- Noor's POV -

It's been almost two weeks since I lashed out at Yasir. I didn't mean to... I went there to prove him wrong. I went there to win against Nadira but I didn't have the patience. I couldn't stand there, watching him mope over Nadira, the same woman who's ripping him to shreds.

I knew, I'm not stupid, I knew I was just a pawn in his game of despair. But I couldn't help it. He was just so sweet sometimes and I instantly melted every single time.

"Did Yasir find the ring?" Amma asks.

I shake my head. "Nope, no news from him."

"He hasn't come by for a while, is everything okay?" She asks.

I nod. "Yes! He's just really busy with work. I've barely been able to get a hold of him."

"You're such a clumsy girl." Amma sighs. "I knew he shouldn't have trusted you with such an important thing. How could you just lose it?"

I shouldn't have trusted him with my heart. Why did he break such an important thing?

"I literally don't know! It just slipped off!" I hate lying to my mother. I hate it so much but I can't tell them.

I don't know when I'll tell them but not now... not until I talk to Yasir again.

"I'm going to visit him today." I say.

"You should go visit him today." My mom says at the same time as me.

We both start laughing.

"Ya Allah, he's so missed." Amma shakes her head, smiling. "Tell him we also miss the treats he brought every time he came over."

Yasir genuinely treated my parents so sweetly that I think they love him more than they love me at this point. God, his healthy and loving relationship with my parents adds to the list things that made me love this man to death.

"I will." I feel guilty for not saying anything but if I say one word, God forbid, I'm scared my parents will have a heart attack.

I sit in my car and suddenly slam my hands against the steering wheel in anger. "Why the hell do I have to go see him? Why can't he reach out to me for once?"

I don't understand how Lateef talked me into this. I mean, yeah, he didn't hear from Yasir in over a week but Yasir probably took a solo flight to Greece or something to clear his head.

I only agreed because Lateef genuinely sounded panicked and is halfway across the world to be able to see Yasir himself.

And more than seven days is a really long time for someone as needy as Yasir not to, at least, call back...

"Will you be able to love anyone besides me? You won't, will you? You'll never be able to to find someone to love as much as you love me."

"Ahh!" I hit the steering wheel one more time. "He really irritates the shit out of me!"

But honestly saying, I've been feeling this grudging dark feeling fall over me for the last few days.

I can't exactly explain it but it's like the quiet before a storm; where you feel like something horrible will happen but you don't exactly know when or how.

Actually, I've been wanting to pay Yasir a visit ever since I left his home saying I hate him.

God, I hate even thinking this but I felt like shit after I left. I should've felt good but I didn't, not one bit. It felt like I kicked a small, sad puppy.

I knew he wasn't in a good place but I still left because I didn't owe him anything. I really didn't. He was selfish, greedy, inconsiderate, insensitive—the point is, he was only looking out for himself. But was he only looking out for himself all the time... ?

He was using me for his own needs and I hate to admit it but I might've been using him for my own needs too. I just wanted to be taken care of for once and Yasir was doing that wonderfully.

I guess, in a sense, we were both acting selfish.

But I cried over him in the past few days... more than I'd like to admit. But it's not the reason many might think, it's even stupider. I cried because of how sad Yasir looked when I left, I cried because he looked so lost, lonely and broken and I just left him like that.

It's not in my nature to just abandon someone in their time of need, especially people with sensitive behaviours like Yasir. When he was desperately calling out my name, I should've turned around. I should've put my burning jealousy and hurt aside because he looked like he was in such a dark place... He looked like he was moments away from placing a gun to his own head.

Just as I said, it felt like I kicked a small, sad puppy.

But now, it feels worst, something isn't sitting right with me.

I didn't even notice I arrived at Yasir's house, I must've been really lost in thought.

I take a deep breath and ring the door bell.

"If he starts giving me attitude, I'll turn back around to grab a hammer and smash his head in with it." I mumble to myself.

I ring the door bell again.

Again, there's no answer.

Does this man just vanish in his house or something?

His car's in the driveway but it looks like he hasn't driven it in a while because of all the dust accumulating on it. There's no way Yasir would leave his favourite Range Rover looking like this. The uneasiness at the pit of my stomach intensified.

I wobble the door knob and it's locked.

"What's the passcode... what's the passcode..." I try to think. "Watch it be my birth year because it's also Nadira's birth year."

I punch in the numbers and, "Would you look at that? This man can get robbed so easily."

Once I enter, the shoes that he wears to work are toppled over at the entrance.

"This isn't like him..." I say to myself. He's a neat-freak and likes things in their places.

I peak into the kitchen and there's a dusty glass sitting in the counter with a little bit of water still in it.

The nervousness I was feeling before has now transformed into a full blown panic.

"Yasir? Yasir!" My legs have never ran so fast in my life.

The first thing I check is his room, it's empty.

In fact, his bed is messy and cold, it hasn't been touched in days.

I quickly push open every other room door, hoping to find him fast asleep peacefully in one of them.

Nothing.

I run down the stairs, checking every room possible.

"Shit..." My heart is racing and I can't think of where else to look.

Now that I think about it, I've never been in any part of the house except the kitchen, living room and his room. This house has way too many places for someone who lives by himself.

As I wander, I walk into his study, which is on the main floor.

"Oh! Fancy!" I say out loud as I look around the wood detail in the dimly lit room. It's the same cliché styled study that you'd expect an ultra-rich person to have.

Very vintage, very luxurious and sort-of creepily comforting.

"I can bet his peanut size of a brain hasn't even read five of the books that are in the shelves." I frown as I stare at the bookshelf walls covering almost the entire room.

This room looks untouched. "How come he never asked me to do work in here? I would've concentrated so much better."

There's two photo frames sitting on his desk. The backs of the frames are facing me and I get curious.

"It's probably pictures of Nadira and him." I roll my eyes.

I pick up the first one and it's surprisingly a photo of Lateef with him. They look younger, probably from their university days.

"This is so adorable! Let me take a picture of this and send it to Lateef!" I grin as I text him: "My rich, grumpy prince really does love you. Maybe he broke my heart because he wants to be with you! Maybe he wants to be your prince! Awe!"

I laugh at my own text. Lateef would text back something just as funny. It would've been funny to see Yasir's reaction to this.

I pick up the second picture frame and turn it around to face me, expecting it to be a picture of Nadira.

I gasp, almost dropping the picture, "You've got to be fucking kidding me..."

It's a picture of... us...

Me and him.

Him and I.

It's from the day at the Festival of Lights. It's the photo he said he'd blackmail me with.

He has it framed—sitting on his work desk at home.

In the photo, I'm blushing, yet annoyed and he has this smug smile on his face with his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

God, I hated him for that, I think as I wrap my arms around myself for a second.

I look around to see if there's any pictures of Nadira and there isn't...

Suddenly, I cover my mouth with my hand, holding back my sobs. Tears instantly spring free from my eyes, dripping down like a waterfall.

I run out of the room, chaotically trying to find him.

"I hate him so much, I hate him for doing stupid things like this and making me love him more than life itself." I run up the stairs again, wiping away my tears.

"Yasir! I know you're at home, you idiot! Come out of hiding, you coward!" I yell. A thought suddenly occurs to me, "Oh! I didn't knock on the washroom!" 

I run back in his room to check the washroom. I slowly push open the door, "Yasir, if you're messing with—"

My legs instantly go weak at the sight in front of me.

Colour drains from my face, it's as white as paper. I can't move, frozen to my spot as I'm shaking. My eyes are wide, trying to drag myself closer to the bathtub.

The adrenaline is rushing through my veins so fast that I can feel the pumping of my heart in my throat and it feels though I'll throw up right now.

Once I reach the tub filled with water, which is nothing but a deep shade of red, do I finally see Yasir's limp, lifeless body.

- - -

- A/N -

• I'm having major writer's block. My creative brain cells have literally disintegrated. I've restarted this chapter three times... THREE TIMES! 😤

• Y'all are going to have to give me some time for the next chapter bc I'm blank and I'm having trouble putting my thoughts into words so pls don't expect a chapter midweek! I'm sorry, forgive me and my dumb, temporarily uncreative brain! 😭

• Also, sorry I haven't been replying to comments on my recent chapters! I haven't been feeling well. 😔

• But... how did the end of this chapter make y'all feel? Anxious? Scared? Intrigued? Excited? Depressed? Let me know! Help me restart my brain by telling me how y'all felt about this chapter! LMAO! 👀

Next Update: Friday and Saturday, Insha'Allah!

Please vote and comment and let me know how y'all feel!!