The constant beeping sound of the heart monitor filled the room. It was the only sound present. Saif had been in the room ever since Layla's surgery was confirmed successful, keeping an eye on every move or any signs of her consciousness.

If it was one thing he had to admit, it was her bravery by trying to change Abbas's plans for the worst and helping them put a tracker on his men. But, it was also her idiocy that made this happen and he couldn't help but shake his head, thinking back to the memory.

Saif finally took a seat on the chair beside her. He let out a slight chuckle and said, "What you did back there, I don't even know if I should congratulate or scold you."

He looked at her figure that lay unconscious. This was the most peaceful she had ever seemed.

"You're not as bad as you portray yourself to everyone. You don't have to put this mask on to fool them. You don't have to have them think that you're so evil, filled with impure intentions when you could show them your true colors," he spoke to her.

"All along, you were being controlled by your mother. She knew your brother wouldn't be able to be controlled, yet, she manipulated you in ways you were blinded by. It's time to wake up and let people know the true Layla. The one who makes her own choices and speaks her own thoughts," he said, "I'd know, because I watch over you every step you take"

While Saif spoke to her in her slumber, Tahir was experiencing Yasin's reaction to Mr. Amin returning from "the dead."

"Mr. Amin?" Yasin muttered under his breath of shock.

"Child, sit down. I didn't mean to startle you. I thought you were in the other room," Mr. Amin walked forward to take a seat beside Tahir.

Yasin grew confused on how he was so calm about his entrance. Wasn't this man buried months ago?

"But, I...we...you were buried and they never found you -"

Mr. Amin cut him off and said, "There's a reason they never found me. It's because I hid. I chose to make people believe I was no longer a part of this world, let alone, their worlds."

"But, how?" Yasin finally said from the stress that took over his mind.

While Mr. Amin began to explain everything to him, Tahir got up and decided to sit on the chair beside Anisa. He observed every feature of her face. Her plump lips which were always full of a crimson color, her perfect skin that was as soft as cotton, and her eyes that always held a spark.

To him, she was perfect. He had even accepted her imperfections. They were, what he thought, brought out her beauty.

He slowly intertwined their fingers and grasped her hand in a light manner. She had no support of them and he wanted to be that support. It was as though her hand was made to compliment his own.

"I'll be here the moment you wake up. I'm not going anywhere this time. I'm not leaving you...not again," he whispered as he kissed the palm of her hand, slowly.

"It's been hours and there's still no sign from her," Tahir explained to Dr. Maryam who was monitoring some of Anisa's vitals.

As she wrote some of the information down, she told him, "They say good things take time. She'll come around. Have you ever tried speaking your thoughts to her? Words you were never able to tell her?"

Tahir looked up at her and slowly shook his head, "She won't hear them, even if I wanted to."

"That's where you're wrong, Agent Tahir. Her mind is still awake, meaning her senses are also awake. She can feel and hear things. Even in a slumber like this, the human body tends to provide some source of hope. Talk to her, she'll listen. Convince her on why she must return," Dr. Maryam finished up her notes and gave Tahir a soft smile before leaving the room.

Once she closed the door, Tahir looked back at Anisa and sighed of exhaustion. He hadn't slept. Not since she was admitted to the hospital.

Layla had woken up and Yasin and Saif were tending to her needs. Mr. Amin also decided to visit her and let them know of his presence and inform them of his existence. All that was left was for Anisa to waken.

"You know, at first, I became your bodyguard to distract you and find out information only you had access to. But, I wasn't successful with that. Somehow, you found a way to distract me and make me feel things I can't describe," Tahir began, "It's why I wanted to distance myself at first. But then, you became the one thing I wanted to see everyday. The one thing I couldn't live without. I don't know how. But, it happened."

He let out a small chuckle thinking about the first time he made her cry when she snuck out early in the morning just to catch the sunrise.

"I'll also be the first to let you know that the tears you shed for the person I call father were all a waste," he looked down at his hands ,"He was never gone. But, that's his story to tell, not mine."

Tahir sighed. He leaned closer to rest his elbow on the side of the mattress.

"I just want you to open those eyes. The ones that held a spark as soon as they looked into mine. The ones that made me feel alert and content when I looked into them. I've come to realize, I'm nothing without you," he said, "I was born to take care of others. I never did something for my own worth. Not until you changed that the day you held me in your arms and said you were there for me."

He held her hand with both of his while he continued. "You're stronger than me for doing that. For letting me realize my worth. While no one ever asked me what I wanted, you made me realize that. While I grew up in solitude and strict conditions, you let me break those conditions. So, I beg you, Anisa, come back. Come back to me..."

"The agency doesn't have all the agents they once did. They're all out there doing the job of finding Abbas and I won't rest until that happens," Mr. Latif spoke to his assistant out of stress and anger.

She looked at him with horror in her eyes because it was one of those rants that she had no way out of.

"Why couldn't this problem be solved sooner? Because he held a remote location and kept Anisa hostage and now there's agents over there -"

Mr. Latif was disrupted by the ringing of his phone which caused him to curse under his breath. While he picked up the phone, his assistant found her chance to leave the room and sigh of relief.

"What is it," Mr. Latif answered.

"Sir, we've found someone but we don't have identification of her," an agent said.

"What do you mean? Describe her," Mr. Latif furrowed his eyebrows.

"She's average height, seems to be in her late fourties, not covered, brown hair -"

"Alright, just bring her in. Tell her that this all protocol and let her know that she'll be going somewhere safer than where she is now," Mr. Latif cut him off out of his impatience.

"Yes sir."

He hung up as soon as those two words were completed and looked around to realize that his assistant was no longer in the room.

"Of course she ran off," he spoke to himself.

In the meantime, Mr. Latif waited. He looked over some investigation reports and signed off certain contracts for the other facilities located in every continent of the country. Being the second director, aside from Mr. Amin, of this agency was no easy job. The pay was well. It was better than any price other organizations or firms would ever give him. But, he figured out why during his long ten years of being here.

Just as he finished off with the second to last page of a contract, he was alerted on the computer of the entrance of agents. He frowned before getting up from his seat and making his way towards the main corridor where he greeted them.

"I want good news," he told them

"Sir, we managed to gather evidence of any security performed in that remote location. This woman," the agent looked towards her, "also happened to be there."

Mr. Latif gave a long look towards the woman and told the agents, "take her to the interrogation room. I won't be speaking with her until we've got an identity on her."

"Yes, sir."

Two agents made their way, along with the woman to the interrogation room, while the others waited for further commands.

"I'd like to take a look at these footages you've gather. Come with me. The rest may disperse," Mr. Latif concluded.

They all nodded and while the rest of the agents went a different direction, one followed Mr. Latif to his office where they began to examine footage of the sim card they managed to find from the remote building.

As soon as he plugged it into the computer, they both took a seat and looked through each file.

"It looks like this only traces back a couple weeks," the agent informed

"Yes, and the woman seems to have come to the facility during the last two weeks," Mr. Latif added.

Both of them continued to watch every single footage. They began with the very first file which showed Abbas commanding his men certain orders. There was no audio, but their actions spoke loud enough.

The files from the first week included furniture being moved to the room. The second week consisted of a second room being planted just on the other side of the room with furniture. More furniture was being added and as Mr. Latif and the agent continued to watch, they were immersed into the situation.

"He was preparing this place, weeks before we ever got to the bottom of it," Mr. Latif growled.

They continued to watch and got to the third week where the woman was introduced to the second room. Abbas looked like he was giving her certain instructions. She seemed to have agreed to all of them but all out of force as she was brought by his men.

They watched the footage where the woman spent weeks in that room and had to read what looked like a script. She would pace around and read it, almost like she was memorizing it and this made them grow curious.

"Sir, I think this man is a serial killer. He's possibly the first threat we need to exterminate," the agent said as he watched what Abbas put the woman through.

"He hasn't killed her, what makes you say that?" Mr. Latif asked while keeping his attention on the screen.

"If you look just towards this corner of the camera's perspective, there's a gun, constantly positioned at that angle, connected to a base that can trigger it to shoot. We've seen many of these. Even with other clients. Hunters place them so they don't personally go into the woods and risk danger. They just monitor through a screen and press it to trigger the gun," the agent explained.

Mr. Latif looked closer and his eyes widened after seeing the gun. The agent was correct. The woman always had a gun pointed to her.

"She probably never knew about this. It seems well hidden. I mean, look at her. She's too comfortable to be walking around like this while a gun is positioned at her at all times," Mr. Latif pointed to the screen.

"I think we need to interrogate her, even without an identity. Something is wrong here," the agent said.

Mr. Latif nodded and paused the footage. They both left his office after grabbing the sim card. Once they made their way to the interrogation room, Mr. Latif instructed the agent to stay on the other side of the glass while he entered the room to interrogate the woman.

When he entered, she was pale, almost as though color was flushed out of her skin. It was clear that she was cring from the dry tears that surrounded her eyes.

"Ma'am, I'd like for you to state your first and last name," Mr. Latif asked.

It took her a few seconds. She didn't even look up at him to try and get a sense of what his motives were. But, she eventually, responded,

"Yasmeen Abadi."

A/N:

Hey guys! Here's a quick update. Not sure if I'm back to my old routine but I'm definitely going to update as soon as time is in my hands!😁 I hope you enjoyed it because this chapter covers A LOT if I do say so myself.

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

Thank you~