Chapter 19: A Vile Provocation.

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A Vile Provocation

†The Next Day†

It was Wednesday, just twenty minutes past eleven, Zayn was getting ready to go to the hospital. He had recently ended a call with Marium. She had called to inform him that she had discovered something from the blood analysis she had taken the previous day. There was some kind of alteration in the patient's system and she needed him to come to see for himself what she found.

He sat on the bed, adjusting his tie when he heard the door open and his grandmother emerged from there. She closed the door behind her and he studied her movement as she walked toward him with a soft smile playing on her lips. Her way of approach lightened up his mood and he was forced to smile back at her.

"Konichiwa Inna( Hello Inna.)" He said to her in Japanese which was the secret language his grandmother used to communicate with him and his younger brother. She taught them how to speak Japanese because of the close bond they shared and it was fun having a secret language just between her and her grandchildren.

"Ogenki desu ka? (how are you?)" He questioned, knowing that he had not seen her since morning, yet they stayed under the same roof together. He was not to blame for that as he had been busy with work and studies in the past two days.

"Hai, daijoubu (Yes, I'm fine)"She answered, then sat next to him on the bed. Zayn stopped whatever he was doing, giving her his full attention. He knew she had come to discuss something private with him, he understood that from her body language.

"There is something I want to discuss with you, Habibi." She confirmed his doubt.

"What is it, Inna?" He examined her expression and saw worry in her eyes. She looked wearily delicate.

"Did you meet with your father?" On hearing that he turned away from her in silence. There was no need to deny it since she already knew.

"Yes." He nodded, looking down at his shoelaces. He knew what she was going to say next and he was going to give her an honest reply even if it meant betraying the old man. From their last meeting, he was forced to convince himself that the entire family deserved to know their father's whereabouts and how things were with him.

"How is he?"

"He is fine." He answered plainly. A small smile appeared on grandma's face upon hearing that. Silence fell upon them, during which Zayn tied up his shoelaces, hoping that she didn't have any more questions for him but soon her voice broke the small silence:

"I know your father, he is a great man who is trying to make a difference. He wanted to do many things and he wanted to change the world." Zayn narrowed his eyes. He knew how much his grandmother loved her son and how ready she was to always defend him. When he was a child she would come, saying nice things about the Professor to him so he didn't hate him for not living up to his responsibility as a father. "I believe his actions are in everyone's interest." She paused, turning to her grandson so she could look him in the eye. "He is doing whatever he's doing today to protect every one of us."

"Pushing his family away won't help anyone" zayn retorted, standing up to pull his hair into a ponytail.

"Maybe pushing away his family was the last option he had." He threw a swift look at her, his eyes held in them disbelief.

"Stop it, grandma," He struggled to make his tone as light as possible." you're always defending him while you know he is literally being selfish." He walked up to the dresser and picked up his silver wristwatch from there.

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