His hands were bruised and they were bleeding.
But they were nothing compared to his heart.
"What are you talking about?". Her shaking voice snapped him out of his state, "I am not your wife. I never married you, you sick bastard".
She stands barely on her feet almost falling when she took hold of the wall behind her, standing on her feet looking directly at Awais.
"I never married this man. He is lying". She said trying to make her voice stable, "He is lying. He is lying".
He shakes his head blinking his eyes as he takes in her torn clothes and he immediately removes his jacket covering her properly asking his team to make sure none of them raises their head towards her but hides her away from anyone view.
He moves her in between his team and behind his body hiding her away from the man lying in his blood. He moves closer to the man poking his finger on his bruise as he hissed in pain.
"Remember this time and this pain before you ever touch her again. Because if I find you again even in a close radius of her, I won't spare you". He warned thunderous as he stepped back moving with her towards the car parked in a small distance
As she sits in the car everything starts to settle in making her want to vomit whatever she had inside of her. He passes her a water bottle with a pill to numb the pain and her overthinking knowing she needs it.
They enter inside the hotel and this time he picked the secret entry from behind the building that is made especially for them to hide her away from unnecessary curious eyes. He tightened the security taking her back to her room.
"Is your luggage still in?". He asked softly not wanting to startle her
She shakes her head wiping her tears away, "I sent the bags to your plane because I thought I will leave after the deal was done".
He nodded understanding, "I think we can find some clothes from the hotel since Anabia stays here from time to time. I will contact them to get something from their suite. You can relax until then".
She nodded meekly as she went inside her room taking a deep breath. Once she heard the main door closing, she broke down.
He went outside feeling the heaviness in his heart which he tried to surpass as he calls Usman informing him the need to find Anabia clothes for her which Usman ordered his secretary here to bring the clothes to him.
He placed the clothes in the room heading back to his room changing into more casual clothes as he knocked on her door waiting for her for some time and then the door finally opened.
He watches her red eyes and he hates this sight so much. He didn't want her to be sad but these days all he sees is her sadness.
He enters inside taking a deep breath as he sits on the couch waiting for her and she sits opposite of him playing with her hands.
"You don't have to tell me". He said softly even when his heart hurts to know, he has no rights, "All I want you to know is instead of running from it, why not face it all at once?".
"You think I can fight them?". She asked in a low voice, "It's been so long since I have been running, I can't even tell anymore if I have it in me to fight them all".
"You fought me day in and out". He said with a soft smile, "You fought someone like me knowing I could crush you if I want to. How is that they are someone you are scared of especially when they can't even hurt you?".
"How can't they hurt me?". She asked as she bites on her lips looking at him
"Because you have me by your side. You have all the top tiers by your side. All it will take is one moment for you to ask and they all will fight for you". He said smiling lightly
"Why will they do that?". She asked genuinely confused
"Sometimes your naivety in this matter scares me for my future". He said in a whisper watching an adorable frown appear on her face, "It is because you are my person, they now know you and care for you. We will protect our people".
She smiles gently for the first time in forever, "Ismael isn't my husband, I promise. I have been on the run since I was 18 and there is no way I would have married him if I left as I turn 18".
"Why does he claim rights over you?". He asked unsurely
She shrugged, "I have no idea. He had been blackmailing me for a while. He got my number from somewhere and since I appear in papers with you, he came to know about my arrival. I don't know what he wanted but I guess I know now".
"You didn't know what he wanted before?". He asked confused
She sighs, "I know what he wanted. He wanted me as his property for a long time and I rejected it because he was not a good man. I guess I hurt his ego because now he is throwing some rights over me which he doesn't have in the first place".
"If you ran away when you were 18 does that mean that man has been after you even before that?". He asked as his hands clenched because he looked older than him
She nodded hesitating watching the fury in his eyes, "He has been after me since I turned 15".
He banged his hand on the side of the couch startling her, "What about your family?. Why didn't anyone protect you?". He took a deep breath closing his eyes, "I am sorry. I shouldn't have asked that is your private matter".
She looks at his hand which was bruised badly. She went towards her room coming back with the first-aid kit sitting in front of him on her knees.
"Let me take care of your hand". She said softly as she takes the antiseptic out placing it over his wounds and he winces in pain, "Who told you to punch him until he dies?".
"You don't possibly think I will let any man be who thinks they can touch even a hair on your head?". His voice sounded rigid and dark making her shiver as she wraps the bandage over his hand
"You don't have to hurt yourself because of me". She said softly moving back to sit on the couch
"Not protecting you will hurt me even worse. I can take this kind of pain over a million times but not protecting you or letting anything harm you will only let me live peacefully". He said honestly
She sighs, "What am I supposed to do?. I don't want to worry your father again".
He frowns, "Baba knows about this?. He knows your past?".
She nodded smiling nervously, "Don't tell him anything. He has done enough for me I don't wish for him to worry at this age for me".
He shakes his head, "You just can't let people take care of you, do you?. It will worry them more if they don't take care of you or fail at doing that".
"I have been taking care of myself for so long that I don't know how to allow anyone else to take care of me". She said shrugging
"Then allow me to do it". He said looking in her beautiful eyes, "Let me be the first and the last person to care of you".
"How will you do that?". She asked confused
He needs a plan.
He went in his house thankful that his parents weren't home and he went straight to his room shutting the door loudly. The rage burning inside of him wasn't calming down. The feeling of that man all over her and claiming her right in front of him is driving him insane.
He wishes he killed him.
He dialled Akbar's number and he answered right away.
"I need your help right now". That's all he needed to say for Akbar to run to him
Akbar asked for his private plane right then taking it back to their home town. He enters inside the house that solely belongs to the top tiers whenever they want to come back to this country especially to keep them safe.
"What happened?". Akbar asked entering inside the office watching Awais eyes that held a deep grudge
"Laila". He said trying to calm down, "I need your help to settle her past that has awakened".
"You know for that we might have to dig into her past?". Akbar asked sitting on the couch, "It might take me a few seconds to find everything on her but it will also take a few seconds for you to break her heart if she finds that you did something like this behind her back".
Awais brushed his hand through his hair frustrated, "How am I supposed to protect her if I don't even know anything?".
"Has she ever asked you to protect her from her past?". Akbar asked and he shakes his head, "What I can tell you is that the best thing you can do is stay by her side and let her be the one to fight off her demon. If you truly want to do something then stay with her no matter how hard it gets and no matter how many times she pushes you away".
He nodded sighing, "Now I know how you must have felt".
Akbar smirks, "It good to see our solo boy finally having a girl. I can't wait to see how our bet will end. I think Usman is the worse one in all of us".
"You killed me through Zainab's phone when I called her and you call Usman worse?". He said rolling his eyes
"Oh, that". Akbar said shrugging, "If I see you talking to my wife again you might not live to have a life with your wife".
"With Laila, I don't even think I will live that long anyway". He said sighing looking at his hand which she delicately wrapped in a bandaged and these small moments between them is when he realised what he has for her is deep
He heard his phone ringing and watching Laila message about her family appearing on the door of her suite made him run to the hotel along with Akbar.
She looks at her parents for the longest time waiting for them to say anything when the door opened and in walked the two of them which made her a feel a little more secure.
"Why are you here?". She asked finally done with the silence
"We are here to bring you with us to the place you belong". Her father who rarely ever spoke in the years she had lived with him said
"What is that place exactly?". She asked again when he stands beside her and she feels the warmth spreading through her calming her racing heart
"To your husband". Her father snapped stopping her heart all at once
"What are you talking about?. I never married that filth". She shouted frustrated with this accusation, "I would have never married that man you were selling me to since I turned 15. If it wasn't for that activist keeping tabs at you, you would have sold me back then".
Those words ring louder than it should in his ears making his the similar burning fury rise within him again.
He clenched his hands.
"Who are you to decide what's best for you?. We have raised you and fed you for years and this is how you are acting?. You ran away from your house and made us bow our head in shame in front of everyone". Her mother screamed
"And you weren't ashamed by selling your daughter to that bastard?. That didn't make you lower your head?". She asked as tears brimmed her eyes, "I really thought that maybe this time when I see you, maybe you might have regretted it. But, it was all wishful thinking again. I shouldn't have hoped again and it still hurts the same".
He feels the need to embrace her watching the tears freely falling down her face making his heart clenched.
"Why are you doing this to me?". She asked angrily wiping her tears away, "I never married that man. That is the truth".
"Then what about this?". Her father said throwing the papers towards her which she catches quickly
She looks at the papers and her eyes widen.
"What is it about?". He asked anxiously watching the colour leaving her face
She turns to her, "There is my sign". She pauses as she feels her inside turning, "On the marriage agreement with him".
*****
What do you think is happening!?.