Lisa's POV
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
Noha's words still echoed in my head: "I'm a dangerous man, Lisa. And you shouldn't be here."
But he wasn't telling me everything. I could feel it. I wasn't naïve enough to believe that love alone could keep me safe from a man like Noha, from a world like his. Yet, here I was—standing in the middle of it, unable to leave.
The door to his penthouse closed behind me, and Noha's presence seemed to fill every inch of the room.
"I told you to stay back," he said, his voice sharp, like he was barely holding himself together.
"I had to see you," I replied, my voice trembling despite myself. "You weren't answering your phone. I was worried."
His eyes softened for a moment, but it was gone before I could make sense of it.
"Don't worry about me," he said, his words cold. "I can handle myself."
But I wasn't worried about him. I was worried about what was happening to us.
Noha's POV
I watched her as she stepped inside, her eyes filled with concern and something else I couldn't name. Something I wasn't used to seeing.
Love.
It wasn't supposed to be this way. I had been keeping her at arm's length for a reason. This life—my life—was too dangerous for someone like her.
But now?
She was already too deep.
I couldn't pull away from her. And if I was being honest with myself, I didn't want to.
But what did I have to offer her? A life filled with blood, betrayal, and enemies who would stop at nothing to destroy everything I cared about.
And that included her.
Lisa's POV
I could see it in his eyes. The guilt. The frustration. The fear.
For the first time, I realized how deeply Noha was struggling with everything. He wasn't just pushing me away because he didn't care. He was pushing me away to protect me from a world I couldn't even begin to understand.
But I wanted to understand. I wanted to stand by him, even if it meant standing in the face of the darkness he carried with him.
"I'm not going anywhere," I said, my voice soft but firm. "I'm staying. You don't get to push me away."
His gaze softened for just a second, before he stepped closer.
"You don't understand what this world is like, Lisa," he said, his voice low and rough. "This isn't a fairy tale. People don't walk away from this life unscathed."
"I don't care," I whispered. "I just care about you."
He shook his head, his expression hardening once again. "I don't deserve you," he muttered. "You should hate me. Everyone else does."
Noha's POV
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think straight with her standing there—her faith in me so pure, so unwavering.
I couldn't protect her forever. Not from what I had done. Not from who I was.
The past would come for us. And when it did, I wouldn't be able to stop it.
I grabbed her wrist, pulling her to me. "Lisa, listen to me," I said, my voice dark, low with urgency. "You don't know what you're asking for."
She raised her chin, meeting my gaze. "I know exactly what I'm asking for."
Lisa's POV
His grip on my wrist tightened, but his touch was nothing like the violence I had expected. It was desperate—pleading.
And for a second, I saw the truth of him. The man who had been broken. The man who had lost everything.
"I want you," I whispered, my voice trembling. "I want you, Noha. And I'm not going to leave you. No matter what."
His eyes darkened, and his lips parted slightly. He was so close now, I could feel his breath on my skin, the weight of his body just inches from mine.
"I won't let you destroy yourself for me," he muttered, his fingers grazing my cheek gently.
I pressed my forehead to his. "I'm not going anywhere."
And in that moment, I saw something in his eyes—something I hadn't seen before.
Fear.
Noha's POV
Her words hit me harder than I wanted to admit.
She was so certain of me, of us. She saw something in me that I had long since abandoned.
I had no right to drag her into this world, into this madness. But the way she looked at me—like I was worth fighting for—it made everything feel like it might be worth it.
I pulled away from her, running a hand through my hair. "I don't want you to get hurt, Lisa," I said, voice low and strained. "This life... it will eat you alive."
Her eyes filled with determination. "Then I'll fight," she said, almost to herself. "I'll fight with you. Whatever it takes."
I shook my head, unable to hide the frustration building inside me. "You don't understand," I snapped, my voice rising. "You're too pure for this. You don't belong here."
And then, it happened.
She slapped me.
Not hard—just a soft, almost gentle slap. But the shock of it hit me like a wave.
"Don't say that!" she cried, her eyes flashing with hurt. "I don't care what this world is! I care about you. You're not this world. You're you, Noha."
Lisa's POV
I had to stop him from pushing me away. He couldn't do it again.
"I'm not going to let you hide from me," I said, voice steady now. "If you want me gone, you'll have to do it yourself."
He didn't say anything, his eyes searching mine as if trying to find a crack in my resolve.
But I wasn't breaking.
Not this time.
Noha's POV
She was stubborn.
And somehow, that made me want her even more.
But I couldn't let her win.
"I'm trying to protect you," I growled, stepping back. "You don't need to be involved in my mess. You don't belong here, Lisa."
She didn't flinch. "Then teach me, Noha. Teach me how to fight. Teach me how to stand beside you."
I stared at her, disbelief written all over my face.
"You really don't understand, do you?" I whispered. "This world doesn't care who you are. It will destroy you if you let it."
Lisa's POV
"I'm not letting you go through this alone," I said, my voice stronger now. "And I'm not running away. No matter what happens."
His eyes searched mine, the walls starting to crumble. I could see it—the moment when he realized I wasn't going anywhere. The weight of it hit me harder than I expected.
Noha wanted to keep me safe, but he didn't know how. He wanted me to leave, but he couldn't let me go.