Faisal returned to New York in January.
He met with Meridian's newly appointed transaction representatives, then with the trust's negotiating committee. The discussions were detailed and occasionally difficult, but he no longer demanded immediate signatures.
During one session, he asked Amara whether she believed the community trust should approve the acquisition.
The room became quiet.
She looked toward the other trustees.
Then answered.
"That's for the board and our members to decide under the trust's procedures."
Faisal nodded.
He didn't seem disappointed.
If anything, he looked relieved.
Then Amara continued.
"Personally, I believe the terminal needs responsible investment. But I don't want the community's future determined by whether we like or dislike one billionaire."
The chairman smiled faintly.
"That's fair."
She looked toward him.
"And I don't want your company purchasing a reputation for generosity while retaining documents that leave us vulnerable later."
Mariam nodded.
"Neither do I."
For several seconds, the room was silent.
Then Faisal closed his folder.
"Then let's make the documents accurate enough that neither side has to rely on my reputation."
Amara smiled.
It was the best thing she'd heard him say.
The final negotiations lasted another six weeks.
There were disagreements over maintenance reserves, the timing of payments, and how future disputes would be resolved. The parties also had to satisfy lenders, address the ongoing reviews, and determine what obligations the buyer was prepared to assume.
Some terms changed.
Others were rejected.
The trust didn't obtain every protection its members wanted.
Crescent Horizon didn't receive every commercial flexibility its advisers requested.
But the eventual proposal was materially different from the agreement Faisal nearly signed at Dar Al-Qamar.
It acknowledged the trust by name.
It clearly distinguished land ownership from operating rights.
And it created procedures for maintaining the property and resolving disputes without pretending the original owners had vanished.
When the negotiating committee presented the proposal to the community, the discussion lasted nearly five hours.
Workers asked detailed questions.
Residents challenged assumptions about future development.
Small-business owners wanted clearer information about road access.
No one was silenced for disagreeing.
Amara listened as Samuel explained the history of the trust.
Then Marcus described why jobs and investment mattered.
Finally, Evelyn outlined the legal terms in language ordinary members could understand.
The members authorized the board to proceed under the trust's governance rules.
Amara disclosed her interactions with Faisal and the earlier million-dollar promise, which remained unresolved, and followed counsel's advice to abstain from the final approval vote to avoid questions about her personal interests.