Noha's POV
The morning came too quickly. I had barely slept, my mind still racing with the decisions I had to make, with the constant fear that Lisa was no longer safe, even in the supposed sanctuary of this old house.
As I stood in front of the cracked mirror in the small bathroom, I saw the reflection of the man I had become—hardened, cold, and far too familiar with bloodshed. I had made a choice when I let Lisa into my life, but I had never truly grasped the magnitude of it.
No one was ever truly safe in my world. The mafia didn't allow for second chances or happy endings.
And yet, there she was, still with me. Lisa was still here, even after everything she had learned, even after everything I had put her through. I didn't deserve her.
But I wasn't going to let her go. Not now.
I stepped away from the mirror, the weight of the decision pressing on my chest. It was time for me to stop hiding the truth from her.
She deserved to know everything. Even if it meant pushing her further away.
Lisa's POV
I sat at the kitchen table, stirring my coffee absentmindedly. My mind kept drifting back to last night—the look in Noha's eyes when he said, "Together." There was a resolve in him that I couldn't ignore. But I still hadn't figured out what it meant for us.
Was this really how I wanted my life to be? Wrapped up in the danger of his world, where violence and fear were the only constants?
But then I thought about how hard Noha fought to keep me safe, how he tried to protect me from everything—even from himself. His world was a dark one, but I saw the light in him when he let his guard down. I saw a man who had been through hell, who had suffered loss in ways that no one should have to.
And in the middle of all that pain, there was me. And I couldn't leave him.
I couldn't walk away from the one person who, despite his flaws and darkness, had made me feel alive in ways I never imagined.
Noha's POV
I walked into the kitchen, my eyes locking with Lisa's. She was sitting at the table, her expression unreadable, but I knew her well enough to know that something was on her mind.
"Lisa," I said, my voice steady but heavy with unspoken words. "We need to talk."
Her eyes met mine, her gaze searching, as if trying to figure out what was coming.
She didn't answer right away, but I could tell she was ready to hear whatever I had to say.
"I've been hiding things from you," I said, sitting down beside her. The words felt like a weight on my chest, suffocating me. "Things that you need to know. Things that could change everything for us."
Lisa didn't say anything at first. She just waited, her fingers gripping the edge of her coffee cup.
"You already know I'm not who I seem to be," I continued, my eyes darkening as I thought about the mafia, the bloodshed, the world I had come from. "But there's more to it. More than you could ever imagine."
Her eyes flickered with understanding, but she didn't interrupt me.
"I'm not just a mafia boss. I didn't get here by chance. I've fought my way to the top. And the people I've hurt, the people I've killed… they're not just names on a list. They're part of a world that's as much mine as it is theirs."
I paused, waiting for her to speak, but Lisa remained silent. Her gaze was steady, but I could see the concern in her eyes. The fear.
"The woman I loved," I whispered, the words tasting bitter on my tongue, "the woman I thought I would marry… she's dead. And I'm the reason she's gone."
Lisa's POV
I felt my heart tighten as Noha's words sank in. He was talking about her—his ex-girlfriend. I had known bits and pieces of the story, but hearing it like this, hearing the rawness in his voice, was a different kind of pain.
"I didn't mean for her to die," Noha's voice broke, his eyes staring at the table as though the weight of his past was too much to bear. "But I was too deep in it—too deep in the mafia. I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her."
I reached out, placing my hand over his. He flinched, his jaw clenched, but he didn't pull away.
"Noha…" I whispered, trying to find the words to comfort him. But how could I? His pain was so much bigger than I could comprehend.
"I've been living with that guilt every day since she died," he said, his voice hoarse. "And it's not just about her. It's about everything I've lost—everything I've destroyed. I've built my empire on blood, Lisa. And I've dragged you into it."
I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how to fix this.
But then I realized something. He was telling me this not to push me away, but to bring me closer. He was showing me his vulnerability, his deepest wounds, because he trusted me. Because he loved me.
I gently squeezed his hand. "I'm not going anywhere, Noha. No matter what."
Noha's POV
Her words hit me harder than I expected. I had been bracing for her to leave, to run from me and the mess I had made of my life. But instead, she was holding me, telling me she wasn't afraid.
"I'm not asking you to forgive me," I said quietly. "I don't deserve that."
Lisa shook her head, her fingers tracing the lines of my palm. "Noha, I don't need you to be perfect. I just need you to be real with me. And you've done that. You've shown me who you are—the good and the bad. That's all I can ask for."
I looked at her, my heart swelling with emotions I couldn't name. No one had ever looked at me the way she did. No one had ever been able to make me feel like I mattered.
"I'm sorry for everything," I whispered. "For dragging you into this world. For making you a target."
Lisa smiled softly, her eyes filled with so much love that it made my chest tighten. "I'm not afraid of you, Noha. I'm afraid of losing you."
And in that moment, I knew. I knew that despite everything, despite all the dangers and darkness, we were stronger together.
Lisa's POV
I reached up, brushing my fingers against his cheek, feeling the roughness of his skin, the stubble that had grown overnight. His eyes were dark, filled with so many emotions, but there was something else in them now.
Hope.
And that was enough.