He rolled onto his side, staring at the window.
"How will I ever confess that I… I…"
He paused, taking a deep breath before burying his face in the blanket.
"I love you," he whispered.
His heart began to race as Elaya's face filled his mind. He smiled — and blushed at the same time.
"Love at first sight… I believe in that," he murmured. "I came all the way from the U.S. to be here… to be near you. I convinced myself you'd never like me. But maybe… I should give fate a chance."
He turned onto his back and looked at the ceiling.
"Please, Allah… give me her," he whispered softly.
He pressed a gentle kiss to his phone screen and closed his eyes, smiling.
After an hour and a half, Ayaan sat on the bed, ruffling his hair and lightly biting his tongue, lost in thought. He narrowed his eyes, debating whether he should call her or not. Finally, after a long pause, his hands moved on their own, unlocking his phone and scrolling through contacts until he found her name—"My Angel."
His index finger hovered over the call icon, trembling slightly. His heart throbbed violently in his chest, and he swallowed hard before finally pressing it.
The ringing echoed in his ears, each tone making his pulse quicken, until it abruptly stopped. A familiar, honeyed voice answered, soft and warm:
"Assalamualaikum, Ayaan."
His heart raced uncontrollably, his voice shaking as he whispered, "Wa…walikumsalam."
The line continued, steady and natural: "Long time no see. Ava told me you reached today. Want to meet at our residence tomorrow?"
Ayaan barely managed, "Y-yeah…sure." And with that, he ended the call.
A soft giggle escaped him, and a wide smile spread across his face like a child. "Your voice… it gives me goosebumps. Every cell of mine wants to dance when I hear your ethereal voice," he murmured, cheeks tinged with red.
Meanwhile, Elaya rubbed the back of her neck, glancing at Ava who sat beside her on the bed. "Such a short conversation?" she asked, raising a brow.
Elaya shrugged. "Yeah… seems so."
Ava sighed, rubbing her eyes. "So, what now? Shall we inform the Prime Minister about our suspicions regarding Mr. Kim?" Her worry seeped through her voice.
Elaya thought for a solid minute, eyes closing as she massaged her temples. "We don't have concrete evidence against him yet. Without proof, we can't act… but…" She opened her eyes, determination flickering. "From what I know, Mr. Kim wasn't on good terms with the late President Ali. Ali and his wife Zoya died in that accident, and their child… their son, died hours after birth. Someone—maybe Mr. Kim—could've been involved… though we can't be certain yet."
Ava nodded slowly, her lips pressing together. "You might be right. Maybe now he's trying to remove the Prime Minister to secure his position, gaining public trust for months… years even."
Elaya continued, her voice low but firm. "There are connections yet to uncover. We did have evidence against Mr. Kim—bribery, interference in national finances—but I submitted it to the PM a year ago. By then, Mr. Kim had already cleared his record. He's untouchable. Dragging him to court? Impossible."
A heavy silence fell between them until a gentle knock at the door broke it. Elaya and Ava exchanged a glance. "Come in," they said simultaneously.
The maid entered silently, bowing and handing them a letter before retreating without a word. Ava took it, eyes narrowing at the seal.
"It's from the head of Ahad Agency," Elaya said, recognizing the stamp immediately.
Ava opened the letter carefully:
"Elaya Siddiqie and Ava Ibrahim, you have four months to resolve the case of the 75 girls murdered in an American hostel by an individual who has returned to South Korea. Those responsible must be identified. Additional cases remain pending, and as Vice-In-Charge of Ahad Agency, you are required to remain in-country (palestine) during this period. Should the matter remain unresolved, agency forces will intervene directly to locate the perpetrators and contain the situation."
—Hashim Mahmood Khan, Head of Ahad Agency
Ava closed the letter, exchanging a tense look with Elaya. "Do you think we can do it in four months?" she asked, uncertainty lacing her voice.
Elaya's lips pressed into a thin line, shrugging. Ava let the letter fall to the bed beside her, leaning back to glance at the ceiling.
"We need to at least wrap up the Kavia case first. I want to close this one with my own hands," Elaya said, her voice steady despite the weight of responsibility.
"InshaAllah, we'll try our best," Ava replied, her smile bittersweet as she watched Elaya's teary eyes. She quickly drew Elaya into a tight hug. "My doe-eyed angel," she whispered, pain and resolve entwined in her voice.
On the other hand, Czar lay on his bed, his eyes heavy with exhaustion, his mind crowded with thoughts, and his heart burdened with regret. He stared at his phone wallpaper — Lia smiling while eating ice cream beside him. His own expression in the picture was neutral, yet his eyes had been fixed only on her.
He could change the wallpaper on his phone… but who could change the one framed inside his heart?
A bitter chuckle escaped his lips.
His vision slowly blurred as tears gathered in his eyes. In frustration, he tossed the phone to the other side of the bed.
This room — whose was it?
His.
His aunt had personally prepared it for him in her house. The wallpaper, the bed design, the drawers, the wardrobe — every detail reflected his choices. Every corner carried comfort made just for him.She loved him like her own child, especially because she never had one.
Czar's grandfather was from Saudi Arabia, and his grandmother was South Korean. The house they lived in had been gifted by his grandmother to Czar's aunt, Mahira.
Mahira had been there during the time Lia was part of Czar's life. Later, she returned to Saudi Arabia after her husband passed away, but she eventually settled back here, surrounding herself with dhikr and constant remembrance of Allah. She was a practicing Muslim — unlike Czar's parents, who only carried the title. They were powerful business figures, among the richest in South Korea, with a net worth of 500 billion won, yet faith had never been their priority.
Now, Mahira saw Czar as her responsibility.
She called him often — sometimes video calls just to brighten his day. Once every month, she visited him for three days before returning again.
Czar clenched his teeth while staring out of the window, trying to suppress the storm inside him. He placed his hands behind his neck and shut his eyes tightly, but a few stubborn tears escaped anyway.
His thoughts echoed violently.
How will I tell my aunt that Lia betrayed me?
How will I say it?
Should I write it in a letter before leaving?
Should I leave now?
Should I give her the same letter Lia gave me?
His thoughts screamed, but his mind remained frozen at the moment of betrayal.
He slowly sat up and looked at his injured hand — the wound from a few days ago still visible. He touched his forehead and whispered under his breath,
"Why am I even alive now…? I should just die."
The room fell silent, but inside him, everything was breaking.