicer.
Right. Very nice.
Trust me, they'll look great on you.
Of course they will.
But this is not right. They're too expensive.
Omar will pay for them.
It's not about money, Rose. It's not about money.
It's about life principles.
It makes no sense to spend so much on something she'll wear for one night.
But I have to try them on.
Thanks.
Hey, what did you buy?
I bought a pair of shoes.
How much are these?
What's wrong? Is something bothering you at work?
I wish, Dad.
These days, work is the least of my concerns.
When are they launching the Alpha IPO?
In two days.
Why? Is there a problem?
Ethically, I can't give you much information,
but there's an issue regarding your island.
Failaka? What about it? What…
Dad, please, tell me. Please.
Sorry. I can't say more. I'm sorry.
We've all agreed
that traders need to trust Rakan.
Especially in two days,
when we launch our IPO.
You want me to sign the marriage certificate?
But what's in it for me?
Other than joining a family that will support you
and bring you wealth?
Any woman you attempt to marry would accept these terms.
But I am Munira Hijazi.
I mean, what do I stand to gain in a special way?
State your conditions, and let's talk.
I want a position in the company. An administrative position.
We thought about financial manager.
Just like how I started out.
I want the CEO's position.
I'm the CEO.
We could accept to make you the assistant CEO.
So I'd be a lion with no fangs.
But you'll have claws.
With all due respect, Mrs. Sabiha,
I wouldn't want to be in your situation.
What situation?
The one where I'm doing all the work,
and my dear husband gets all the credit.
I got where I am today
through my hard work and my effort.
You can get wherever you want through your own hard work.
So,
do we have a deal?
Or do you want me to add a clause for my grandchildren as well?
No, please.
These things are private.
No problem.
Give it a thought.
Offers that can't be missed
have an expiry date.
We'll give you two days to get back to us with an answer.
I want to capitalize on that announcement on the IPO launching day.
After that date,
your value is going to drop significantly.
Before the end of the day,
I need to inform the higher-ups about the Alpha stock price tomorrow.
I need to know if the market is eager to trade.
We successfully made it through the conference.
Now we have a major investor.
The Failaka project is drawing interest.
Alpha launched an advertising campaign. They have ads on buses and on the radio.
The newspapers have been covering it.
Two articles about it are on the Economy page.
We're doing fine.
And what's wrong with you? Why do you keep making that face?
Is something wrong? Go ahead, tell us.
I don't think that the IPO
will go as expected.
And the reason?
That's all. I don't think it's guaranteed.
That's why I want you to stay on the trading floor all day.
I don't want to set the stock's price on a whim. No!
I want you to feel the traders, to know what they're saying.
Don't skip anyone! Talk to everyone!
Even the staff!
I want to know what the vibe in the market is.
And after lunch,
we'll meet and set the stock's final price.
All right.
Listen, I didn't want the team to get nervous.
Now I want to know what you know and what you're hiding.
Some articles about Failaka will likely be published.
-They won't be positive. -Your father said that?
Ethically and morally,
that's all he told me.
Excuse me.
Here's Appetite For Destruction.
I'll get you Straight Outta Compton next month.
Wow, Jude! You have it all!
And here's Dalida's album.
And George Wassouf's album.
Which means a double dose of heartache.
Hey, you!
The cassette you sold me last week jammed in my Walkman.
I told you, if you keep repeating the same song,
it'll get jammed.
I know you love Ehab Tawfik, but give him a break!
I want my money back, idiot.
Mais, relax. No need to make a fuss.
Jude!
My mom isn't answering. Can I call my stepmom?
Yes.
I'm sorry for interrupting. I thought…
Sorry, the door was closed.
Maybe we closed it so that you wouldn't hear us.
We're busted.
Anyway, we're done here. You can have Nabil all to yourself.
Okay, excuse me.
Thank you.
This is for you, Abu Khaled.
-It's the least you deserve. -Thank you.
No, thank you.
God bless you.
Well…
-Hello and goodbye. -Hello and welcome.
First,
Laith Nasir.
And now, you.
It looks like today's stock is on the rise.
Indeed.
This is both the bank's and Alpha's opinion.
I was just discussing that IPO of yours with him.
And I could see that Laith is nice.
Such a good man.
He's sharp and smart.
And very wealthy.
And he knows how to hunt for promising projects.
So…
I can say that you now see Alpha's potential.
Well, Munira, I'm just a broker.
You're the top broker in the stock exchange, the big boss.
I want to know what your clients think.
Amir is the one who sets the final price.
You're just testing the waters, right?
And the whole country is buzzing about Failaka.
And if my uncle calls it a national triumph…
There you have it.
Now you know.
And tell Amir not to exaggerate with the pricing.
Tell him to be confident.
-How did it go? -How did it go with you?
I thank God. My expectations for Alpha are very high.
What did Khalifa say?
Nothing.
I couldn't find him in the office or on the floor.
Didn't you try your old spot?
I heard good things about you.
It's a good opportunity after we met…
I have some stocks. And I'll give them to you for a price…
BOURSA CAFETERIA
Farida Ma'mun!
Trader clerk. Bank of Tomorrow.
One of the floor's warriors.
Laith Nasir. He's like the general.
I know. We've met before.
It's a pleasure to see you, General.
The pleasure is mine, ma'am.
Same as the old days?
One spoon of tea, one sugar, and three spoons of Carnation milk?
Three spoons of milk?
Don't be fooled by her slim body.
In fact, she eats an entire box of cookies.
Please excuse me, all right?
Well, Abu Nasir, feel free to visit anytime.
I'll be right here. Actually, I'll see you every day.
And you,
I'm going to see you on the battlefield.
You look relaxed.
Happy.
I will be a father soon.
It looks like I've stayed upstairs for too long.
Longer than I realized.
I've been engaged for some time.
Congratulations.
Congrats on the IPO.
Thanks.
By the way, what do you think about it?
What do you think? Any concerns from Virtue?
No, on the contrary. We wish we had won the bid for it.
But you guys at the Bank of Tomorrow are lucky.
Thanks for the tea, Khalifa.
It's perfect.
Khalifa and Nabil have good things to say about Failaka.
Will we succeed?
Everything is going well, but I don't know.
I have a bad feeling. Something is off.
Jude?
What brings you here? Why aren't you at school?
We need to talk.
Come here.
Come here. Let go.
-Tell me, what brings you here? -Jude got into trouble at school.
And they called you?
It's not a big deal, but we need to work together.
Of course.
But this is neither the time nor the place to do it.
Well, well! If it isn't the best salesgirl in the entire Gulf.
To what do we owe this pleasure?
You're here to steal my job, huh?
Your friend?
Since you're honoring us with your presence today, miss,
we'll be more than happy to offer you some financial advice.
Hasan, Walid.
This is Rose.
Farida's ex-husband's fiancée.
Welcome! Weddings are my thing!
We have a great band. Come on, let me show you.
We have a band, yeah.
They play at parties and weddings. You're going to like it. Have a seat.
What's this? Why is everyone here like flies?
What happened at school? Tell me.
Jude?
Hello?
We're on our way up.
Stay here. I have a meeting, then we'll talk.
Amir wants us all upstairs. Now.
Oh my God. So you actually know the meaning of all the sparkly lights
on those big screens?
Guys, if you'll excuse our guest here, she needs to leave. She's running late.
Thank you all. You've been too kind.
-Okay, but what about… -Okay! Enough. Come on.
Forgive me, darling.
I'm really sorry, but we have an important board meeting.
With "the big lights"?
But we didn't talk about Jude.
Jude will stay with me, and I'll handle her school issue later.
Go now.
Are you sure you don't want us to discuss it together?
Yes, I'm sure.
-Because I'm like her mother too. -Her mother? Yeah!
It's okay, don't worry about it. You just go ahead and take care.
Go ahead. Thank you.
-Look behind you. -What's going on?
Honestly, I'm glad she's gone.
-All of us. -All of us?
-Don't move. -Come.
Come on, let's go.
We spent the whole day today with the traders.
And we spoke to every single one of them.
And most people like the Failaka project.
Now we need to talk about the stock pricing.
Not quite.
I just got a call saying some locals are against the project.
Against it?
What are they going to do?
They contacted a journalist from Al-Haq newspaper.
The story will be on the front page tomorrow.
They're refusing to sell their houses, only so that your project fails.
The whole country will read the news before the opening bell tomorrow.
-Isn't it your dad's newspaper? -Yes, but he didn't write that article.
-Did you give him the info? -Excuse me?
Of course not. I have nothing to do with it.
And you said that all homeowners were onboard with the project,
and it's a win-win!
I did. but it looks like some people changed their minds!
A woman is acting as the locals' spokesperson.
Her name is Um Badr.
I want both of you to visit her and negotiate.
What could we offer her?
This could help.
This is your most important task since joining the bank.
I want you to make an offer to her.
Tell Um Badr to call the journalist to retract her statement.
Do whatever is necessary.
Until we're sure this issue is resolved.
Sabiha.
Is your boat ready?
It's okay. You're fine.
Well, it's my fault for carrying the bag for you!
Hey, Farida, that's your role in life anyway!
-What else did you think your role was? -I swear, it's my fault!
I swear, it's my fault!
"I swear, it's my fault!"
Okay, fine.
People!
Come on. Excuse me!
Come on!
Please! You're a godsend!
Do you know where Um Badr's house is?
Yeah.
Go straight. It's the first house on the right.
Let's go. Thank you.
It's so heavy.
Do you see that stand-alone house over there?
-Where? -The one in the middle.
-That one? -Yeah.
That's Um Badr's house. It's the only one here.
Let's go. Let's see how good you are, Miss Expert.
Here.
Now I understand.
Follow me.
Are you with the newspaper or with the government?
Neither, ma'am. We're with the bank.
The bank?
We heard that a journalist came to see you.
He spoke to you as the locals' spokesperson.
Call me by my name. I'm Um Badr.
Well, Um Badr, you're not to be taken lightly.
Your timing was perfect.
You were able to force their hand.
Has the company decided not to proceed with the project?
No.
They sent us to negotiate and get better terms for you.
Who told you that I wanted to negotiate?
I don't know what to say, Um Badr.
But the government has approved Alpha's Failaka development.
You may delay the project, but you can't stop it.
Well, fine.
We'll see about that later.
Ma'am.
What you're doing isn't in your best interest.
They will go through with that project anyway.
So I hope you'll accept it.
My dear madam,
why did you think we were with the government?
Because you know that, after all, you have no other option.
At the end of the day, Failaka's development is a done deal.
Times and circumstances have changed, and we must adapt.
But our bank
wants to ensure a comfortable, smooth relocation for you.
Your grandchildren
won't live the tough life you had to live.
You'll be able to realize all the dreams that you wished for.
This life of ours cannot be changed.
We chose it, and we want it.
And it can't be bought with money! Do you hear me or not?
Well,
what scares me is that you end up having to leave with nothing at all.
So I suggest
that you take advantage of the situation
while we're still here.
Our values don't have a price tag on them!
Our heritage isn't for sale!
Don't you have something priceless?!
I want to stick to my roots!
I want to stay here, on this very land!
Don't you get it, you modern-day girls?!
I don't know why Sabiha is doing this to me.
After everything I did with the IPO and everything I did for her personally,
I deserve much more from her anyway.
Me!
She dares to make me run errands?
You were bewitched, Mannour.
By money and power.
You don't know anything.
She wants me with her.
She wants me to be theirs. She wants me to become one of them.
That's the second offer I haven't told you about.
Rakan.
Sabiha's son proposed to me.
That's impressive. Three men proposed to you in five months?
Darling, I am Munira Hijazi.
I'm 33 years old, I'm not married, and I come from a good family.
It's fate.
Do you know what the problem is?
That I got myself stuck in a corner.
And now, I'm forced…
to accept Sabiha's offer.
Excuse me? You definitely shouldn't accept.
I have to.
You don't have to. This is nonsense, Munira, and you know it.
Remember what we said to Um Badr?
You must seize the opportunity when it arises.
Because if you miss it, you'll be ruined.
-No. Not in this case. -Why not?
Because it's Rakan.
You said in Cairo you wouldn't settle for just getting by.
Um Badr is right, huh?
Some things are priceless.
Above all, your own self-worth.
My self-worth?
Where am I in this situation we're in?
I lost everything.
I lost everything I loved.
Saud is gone.
He's gone.
You mean really gone?
Yeah, he's gone.
And the thing that I can see most clearly right now
are my own choices.
Only one thing is clear about my choices.
This is my only choice.
Well, it hit me when I saw Rose walking in with Jude.
I realized that I'll have to share Jude with her forever.
I have no other choice.
Oh God.
I'm such a bad mother.
Stop it.
I left her alone all day at the stock exchange.
Munira, what's wrong with me?
You didn't know that all this was going to happen to us.
So what?
I should've left everything and been there for her.
-You couldn't have. -Right.
But Rose could.
That's why Jude called her.
I can understand why you feel guilty.
But Jude loves you.
I mean, Jude went to Rose
because she knew Rose wouldn't make her feel guilty.
She doesn't want to be with her.
She loves you. And you're the best mother.
Farida.
You need to draw the line for that Rose.
No, I'm not going to speak to her.
Why not? She's just a kid. You can handle her.
And there's something else.
Warn her about Omar.
No way.
Cousin.
Didn't you wish someone had warned you about him?
-Hello? -Dad.
Farida?
-Are you okay? -Jude is with me at the stock exchange.
Can you come pick her up?
Sure. I'll come pick her up.
Thanks, Dad.
I'm sorry for not being here for you today.
No, I'm sorry for coming here.
I have to go.
The question that's on my mind is,
how did your father cause that scandal without you knowing?
And you!
I can't even begin to understand
how an old, uneducated woman was able to beat you in an argument.
You should entertain me with that story one day,
when I'm in the mood to listen to the story of your failure.
From what I see, I don't think the boat was a fun trip.
And I think you deserve better than that.
So, you're ready to discuss what happened at Jude's school today?
No.
I just want to get to know you better, since you're going to be…
an important part of Jude's life.
I'm pretty sure you'll be a wonderful mother.
Don't you think it's hard
for a 21-year-old to suddenly become a mother to a 13-year-old?
Listen.
Jude and I have grown close lately.
I mean, we became friends.
That's why she called me today, because I'm the one she trusts.
And I really appreciate your concern
and prioritizing Jude.
Yeah.
I'm going to be a role model for her. She needs a role model these days.
My feet hurt.
What happened at the atelier yesterday is a perfect example
of what we need to address in our collaboration as shareholders.
I'm sorry, but you work at a place that's filled with money all day long,
and you can't afford to buy your daughter a pair of designer shoes?
It's not because I can't afford it. It's not about the shoes or their price.
Rose. Some things in life are priceless,
like the values I'm instilling in Jude.
The values and principles that made Jude sell cassette tapes at school today?
The girl has become obsessed with money!
That's what I wanted to discuss with you at your office today.
Wait a minute. You mean
Jude was selling tapes at school?
Okay, let's say that…
Okay? In your perspective, Jude was wrong.
But in my perspective,
I think that Jude identified an untapped market,
capitalized on her resources, and analyzed how to meet the demand.
And she grew a client base at the age of 13.
Wow!
Did she hurt anyone? Did she cheat anyone?
Then leave her be!
She finally found something she's good at. And I encourage her.
A person must discover themselves in order to build their future.
I need to talk to you about something else.
Omar.
No.
Don't bring up this subject with me.
You and Omar were one thing,
but Omar and I are a different story.
Well, I wish. I really do.
-But you know nothing. -Yes, I do.
Because I'm not you.
I'll be like a gift to him.
So our life is going to be perfect.
Because I'll obey him,
and I'll follow his rules.
So, between me and Omar, there will be no problems at all.
See, it's never that simple.
You may see it that way, but…
-Okay, let's just forget it. -Let's forget it.
Jude is our daughter.
But Omar is only mine.
What's the urgent matter that made you bring me here
to this place to talk?
I'm in trouble.
If you don't get yourself into trouble, you get irritated.
You get bored.
You're right. But this time is different.
So, you want me to get into trouble just so you won't be bored?
Tell me. What do you need me for?
I don't need you.
I want you.
What you said was right.
About what?
Rakan, Cairo, everything.
I'm engaged, Saud.
Congratulations.
Truth be told, we haven't ended everything between us.
Truth be told, we have ended everything.
So why are you here right now?
What do you want now?
I want to know if you have a better offer.
You said it yourself. "You deserve better than that."
Is he over there right now?
Rakan. Is he up there in the towers?
No.
Not Rakan. Sabiha.
What a good deal.
I don't have a better offer.
You must hold on to him.
And I wish you both the best.
So?
Did you think about it?
Have you decided?
Yes.