It's Complicated

Chapter Nineteen

The atmosphere was extremely tense as Maya, Karam and Hasan glanced at each other warily.

Five minutes passed since Kanz asked her question and no one uttered a word. 

On the other hand, Giovanni sat looking at Kanz without even blinking, guilt written all over his face. The scenes he just watched were surely going to engrave themselves in his mind. He couldn't believe how much terror Kanz was put through and how she has survived, only for him to make her life worse when all she wanted was to live peacefully. 

"Who is Ali?" Kanz repeated, her voice almost a whisper.

"He..." Isaac cleared his throat, "He was your fiancé."  

Kanz's breath hitched at what she heard and she looked at Maya with eyes full of tears, she saw her best friend moving closer to where she was sitting. Maya squeezed Kanz's hand tightly as she looked at her sympathetically. 

"A-and where is h-he now?" Kanz asked the question she feared the most and her assumptions were clearly confirmed by the look Maya gave her.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart." Maya apologized, her own tears falling freely. She remembered that day as if it was yesterday and she couldn't bear the idea of her best friend suffering all over again because of the incident. 

Kanz pulled away from Maya as if she was burned, she stood abruptly and looked around her in daze and through blurred vision, she felt her chest tightening as she began to massage it with her hand. 

"I will always be around to protect you, that's a promise." The words echoed through her head and she closed her eyes tightly.  

"When we get out of here, I will make sure to erase every bad memory and experience you went through.. we will be fine, don't worry."

She opened her eyes and looked at Maya, "He promised me we will be okay.." She whispered and Maya's eyes widened.

"Do you remember anything?" Giovanni spoke immediately as he got up and walked towards Kanz, making sure to stay at a safe distance.

Kanz shook her head in return, "N-no, I just remembered what he said once but I still can't remember where we were or what we have been through." 

"No need to pressure yourself, you will remember gradually. No need to worry.." 

Kanz sighed tiredly and glanced at all of them at once, "I'm sorry how today turned out but I need to have some time alone." And without waiting for anyone's reply, she walked out of the living room.

They heard the door to her room close and everything fell into silence for a couple of minutes. 

"What happened that day?" Karam uttered his first question as he looked at Maya directly.

"You already know what happened, why are you asking?" She answered as she directed her gaze to the blank screen.

"Clearly there is more to the story we knew." He seethed, losing his patience quickly. 

Maya glared at him fiercely, "What's the point in knowing now anyway?"

"So there is something more?" Karam asked, already getting the confirmation he needed. 

She started fidgeting with her bracelet, a clear sign of her nervousness, "I'm going to check on Kanz." She mumbled and turned around to walk in the direction of Kanz's room.

"Stop right where you fucking are, turn around and tell me what happened that day." Karam said, boiling with rage.

"Watch it, Karam." Hasan warned as he stood between his friend and his sister.