- Recap -

"Abbas, you think that you're going to marry me by threatening me with a stranger?" She looked up at him with a frown.

Abbas chuckled and said, "This is where it gets interesting," he leaned close to her ear as he placed his hands on her shoulder, "She's no stranger. She's the first wife of the late King. So, that practically makes her your mother."

Her world was crumbled. Her whole life, she was told that her mother passed away during labor of another child. But, what was going on here?

"You're.... you're lying," Anisa told Abbas in denial. "My mother is dead."

"Is that what your father told you?" Abbas asked in amusement.

He circled around her one more time, allowing her to look closely at the woman across from her. Anisa was able to see her. But, the woman wasn't able to on her end.

"I guess he covered up a lie so well. Poor Anisa. You really have so much going on with your family and yet you're so busy trying to avenge your old bodyguards life," he said, "He's a no one. Not even related to you by any means. Yet, you should've paid more attention to your family."

Anisa stood silent. What he said was true. But, Mr. Amin was like family to her. It's just the part where she should've paid attention to her own stabbed a wound in her chest.

"Your mother was always alive. She only wanted to leave the royal family and eventually ended up leaving you as well," Abbas continued to explain.

"She... she'd never do that," her tears streamed down her cheeks.

"But, she did," Abbas said, "Don't you see the look on her face. She's happily knitting that sweater in her chair, not giving a care for the world."

"No, stop talking, please. I don't want to hear it," she begged as her tears only continued to fall.

Her heart ached more than it ever had. Her mother was alive and it took 26 years for her to find out.

"It's the truth. She begged to leave. At that time, my late father took her in and made sure that she was never seen in the public eye again. And, here I am, tending to her needs til this day," he continued.

Anisa shook her head in denial as she was whimpering from the aching of her heart. She couldn't help but pause when Abbas finally asked, "Would you like to meet her?"

"I tried everything. I brought him his dinner but he hasn't even lifted a fork," Saif explained to Mr. Latif, who also grew worried of Tahir's well being.

"What's gotten him like this? At first, there was worry written all over his face. Now, he seems afraid of something," Saif questioned.

Mr. Latif knew exactly what had made Tahir this way. His last statement had an effect on him for the worse. It only woke him up to a reality he was avoiding.

While him and Saif spoke, Nadia was in the room with Tahir, sitting beside him.

"Why can't you just eat to keep yourself alive?" She nagged.

Tahir didn't respond and kept looking into the distance with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I get that you won't rest until you find the princess, but why does this effect you so much?" She continued to ask questions.

Eventually, she sighed from frustration and said, "I really don't get you anymore. This isn't you. You've changed."

Tahir turned his head to face her with a poker face. He wasn't phased at all. But, he wanted to know where Nadia was going with this statement.

"You'd never let anyone get to you like this. I have been by your side all these years and seeing this happen to you now, it's like watching a different person," she shook her head from disappointment

Tahir turned back to look into the distance and replied, "I'm still the same person. It's you who has been odd lately."

Just then, the door opened with an agent reporting, "We've got a match on the last person to meet with Abbas."

Instantly, both Nadia and Tahir stood up to follow the agent into the interrogation room where they were met with Prince Walid sitting on the other side of the table.

Tahir angrily leaned towards him and aggressively hit the table, causing a loud noise and a sudden flinch from Prince Walid.

"If you know where she is, I suggest you speak NOW," Tahir growled through gritted teeth.

"I promise you. All I did was ask for his reports that day. I don't know anything else," Prince Walid put his hands up in surrender.

Tahir grabbed him by his collar with force that brought his head up as he said, "Anisa could die because of your lie! I suggest you speak up before I make you!"

"Ok, ok," he sighed heavily in defense, "Abbas wanted to know about her schedule. He asked because he said he was going to hold a surprise for her for all she's done for the administration. But, why is this such a big deal?"

"He kidnapped her!" Tahir snapped back.

"What?" Prince Walid genuinely looked shocked, "But, he said he was –"

Tahir cut him off and said, "You're a coward."

He left through the door and Nadia watched him. She couldn't recognize him a few seconds ago. He didn't seem human. He seemed like a monster just recently.

She hated the effect Anisa had on him. Nothing good came out of it and here he was, tearing himself and the whole place down.

Anisa watched as a whole tray of food was placed just across from her on the coffee table. Abbas walked in shortly and realized the tears that we're still present on her face.

"Aww, don't look at me like that Anisa. I might just fall for you," he said.

She slowly shook her head at him. As much as it was hurting and as much as she was in pain, she couldn't tolerate him anymore.

"Have something before you accuse me of starving you to death," Abbas pointed to the food that the maid left.

She only glared at him but even then, her facial muscles had given up from her numbness and despair. She looked lifeless.

"Fine then. I'll just get right to business," he sighed, folding his hands together while placing them on his knee. "I will only let your mother go if you choose to marry me and make it seem that you did it out of love in front of the country."

"I will never marry you," she barely uttered.

"Oh, I don't think that's smart. If you choose not to," he stood up from his seat to control the lights in the room her mother was in. Anisa gasped out loud after seeing that there was a gun pointed to the side of her mother's head.

She saw her tears and read the pain on her face while her mother kept shaking her head, telling her "no."

Somehow, she knew Anisa was watching her.

Anisa frantically rushed towards Abbas and grabbed him by the collar while begging him, "LET HER GO!"

"Her life is in your hands Anisa. You're the one making the choice," Abbas simply reminded her.

"She did nothing wrong! LET HER GO!" Anisa cried as though she'd never see the life of tomorrow. She began to lose balance and Abbas placed his hands on her arms to support her.

"I suggest you be smart before making a decision. With just one motion of my hand, your mother could die because you made the wrong choice," he whispered in her arm.

Anisa was panting from being out of breath. She was already drugged when getting here and made sudden movements that threatened her health.

She couldn't watch her mother die. She couldn't afford to lose her again. After sobbing and thinking things through, she slowly looked up and told him, "Fine, I'll marry you."

The Moon's presence welcomed the night and the agency was still unsuccessful in getting Tahir to perform the simple practices of a human.

Mr. Latif sighed and walked into the room in which he sat, staring at the device's screen for any updates.

"You think she would want to see you like this?" He began

Tahir looked up and looked back to the screen without saying anything.

"I know she wouldn't. She's not the type who enjoys seeing others in pain and neither are we," Mr. Latif added, "I realize you've been through worse and you've grown traumas that you never speak of. But, hiding your weakness only makes things worse."

Mr. Latif took a seat beside him.

"That's why you I want you to go and talk to someone."

Tahir looked back at him with a questioning expression.

"Go to her. Go to your mother."

"You think I'll let her see me like this?" Tahir replied.

"She's seen you in far worse situations. I'm sure she'll be fine," Mr. Latif told him.

Somehow, after a period of silence, Tahir stood up from his chair and left the room, leaving Mr. Latif to ease up and comfortably breathe.

Tahir drove just yen minutes to arrive at the facility his mother was held at. After going through security, he finally stood just outside of her door and took a deep breath before entering.

His mother, Safiya looked up from the book she was reading and lowered her glasses, surprised to see him at such a random moment.

"Tahir?"

"Mama, how have you been?"

She was able to sense the distress in his question so she replied, "Better than you, it seems like."

He sighed and rested his head on the wall after taking a seat.

"Tell me, what's bothering you?" She raised her brow.

Tahir took his time to answer her. He thought long and hard about opening up.

His mother was his last remaining family and one of the people he's trusted the most. So, he finally said, "I'm in pain."

"Where?" Safiya asked.

Tahir slowly pointed to his chest on the side where his heart was and told her, "This place. I've taken bullets, I've taken stabbings, but, this is unbearable."

His mother softened up and tried to put the situation together. Tahir was never straightforward with his words. He liked to let the other person play a puzzle game. So, she thought back to the last time Anisa visited her.

"Is it because of the princess?" She finally asked.

Tahir looked up at her, coming back to his senses, "How did you know?'

Safiya sighed, "I had a feeling that one of you would end up getting hurt," she looked straight into his eyes, "But I wasn't expecting it to be you."

"How did you figure out it was the princess?" He asked her again.

"That kind girl came to visit me not long ago," Safiya smiled remembering that day.

"Why? How?" He asked.

"She has her ways. After all, she is the princess," she replied, "And as for the why, she came to ask for my acceptance."

"Acceptance?"

"She basically proposed instead of you," she scolded him, "She asked for my permission to love you and be able to be with you without committing any sins.'

Tahir couldn't believe Anisa. She went to the extent of seeing his mother and even proposing before he ever got the chance.

"Now, I don't know what happened between the two of you but, I'm assuming she's in grave danger," Safiya interrupted his thoughts, "You also know how secretive of a man your father was. So, I will tell you something that should help you."

Tahir was confused yet he didn't ask anymore. His mother was going to say it anyway. But, none of this was making sense.

"Two weeks before your father died, he visited me and made me promise him a secret that was worth his sacrifice," she explained, "He said that if Anisa ever got into grave danger, you look back to the palace that burned down."

A/N:

Did any of you guys get the chills? I certainly did for some reason.

Either way, I hope I didn't make you guys wait so long. Here's another suspense-filled chapter!

Don't forget to show this book some love by hitting that star button and commenting wherever you'd like ☺️

Thank you~