chapter 2

The next morning, the house was unusually still. The air casried the faint smell of freshly brewed coffee and warm bread. Faiz had woken up early then usual not for business, not for calls but for her. He stood in the kitchen, awkward at first, his sleeves rolled up as he tried to prepare breakfast. It wasn’t perfect, but it was sincere eggs, toast, tea, and a touch of effort he wasn’t used to giving anyone.

When he was done, he carried the tray upstairs, pausing for a moment outside her door. For a man who had faced enemies, gunfire, and betrayal, that simple wooden door felt heavier than all of it.

He knocked softly. “Amina,” he said, his voice quiet but firm. “Good morning. I made breakfast for you.”

The door opened slowly. Amina stood there in her hijab, her face calm but distant. She looked at him for a brief second, her expression unreadable.

“I appreciate it,” she said politely.

He followed her downstairs, where she sat down at the table and began to eat quietly, gracefully, without a single word. The silence between them was thick, almost painful. Faiz sat across from her, his eyes searching her face, trying to find something a spark, a trace of of warmth, anything.

Finally, he spoke. “Amina,” he said softly. I’m your husband. Please… tell me what’s wrong. Didn’t you like the university? or is it something else.

She stopped eating. Slowly, she looked up at him, her voice steady but cold.

“No, Mr Faiz. I don’t like anything here.”

His eyes darkened slightly, but he stayed silent.

“ Not the house,” she continued, her tone heavy with restrained pain. “Not this life. And not you.”

The words struck him like glass shattering in the quiet room. For a moment, he couldn’t breathe. She stood, pushing her chair back gently. Without another word, she took her bag and walked toward the door.

The sound of her heels on the marble echoed like a heartbeat fading away. The driver opened the door for her, and within seconds, the car pulled out of the gate.

Faiz remained at the table, staring at the untouched tea in front of him. His hands tightened around the cup as a quiet ache settled in his chest an ache he didn’t know how to silence.

He had built empires, commanded men, and made the world bend to his will. But this… this was something he couldn’t control.

And for the first time in his life, power felt useless.

The library was quiet that afternoon, sunlight spilling through the tall windows and dust dancing in the golden air. Amina sat by the far window surrounded by her books, her focus sharp but her heart somehow far away.

She thought she was alone until she heard the low, familiar voice behind her.

“Amina,”

She froze. The pen slipped from her fingers. Slowly, she turned and there he was. Faiz. Dressed in black, calm, unreadable but his eyes carried a weight she’d never seen before.

“Why did you?” She began.

“I understand,” he interrupted softly, stepping closer. His tone was commanding this time it’s was quite, almost raw. “I understand that you don’t like this. I understand that I took your life over without your permission.”

Her eyes narrowed, a thousand emotions crossing her face.

“Then why?” She asked, her voice trembling. “Why would you d that to me?”

For a moment, he looked at her and the silence between them said everything he couldn’t say yet admit. His jaw tightened, his gaze shifting away.

“I have a reason,” he said finally, his voice low, almost pained.

“What reason?” She pressed, her tone sharp now, desperate for an answer.

He didn’t speak. He just stood there, looking away, his expression unreadable.

Faiz took a slow breath. “You’ll find out one day,” he said quietly. “But today.” Then his voice shifted gaining strength, the steadiness of a man who had made his choice. “All I ask is a chance. If you don’t shut me out, if you let me prove myself… maybe we can make this work.”

He stepped closer, his gaze locked on hers, the tension thick enough to stop time. “But if it’s doesn’t work,” he continued, his tone deep and certain, I’ll let you go. I’ll take you back to your home town, to your world. I’m a man of my words. Amina.

For a long quiet moment, she said nothing. The words hung between them like a fragile thread. Then, slowly, she nodded. No promises, no trust just a quiet acknowledgement that maybe, somewhere inside her anger, she wanted to believe him.

Faiz’s lips twitched not a smile, but something close. “That’s all I needed,” he said softly, before turning to leave.

As he walked away, Amina sat there her heart pounding. Something inside his voice, in his restraint, had shaken her more than any of his power ever could.

Days passed quietly after that meeting in the library. Something in the air between them had shifted it wasn’t warm yet, but it’s wasn’t cold either. Amina kept her distance, but the edge in her voice had softened. And Faiz… he kept his words. He didn’t command, didn’t control, he simple waited, patient for once in his life.

One evening, as the call to prayer echoed softly through the city, Amina sat in the garden, her book opened but unread. The scent of jasmine filled the air. She looked up when she heard footsteps slow deliberate, familiar.

Faiz.

He didn’t sit until she gave the small nod. Then he lowered himself onto the bench beside her, keeping a respectful distance. For a long moment, they both watched the orange sky fade into deep gold.

“I told you,” he said quietly, breaking the silence,” I wouldn’t force you into anything. So… tell me what you want. Anything.”

Amina looked at him, cautious but curious. “Anything?”

He nodded, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Anything.”

She hesitated, then said, “let’s start simple. Tell me something about you that isn’t in the paper.”

He gave a small almost amused laugh, a sound she’d never heard from him before. “That’s easy,” he said.” I hate silence. Always have. I used to fill it with noise, meeting, business, people but now…” his eyes drifted toward her.

“Now I don’t mind it so much.”

Amina’s heart skipped slightly, though she kept her tone steady. “Your turn,” he said. Tell me something about yourself.”

She smiled faintly, looking down. “I talk to myself when I read. Sometimes I even argue with the book.”

Faiz’s lips curved into a genuine smile.” That explains a lot,” he said softly, and she gave him a small, surprised laugh.

The sound light, real, unguarded, did something to him. It was the first time he’d heard her laugh without fear or anger, and for that moment, the world felt simple again.

As the evening deepened, they talked small things at first. And when she finally stood to leave, he didn’t stop her. He only said, quietly, “Thank you for talking to me.”

She turned slightly, meeting his gaze. “Thank you for listening,”

She replied.

That night, long after she had gone upstairs, Faiz sat alone in the garden, staring at the sky. For the first time, he didn’t think about business, or power, or deals.

He thought about her the way she had smiled, the softness in her voice and realizing that maybe, this was what he’d been searching for all

The morning air was soft and warm when Amina stepped outside, the sky brushed with pale gold. She saw Faiz standing by the car, dressed simply, his sunglasses resting on his shirt.

“Where are we going?” She asked, suspicious but calm.

He smiled faintly. “You’ll see.”

They drove for hours, leaving behind the noise of Kuala Lumpur until the air turned salty and the scent of the ocean drifted through the open windows. When they finally stopped, she stepped out and her breath caught.

Before them stretched the blue horizon, waves rolling gently against a private dock where a large white boat rocked with the tide.

“What is this?” She asked quietly.

“Our escape,” Faiz said. “Just two days. No business, no people just the sea.”

She hesitated, looking at the water, then back at him. “You I don’t trust completely yet.”

He nodded.” That’s fair. I didn’t bring you here to make you trust me, just to let you breathe.”

For the first time, she saw a different side of him calm, almost human, stripped of all his power. Stripped out of all his power.

They boarded the boat. His men stayed behind on shore, and soon it was just the two of them gliding across the endless blue. The sound of the waves, the cry of distant seagulls, the warmth of the sun it was freedom.

Amina stood by the edge, wind tugging at her hijab, her eyes reflecting the ocean. Faiz watched her from behind, silent. She looked peaceful and that peace felt sacred.

Later, as the sun began to set, he joined her on the deck.” I didn’t know you liked the sea,” he said softly.

“I didn’t know I did either,” she replied.

He smiled. “Then I’m glad I brought you here.”

They ate dinner on the boat grilled fish, fruit, and mint tea. No luxury, just quiet simplicity. Amina laughed once when the wind almost blew her cup away, faiz caught it just in time.

For a moment, their hands almost touched almost. and when she looked up, she saw something in his eye she hadn’t noticed before: guilt, yes… but also warmth.

The night, under the stars, she sat on the deck, whispering a quiet prayer. Faiz. stayed inside, but he could hear her voice through the stillness. And in that moment, he realized that her peace was something he wanted to protect even if it meant losing her one day.

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