Lisa's POV
The morning after the chaos was a blur.
I sat in the corner of the safe house, my mind still reeling from everything that had happened. The gunshots, the traitor, the blood... It felt like a nightmare, but it wasn't. It was my reality now.
Noha hadn't said a word since the traitor's death. He had locked himself away in his office, his presence like a heavy weight on the air. I knew he was blaming himself, as he always did.
But I couldn't let him carry this alone anymore. I had to remind him that we were in this together, no matter how dark it got.
I stood up and walked toward the door, my resolve firm. I wasn't going to wait for him to come to me. I was going to go to him.
Noha's POV
I could hear her footsteps approaching before she even knocked.
I didn't want to see her. Not because I didn't care, but because I didn't know how to deal with her in this world. This world where betrayal and death were common, where love could so easily be destroyed.
But I couldn't keep pushing her away.
"Come in," I called out, my voice rough.
The door creaked open, and there she was. Lisa. Her eyes were full of determination, a quiet strength I hadn't seen in her before.
I couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt wash over me. She wasn't supposed to be part of this. She wasn't supposed to see the things she had seen.
But it was too late.
Lisa's POV
I stepped inside, closing the door softly behind me. The room felt too quiet, too heavy. Noha was sitting at his desk, his hands resting on the surface, his gaze fixed on something I couldn't see.
I hated seeing him like this. He was always so cold, but this... this was different. This was the aftermath of everything, and I could feel it in my bones.
I walked over to him, placing a hand on the back of his chair. "Noha, we need to talk."
He didn't look up, didn't acknowledge my presence. But I didn't care. I wasn't leaving until he heard me.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said, my voice steady. "I'm not afraid of what we're in, what you do. You can push me away, but I'm not going anywhere."
Noha's hand clenched into a fist on the desk, but he still didn't speak. His silence was suffocating.
I took a deep breath and sat down across from him. "You can't keep this all inside, Noha. You can't keep pushing me away, like I'm some fragile thing that can't handle it. I'm here with you. And I'm not leaving."
Noha's POV
I wanted to say something, wanted to tell her to leave, to run far away from this life. But I couldn't. The truth was, I didn't want her to go. Not anymore.
Her words hit me harder than I expected. "I'm here with you. And I'm not leaving."
The weight of her declaration crushed me, but it also stirred something inside me. It was a feeling I hadn't allowed myself to acknowledge. A feeling I had buried deep within the walls I had built around myself.
"I didn't want you to see this," I finally said, my voice low. "I didn't want you to get involved. This world is dark. It's dangerous. And I can't let you get hurt because of me."
"I'm already involved," Lisa replied softly. "And I'm not going anywhere."
Her words were simple, but they had a profound effect on me. For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to believe in something. To believe in her.
But then reality crashed in.
Lisa's POV
Noha's silence was heavy, but I could see the struggle in his eyes. The walls he had built around himself were crumbling, and I didn't know if I could stop them from falling.
But I had to try.
"I'm not afraid of you," I repeated, more firmly this time. "I'm not afraid of your past. I'm not afraid of your world. I'm here because I care about you. Because I love you."
Noha's eyes flickered with something—something I couldn't name. And for a moment, I thought he might say something, might open up and let me in.
But he didn't.
Instead, he stood abruptly, pacing the room, his hands running through his hair in frustration.
"I can't keep doing this," he muttered to himself, his voice low and harsh. "I can't keep putting you in danger."
Noha's POV
I could feel the pressure building, the weight of everything crashing down on me. Lisa had no idea what she was asking for. She didn't know the danger she was in.
I couldn't keep her safe in this world. Not when it was this dangerous. Not when the people I trusted were turning on me.
"I don't want you here," I finally said, my voice rough, as though saying the words would make it easier. "I don't want you to get hurt because of me."
But she wasn't backing down.
"I'm not leaving," she said firmly, her eyes never leaving mine. "Not now. Not ever."
Lisa's POV
Noha's words hurt, more than I wanted to admit. He didn't think I could handle it. He thought I would crumble under the weight of his world. But I wasn't going anywhere.
"You don't get to decide that," I said, my voice breaking for the first time. "You don't get to push me away like I don't matter."
He froze. His eyes softened for just a second, and I knew I had finally broken through.
But the moment was short-lived.
I could hear the distant sound of a car pulling up outside. Footsteps.
Something wasn't right.
Noha's POV
The sound of the car outside was unmistakable. I could feel my body tense, every muscle ready for the worst.
"They're here," I said, my voice low, as I moved to the window.
Lisa stood beside me, her eyes wide with fear, but I could see the resolve in them too.
She wasn't backing down.
I cursed under my breath. I hadn't wanted to drag her into this again. But it was too late now.
"We have to go," I said urgently. "Get your things."
I reached for my phone, my mind already working through the next steps. The enemies I had made were closing in, and there was no time to waste.
Lisa's POV
I followed Noha's lead, my heart pounding in my chest. I had never been more afraid in my life, but I wasn't going to let him face this alone. Not now.
"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice trembling.
"Just trust me," he replied, his eyes hard, but something softer underneath. "We'll get through this. Together."
And despite the fear that gripped me, I knew one thing for sure—I wouldn't leave him. No matter what.