Heer
I had never seen Carlos like this before. He was cold, detached—almost as if he were already preparing himself for the worst. It was the first time I truly felt the weight of the life he had built for himself, the burden of his choices pressing down on him. The walls around him were higher than ever, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't reach him.
The letter we had received days ago was still etched in my mind, a constant reminder of the danger closing in on us. The undercurrent of tension was palpable, like a thread about to snap. It was only a matter of time before the storm hit, and I couldn't bear the thought of losing him before we had the chance to fully understand what we meant to each other.
But no matter how hard I tried to be by his side, Carlos was determined to keep me at arm's length. He wanted to protect me, but in doing so, he was pushing me away.
I paced the length of the living room, my hands shaking as I thought of the decisions Carlos had to make. He was a man trapped by his own life, unable to escape the ties of his bloodline. I had come to understand that. But understanding wasn't enough. I needed him. And right now, he wasn't here.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to see him. I needed to make him see me—truly see me.
Carlos
I watched the city below from the balcony of my office, the lights flickering like distant stars. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts—strategy, revenge, protection. I had always been in control, always had the upper hand. But now, things were changing. The enemies I had once crushed with ease were now circling, and the pressure was becoming too much.
I could feel the weight of everything pressing down on me. The mafia, my men, the family… and Heer. She was everything to me. The only thing that made sense in a world full of chaos. But I couldn't let her get dragged into this. She was too pure, too innocent for the mess I was about to wade through.
Every part of me wanted to pull her close, tell her everything was going to be fine, that we'd make it through. But I couldn't. I had to shield her from the truth. The truth that this battle wasn't just about territory or power. It was about survival. And if she was too close to me, she wouldn't survive.
I heard the sound of soft footsteps behind me and turned to see Heer standing in the doorway. Her face was pale, her eyes full of fear and uncertainty. It broke me to see her like this.
"Carlos," she said, her voice small but firm. "You've been shutting me out for days. What's happening? What are you not telling me?"
I closed my eyes for a moment, fighting the urge to take her in my arms and tell her everything. But I couldn't. I couldn't let her carry the burden I was shouldering.
"Heer," I began, my voice strained. "I'm trying to protect you. This life… it's not like what you think. There are things you don't understand, things I can't explain."
She took a step toward me, her eyes searching mine for the truth. "Don't lie to me, Carlos. I can handle the truth. I just want to be with you. I want to fight with you. We're in this together."
My heart clenched in my chest. She didn't understand. She couldn't. The truth was too ugly, too dangerous for her to bear.
"I can't let you be part of this. It's not safe, Heer," I said, my voice filled with regret. "I won't allow it."
Heer
His words hurt more than I could admit. But there was something in his eyes—something raw, something broken—that made my resolve harder. I wasn't going to back down. I couldn't.
"I don't care about being safe, Carlos," I said, my voice trembling with the weight of my emotions. "I care about you. I care about us. I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you push me away."
Carlos stared at me, his face unreadable. But I could see the pain in his eyes, the conflict that twisted his features. I knew this was tearing him apart, but I also knew this was the only way for us to survive. If he kept pushing me away, we'd both end up alone. And I couldn't let that happen.
I took another step forward, placing my hand gently on his chest. "You're not alone, Carlos. You never have been. I'll fight with you. Whatever happens next, we'll face it together."
For a moment, I thought he was going to pull away. But then, slowly, he closed the distance between us, his arms wrapping around me. I could feel the tension in his body, the hardness of his resolve, and yet, there was a flicker of something softer. A flicker of hope.
"I don't deserve you, Heer," he whispered against my hair. "But I'll fight for you. For us. No matter what."
Carlos
Her words hit me like a storm, and for the first time in days, I let my guard down. She was right. I had been pushing her away for far too long. I had convinced myself that protecting her meant keeping her in the dark, but the truth was that she was stronger than I gave her credit for. And I needed her now more than ever.
I pulled her closer, my arms tightening around her as if I could protect her from the world with just my embrace.
"This is bigger than us, Heer," I said, my voice heavy with emotion. "But you're right. We're in this together. I won't let anything happen to you."
"I trust you," she whispered, her voice steady despite the storm brewing outside. "We'll face this together. And I'll be right by your side."
For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to believe it. That maybe, just maybe, we could get through this. Together.
Heer
As Carlos held me in his arms, I knew that the worst was yet to come. But in that moment, I wasn't afraid. Not because I was naïve, but because I knew that as long as we had each other, we could survive anything.
The battle ahead would be fierce, and we would have to fight with everything we had. But we were no longer just two people in a contract marriage, bound by duty and circumstance. We were partners. We were a team.
And we would not let the darkness consume us.