Lisa's POV
It's been two days since Noha came to my window.
Two days of stolen moments.
Two days of holding onto him when I should've let go.
I couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said:
"I don't know how to love someone without destroying them."
I wanted to ask him what that meant. What had he done? What did he think he was capable of?
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
Every time I looked at him, I saw the truth in his eyes—the same truth I refused to face.
I was falling in love with him.
And it was too late to stop.
Noha's POV
I couldn't stay away.
Even though I should've.
Even though I knew how dangerous this was—both for her and for me.
Lisa was becoming something I didn't know how to control. She was the calm in my storm. She was my anchor—and that terrified me.
I sat in my penthouse alone, fingers gripping the glass of whiskey, but I didn't drink. Not today.
I stared at the empty seat across from me.
She wasn't supposed to be here.
But she was.
And every time I saw her, I wanted to ruin her—tear her away from everything that was pure and good.
And yet, I wanted to keep her safe. I wanted to protect her.
Lisa's POV
I didn't tell my parents about Noha.
I didn't tell anyone.
Because if I did, they would never understand.
But every time I stood in front of him, everything felt so right. He made me feel alive—like there was more to the world than just rules and fear.
I thought about Dante. I thought about the car parked outside my house that night. But Noha told me not to worry.
And I wanted to believe him.
I wanted to believe that this wasn't dangerous.
Noha's POV
I knew the moment was coming.
The one where I'd have to tell her everything.
The truth about me. About my world.
And I feared it.
Because the moment I told her—I knew I would lose her.
But I had no choice. Dante was closing in, and my past would destroy us both if I didn't take control.
Lisa's POV
The phone call came late.
It was Noha.
"I need to see you," he said, voice low, urgent.
I felt my stomach twist. "What happened?"
"I can't talk over the phone. Just come."
My heart raced as I grabbed my jacket and left the house, slipping out the back door. The cold air hit me, and I couldn't stop shaking.
Noha's world was starting to swallow me whole, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
Noha's POV
I couldn't take it anymore.
I needed to protect her from the truth—and from me.
But I knew it was impossible.
She didn't understand what I was willing to do to keep her safe. How much blood I had on my hands. How far I'd go to make sure no one touched her.
By the time she arrived, I was already pacing.
The door opened, and there she stood—wide-eyed, nervous, but still here.
I stepped forward, pulling her inside, locking the door behind her.
"Stay close to me," I said, voice tense.
"What's going on?" she asked, searching my face. "Noha, you're scaring me."
I didn't answer her.
I couldn't.
Instead, I just pulled her into my arms. And I whispered the words that had been plaguing me for days:
"I'm a dangerous man, Lisa. And you shouldn't be here."
Lisa's POV
I stared up at him, confused.
"I know," I whispered, trembling.
"I'm not like you think I am." His voice was a hollow echo.
I couldn't breathe. "Then who are you? What's happening?"
"I'm part of something that will destroy you."
His words hit me like a punch to the chest.
And for the first time, I saw it—the fear in his eyes. The vulnerability he never let anyone see.
It terrified me, but it also made me want to stay.
Noha's POV
I needed to keep her safe. That's all I cared about. But I couldn't promise her that anymore.
"Dante knows," I said, finally breaking the silence. "He knows about you. He's watching. He's waiting."
Lisa's eyes widened.
"Who is Dante?" she whispered, shaking.
I closed my eyes.
"He's my rival," I said. "He'll stop at nothing to hurt you… or me."
I felt her hand on mine, soft and trembling. "Then why did you bring me here?" she asked. "If you care about me, Noha, why are you letting this happen?"
"I'm not letting it happen," I snapped. "I'm trying to protect you!"
Her face softened. "Then tell me everything."
Lisa's POV
I needed the truth. No more lies.
And Noha?
Noha needed to trust me.
I stepped closer to him, holding his gaze, even though everything in me screamed to run.
"Tell me, Noha," I whispered.
His shoulders slumped. The weight of everything he'd carried all these years suddenly crumbled.
"I didn't want you to see this side of me," he said quietly. "But I can't keep you in the dark anymore. Not when your life is at risk."
And then he told me.
Everything.