Lisa's POV
I thought I knew what I was walking into. I thought that after everything that had happened, I would understand the risks Noha and I were taking. But the more I learned, the more I realized how far I still had to go.
The world Noha lived in was darker, more twisted than I ever imagined. The people he surrounded himself with, the choices he made—it all came with consequences. And I was right in the middle of it now.
No matter how much he tried to shield me from it, I couldn't unsee the things I had already witnessed. The bloodshed, the danger—it was part of his life, and now, it was part of mine too.
But even in the midst of all that, I couldn't bring myself to regret it. Not when I looked into Noha's eyes and saw the man I loved. Not when I felt his arms around me, holding me close, keeping me safe, even when it felt like everything else was falling apart.
Noha's POV
I couldn't keep doing this. I couldn't keep her in this world where everything was black and white, where nothing made sense, and where people got hurt without warning.
Lisa was a beacon of light in my otherwise dark existence. But the more I kept her close, the more I realized she was becoming a target. Every decision I made put her life in danger.
I had no right to drag her into this. I should've walked away from her the moment I saw her, the moment I realized how much she meant to me. But I didn't.
And now, I was too far gone to let her go.
Lisa's POV
That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind kept racing, turning over every moment I had spent with Noha.
His words from earlier—"This isn't your world. You don't belong here."—echoed in my mind. He was wrong. He didn't get it.
I didn't belong in his world, not in the traditional sense, but I belonged to him. And that was enough for me.
I grabbed my phone from the nightstand, checking for any messages. Nothing.
I felt the emptiness again, the same cold, aching feeling I had gotten used to since Noha pulled away. I had to talk to him. I couldn't just wait for him to come back.
I threw on my jacket and stepped out into the quiet night, determined to find him.
Noha's POV
I had already made my choice.
I had gone through with it—the plan. I had spoken to my men, made sure everything was in place. I had prepared myself for what was coming next, but I hadn't prepared myself for the fact that Lisa was still going to be here.
I tried to shut it out, tried to ignore the pull between us, but I couldn't.
I had taken all the precautions I could. I had kept her in the dark for so long. But now, she was more involved than I ever wanted her to be.
I needed to keep her safe. And that meant keeping her at a distance.
I dialed her number, but there was no answer.
Lisa's POV
I walked through the streets, trying to calm my racing heart, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was losing Noha. Every step I took seemed to pull me farther away from him, from the connection we shared.
I couldn't just sit back and let him push me away. He thought he was protecting me, but he didn't realize that pushing me out of his life was only making things worse.
I needed him to understand that I wasn't afraid. That I wanted to be a part of this, of him, no matter how dangerous it was.
I walked faster, my feet moving on their own.
Noha's POV
I wasn't prepared for her to show up. But there she was, standing in front of me, as if she had somehow known exactly where to find me.
"You shouldn't be here," I said, my voice harsher than I intended.
But she wasn't backing down. She wasn't running away.
"I'm not leaving," she said firmly. "Not until you tell me what's going on. Not until you stop pushing me away."
Lisa's POV
I wasn't going to give up. I wasn't going to let him shut me out anymore.
"Tell me the truth, Noha," I said softly, stepping closer to him. "You don't have to do this alone. Whatever you're facing, I'm with you. You don't have to protect me from the truth. I deserve to know."
He didn't answer right away. His eyes darkened, as if the weight of his decisions was crushing him. But I wasn't going to back down.
"I'm not afraid of you," I said, my voice unwavering. "And I'm not afraid of what's coming. I want to be with you. But only if you're honest with me."
Noha's POV
I looked at her, feeling something I hadn't felt in a long time—guilt.
She was right. I had been trying to protect her, but I had been doing it the wrong way. She wasn't a child. She wasn't someone who needed to be kept in the dark.
She was stronger than I gave her credit for.
But I wasn't sure I was strong enough to let her in completely. Not when everything around us was falling apart.
"I've been trying to protect you, Lisa," I said, my voice breaking. "But the truth is—I can't."
I took a step closer, my hand reaching out to touch her face. "The world I live in… It's not a place for someone like you. I never wanted you to see this side of me."
She didn't move away. Instead, she placed her hand over mine, her touch gentle but firm.
"I've seen it, Noha. I've seen enough to know who you really are. You're not just the mafia boss. You're someone who's been through hell, and I'm not going to run from that."
She was right.
She wasn't going anywhere.
And neither was I.
Lisa's POV
His words hit me hard. There was so much more to Noha than the cold, ruthless mafia boss I had met. He had been hurt, betrayed, and scarred in ways I could never fully understand. But I wasn't going to let that stop me from being by his side.
"I'm not afraid of you," I repeated, more quietly this time. "I'm afraid of losing you."
Noha's POV
I stared at her, feeling everything I had tried to ignore crashing down on me.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to feel something—hope.
I wasn't going to push her away anymore.
But I couldn't keep her safe in this world. I couldn't protect her from everything.
And yet, for the first time, I wanted to try.
Lisa's POV
I took a step forward, closing the distance between us. I placed my hands on his chest, looking up into his eyes. "No matter what happens, Noha," I whispered, "I'm with you. Always."
And for the first time, I saw a flicker of hope in his eyes. A sign that maybe—just maybe—we could make it through this together.