Lisa's POV
I didn't sleep that night.
Not because I was scared.
Not because something bad happened.
But because something beautiful did.
Noha kissed me.
Noha—cold, silent, dangerous Noha—held my face like I was glass. Like if he pressed too hard, I'd break. Like he'd never forgive himself if I did.
And when our lips touched?
It wasn't fireworks.
It was a storm inside my chest—slow, heavy, real.
But now, sitting in my room under the covers, watching the sunrise... all I could feel was confusion.
What am I to him?
He didn't say it.
He didn't need to.
But I felt it in that kiss.
Still, something about him felt far away. Like there was a whole world between us—and I didn't know how to cross it.
Noha's POV
She kissed me.
Correction—I let her kiss me.
And I kissed her back.
And that kiss… it nearly tore me in two.
Because for one second—just one—I forgot everything.
I forgot who I was.
What I've done.
Who I've lost.
But now? It's morning.
And the guilt's back.
Lisa doesn't belong in my world.
She smiles too much. She talks too sweet. She believes in things like kindness and honesty.
My world doesn't have that.
My world has blood and money and betrayal. Guns and fear. Broken rules and dead men.
And yet... I can't stop thinking about her.
How do I tell her this?
How do I tell her I'm a man with blood on his hands—who kissed her with lips that have spoken death?
Lisa's POV
"Lisa!" my mother shouted from downstairs.
"Yes?" I called back, snapping out of my daydream.
"Get ready. We're going to your aunt's house."
I sighed. I wasn't in the mood for small talk and tea.
But I couldn't say no. Not to her. Not with how strict my parents already were.
I wanted to scream I kissed a mafia boss last night, just to see their faces.
But no. That truth wasn't ready to come out yet.
Neither was I.
I put on a soft pink kurti, tied my hair in a neat bun, and slipped into my sandals like a good daughter.
But inside?
I felt like I was living a double life.
And only one part of me felt real.
The part that kissed Noha.
Noha's POV
I sat in the back room of the bar—my bar.
Smoke curled in the air. Cards shuffled on the table. Men around me laughed and cursed and drank like kings.
But I couldn't hear any of it.
I just kept seeing her.
And then—
"Boss," Kareem called out, his voice sharp.
"What?" I snapped.
"There's talk."
My jaw tightened. "What kind of talk?"
"Someone spotted your car last night. Said you weren't alone."
My fists clenched. "They saw her?"
"Not clearly. But there are whispers. The men are asking questions."
I stood up.
Everyone around the table went silent.
"I don't care if they're curious," I said coldly. "But if anyone touches her—if anyone says her name—I'll kill them where they stand."
The room froze.
Because I never raised my voice. I never made threats twice.
And I never—ever—protected someone like that before.
They knew something had changed.
Hell, I knew it too.
Lisa's POV
When I got home that evening, I had twenty missed calls.
All from Unknown Number.
My heart raced.
I stepped into my room, locked the door, and immediately called back.
He answered after one ring.
"Are you okay?" I asked, breathless.
"I should be asking you that," he said darkly. "Have you been followed?"
"No—why? What's going on?"
He sighed, his voice lower than usual. "People are watching me. Which means they might be watching you soon."
"Why?" My stomach dropped.
"Because I've broken my rule."
"What rule?"
"I got close."
My chest tightened. "Close to what?"
"You."
Noha's POV
She doesn't get it.
I told myself I wouldn't feel again. I told myself my heart was buried with her—the one before Lisa.
The girl I loved. The girl I lost.
But Lisa came into my life like a match to gasoline.
And now, I can't burn her out of me.
She doesn't know who I really am. What I've really done.
And the longer I keep the truth from her—the more she's going to hate me when she finds out.
But still…
I can't let her go.
Not now.
Not after that kiss.
Lisa's POV
I stood by my window after the call, staring into the night.
And then I whispered a prayer I didn't understand:
"Please… don't break me."
Because I was already falling.
And I don't think I'd survive the crash.