He opened his hazel eyes to the sound of the dawn call to prayer. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before tilting his head to the left, looking at the one lying beside him. The traces of her dried tears were still drawn along her cheeks, and her hair covered half of her face. He reached out, gently brushing her hair away, studying her calm features—so different from the state she had been in the night before.
He remembered the light that used to shine on her face, the joy in her eyes at her engagement… before he came and ruined everything, taking her with him by force. How much she had cried and screamed before he dragged her to the notary to sign what felt like her death sentence, then brought her home like some item he had bought from the market…
He leaned closer so as not to wake her, his fingers softly moving the strands of her hair away from her face with a tenderness he hadn't shown the night before, when he had forced her into something she didn't want.
"What would have happened if you had just listened… and put aside that stubbornness of yours… hmm…"
Nizar whispered, his breath brushing against her face, before quickly pulling away when he saw her eyelashes flutter. Her eyes slowly opened, looking around in confusion, rubbing them before they landed on him.
A chill ran through her entire body as she saw him. The moment he noticed she was awake, he stood up and headed toward the bathroom.
"Go back to sleep… it's still early."
He said it before disappearing into the shower, leaving her sitting there, staring at the bathroom door that had just closed behind him. Her head throbbed from all the crying she had done the night before, and a thousand questions swirled in her mind.
Who was he? What did he want? What was his goal? She still knew nothing… and she didn't even want to know. The only thing she was thinking about now was how to get herself out of this nightmare and escape from this man whose origin and intentions were completely unknown to her—someone who had suddenly barged into her life and turned it upside down.
She slowly got up, placing her feet on the floor, trying not to make any noise so he wouldn't hear her. She took a couple of steps, her eyes fixed on the bathroom door, checking if he had come out yet.
Then she headed straight for the bedroom door.
Her hands reached for the handle… but suddenly, she felt a hand grab her by the waist, pulling her back forcefully until her back was pressed against his chest, his breath hot against the back of her neck.
"Where do you think you're going, runaway… hmm?"
Her whole body tensed. She shoved him away with all her strength and turned to face him.
"What do you want from me?! Who are you?! Who sent you?! What's your goal behind this marriage?! Just explain it to me!"
She spoke loudly, but he silenced her by placing a finger over her lips as he stepped closer. She instinctively moved backward, her eyes wide with fear, searching for any escape route—but there was none. Her back hit the door behind her, and his arms caged her in from both sides.
"Your voice doesn't get raised when you speak to me. Who I am, what I want, and who sent me… that's none of your concern right now. You'll know when I decide you should—not the other way around."
His eyes moved between hers and her lips as he leaned even closer. Her heartbeat pounded loudly in her chest. The moment she realized how close he was getting, she suddenly slammed her head forward, striking his nose hard.
"Ahh! Are you crazy or what?!"
Nizar stumbled back, grabbing his nose as blood started to flow. He looked up at her just in time to see her fling the door open and run out of the room.
"What a disaster of a girl… I'll show you where this attitude will get you."
He rushed after her.
She ran down the stairs as fast as she could, almost jumping over the steps, her eyes locked on the main door—her only way out. But before she could reach it, she crashed into Jamal, Nizar's brother, who was just stepping out, dressed and ready to go to work.
Startled, he shouted instinctively and pushed her away, causing her to fall.
"I seek refuge in God from the devil… what on earth are you?! Where did you come from?!"
She quickly lifted her head, thinking it was Nizar—until she saw Jamal's face. She scrambled to her feet and grabbed his arm with both hands, her eyes wide and desperate.
Jamal froze, completely confused. He had no idea what his brother had done. He didn't know whether she was human or something else entirely.
"Please… help me…"
She whispered, tears gathering in her eyes.