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Returning home, she followed her nightly routine. She slipped into a simple dress before heading straight to the kitchen. There, she turned on the stove to prepare tea, opting for caramel chai. As the milk began to warm, the sound of the door opening seized her attention.

Muhammad Imran entered,  she hadn't seen him  in the house for a long time. Dressed in sweatpants and a black shirt, he balanced a large box in one hand and a transparent one on top of it.

She turned her gaze back to the pot, lowering the heat to prevent the milk from spilling. With a smile, she greeted him, "Ina yini (good evening)."

"Lafiya, how are you?" he inquired.

"I'm good. How are you?" she responded.

"Alhamdulillah," he answered, placing the boxes on the counter.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm just making some tea" she replied. He nodded.

"Have it with this" he said.

"Is Ameerah already giving you all a hard time with her cravings?" she questioned, eyeing the array of desserts in the boxes.

"Not yet" he replied with a small smile, gesturing for her to come closer.

As she approached, she looked into the huge horizontal tray, seeing the tiramisu nestled within. Spotting the imprint of the restaurant's name in Japanese, she couldn't help but laugh in disbelief. "What's this for? Are we having a party?" she asked genuinely.

"No" he shook his head with a grin. "I went to the restaurant today and thought I should drop these off for you. You and Hanan seemed to really like it."

"Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, showing appreciation. "But this is too much, even for all of us" she added with a shy smile wondering how he got them to make such a huge tray.

He shrugged, and she shook her head in disbelief. "Have some" he offered.

"I can wait for everyone" she insisted.

"It's for you first. Come on" he encouraged.

"Okay, I'll just try this" she agreed, opening the transparent dessert box and selecting the first rosé raspberry vanilla donut. As she served herself, she admired how beautifully they were decorated.

"Which one would you like?" she asked, but he waved it off.

"You can't not have anything," she insisted, making him raise a brow.

"Seriously, I'm sure it'll be great with some tea" she urged.

"Okay" he agreed.

She poured him tea in a cup and handed it to him. She hopped onto the counter while he leaned by the door, taking a sip of the tea.

With her headband on, she moved her hair back and sipped her tea. He stared at her, wanting to talk but content to keep staring at her face.

Feeling his gaze, she looked up. He didn't look away. Instead, he asked, "What are you studying?"

"I studied architecture, but I started an MBA recently" she answered, looking away.

"That's good. Allah ya bada sa'a."

"Amin, thank you. What about you?" she asked instinctively.

When she heard a deep chuckle, she looked up. "I mean, what do you do? Your profession," she laughed, palming her face.

"Let me guess, something to do with computers?" she guessed from conversations he'd had with Hannan. He nodded.

"What is it?" she asked.

He told her half the truth, "I am a professor. I teach, but we moved back so I'm transitioning to business." He watched the amusement on her face.

"Professor?" She looked up quickly. "You look too young to be a professor."

"Really?" He tilted his head. "How young?" he asked.

"Aren't you Ya Ahmad's age or a year older?"

"I am young, yes. But 26? Really?" he asked, amazed.

"Why are you talking like you're 30-something?" she dramatically rolled her eyes.

"Because I am very much over 30, Jadwa," he said, still amused by her disbelief.

"You're joking!" she said with a straight face. She knew he was older but not that old.

"33" he simply stated.

Jadwa gasped, bringing her hands to her face. "So you are old old" her eyes widened.

He threw his head back and laughed, a deep chuckle, before looking at her. This was the first time Jadwa had seen him laugh, his perfect teeth enhancing his dark features. Without knowing, she laughed along, studying his handsome features and his deep voice.

He called her name. "Jadwa, 33 is still very young," he said.

"No, it's not," she hopped down from the counter and grabbed the teapot for a refill. She refilled her cup and went forward to fill his.

She stood in front of him, holding her cup in her left hand and the teapot in her right. Her long, flowy hair, barely supported by her headband, got in her way. She flicked her head to move it aside when Muhammad spoke.

"Drop this first," he said, pointing at her cup, resisting the urge to move her hair himself.

She set the cup down and he took the teapot, refilling his own cup.

"What do you teach?" she asked.

"Something to do with computers" he joked, hinting at her earlier guess.

Jadwa laughed, shook her head, and walked back to the counter. "I'll have to find out myself."

Muhammad's eyes were on her. He wanted to ask her questions and talk more, but his eyes betrayed him. He stared at her for a long time in a comfortable silence.

Jadwa knew his eyes were on her, but she didn't look up. When she finally did, his gaze remained steady, so she looked back down.

"You make really good tea," he complimented, breaking the silence.

"Thank you. I'm finally getting my credit," she said, giving him a playful look.

"What do you mean?" he asked, raising a brow.

"You gave Zara and Lily all the compliments and spoiled them with several dates in a day for the food I cooked, that too in front of me," she feigned hurt, recalling Zara's clips of their eventful day.

Why did this girl keep surprising him? he wondered, noting her newfound comfort in conversation. Initially shy and nervous, she now bantered effortlessly. He concealed a smile, or did she seriously brother-zone him? The thought alone was offensive and ridiculous. He felt the urge to clear the air.

"I knew they didn't," he chuckled "but I thought they brought it from your house."

"Mmm, I see" she mused.

"So you want compliments and to go on dates?" he asked, putting his hands back in his pockets.

"No, no! I'm just joking," she quickly responded.

"The food was really good, Jadwa. I really liked it, a lot" he said.

She simply smiled and mumbled a "Thank you."

"Where do we go for our date?" he asked, making her look up again.

"With Anaya and Zara?" she asked, looking for a hint of playfulness on his face, but there was none.

"Just us" he affirmed, staring into her eyes. Suddenly, everything clicked for Jadwa. All the lingering gazes and intense looks she dismissed as nothing were now undeniably significant.

As he awaited her response, Jadwa's hands grew sweaty, and she cast her gaze down shyly.

"I'll think about it," she replied softly in a low voice, surprised by her own response.

"I'll be traveling for some time. Take your time" he smiled. "I got your number from Ahmad. I'll text you when I'm back" he said with a smile before leaving the kitchen.

Jadwa pondered his straightforwardness, realizing she wouldn't have babbled if she knew this was the outcome. However, her thoughts soon shifted to calling Abdulhakeem, to mend their distance since all this mess started.

****

A week passed, and Jadwa had not received any threats or messages. A part of her was relieved, but she was so paranoid that every second she checked her phone. The police were still on the case, and Ahmad had decided it was time to see what was happening at the station.

Meanwhile, Tony pounded his fist on the table, scattering the printed photos of Jadwa and conversations across the surface. Frustration laced his voice as he addressed his partner, Inspector Abeni.

"Dead ends everywhere again. Burner phone, the anonymous IP traced back to a public internet café frequented by a thousand people a day. This is getting us nowhere."

"I think this person is very skilled in this field. I can't find anything again. This person, they figured we were tracking them. They work like a ghost." Tony rubbed his temples, exhaustion clinging to him like a shroud.

Jadwa's heart dropped, but as if she was ready for the disappointment, she took it in.

Another week passed, and Jadwa's life was almost back together. Things were slowly returning to normal, and she was now getting ready for her mid-semester exams. Abdulhakeem took her to school and promised to pick her up, but when it was time, Jadwa called and called, but there was no answer.

Under the scorching heat, Jadwa tried again, and he finally answered.

"Come to the same place I parked earlier" he said and ended the call.

She walked to his car quickly and greeted him with a hug. But unlike usual, he didn't return it. He just started the car and drove off.

"Babe, are you okay?" she asked, but all she got was silence.

"Are you talking to anyone?" he asked when he finally parked on a street before hers.

"What do you mean, babe? Of course not!" she exclaimed.

"Don't lie to me, Jadu," he said, looking her straight in the eyes. Jadwa's heart dropped into her stomach.

"Why would I lie to you?" she asked, incredulous. But when Abdulhakeem laughed and shook his head, looking at her with disgust, she realized.

He must have seen the pictures. The person must have reached him.

With tears pooling in her eyes, Jadwa said, "I need to tell you something. I promise I can explain, Abdulhakeem. Please, babe."

He put his head on the steering wheel for a moment as Jadwa narrated everything. But all she got was a sad chuckle.

"Do I look like a child to you?" he asked, his face serious.

"I was scared and confused. I didn't know how to handle it," she said, her voice trembling. "I thought I could protect you by handling it myself."

"You thought you could protect me by lying?" he scoffed. "By keeping secrets?"

"I didn't want to burden you. I didn't want you to worry," she pleaded.

"Well, now I'm worried. Now I'm burdened" he said harshly. "And now I don't trust you."

Jadwa's tears spilled over, streaming down her face. "Please, Abdulhakeem, believe me. I love you. I would never betray you."

"If you were really innocent, you would have told me!" he raised his voice, and Jadwa's face went cold.