Crouching to be eye level with her, he took her delicate chin in his hands; her eyes searched his, seeing only tenderness, and she almost wept at the fact that he was no longer very angry with her.
"Amira I do really like you and do not mean to hurt you in any way or make you feel disrespected. I just thought anyway that shouldn't matter. I would make sure to be a better listener from now on and respect all your wishes."
He kissed her tenderly until her tears stopped. Until she kissed him back, that was when he finally broke the kiss. When Amira found her voice, she asked, "Why are we here?" This is not your house.
The silence that followed the question was deafening.
"This is your home," Daniel said finally. "Everything you need is here."
Amira stared at him, mouth agape, partly from shock and partly from disbelief; the house was grand, and she would never have been able to afford this in twenty years.
The walk-in closet was filled with an assortment of designer clothes in her size, jewelry boxes, and even a mini freezer stocked with wine and chocolate bars of every kind. Beyond that, there was a rooftop swimming pool, heating, Wi-Fi, and a library lined with books—everything a girl could ever want. Under other circumstances, she might have been thrilled, but now she was just stunned, wondering why he was going to such great lengths for her.
There were all sorts of domestic staff—a doorman, a cook, a driver, and a maid—ready to cater to her every need twenty-four hours a day.
Did he want to propose? Was this some kind of proposal gift? She couldn't help but question herself inwardly.
Daniel I do not understand. what does that mean? "I thought we were moving in together?". she asked, panic and fear threatening to consume her.
The relationship she had worked so hard to build was either crumbling before her very eyes or becoming what she hoped it would be.
But either way, there was nothing she could do but hold it together until she got answers and pray that the answers were in her favor. That it was indeed a proposal gift.
Amira was not very religious, but she prayed today. God in heaven, please let Daniel be proposing to me; let it not be a breakup, I beg of you.
"Amira, you were right to ask for space. What happened between us made me realize that we are not ready to take that step, and I am sorry you had issues with your mother because of me." But this—" He gestured between them. "isn't sustainable. You have to understand that."
The world tilted on its axis.
"We cannot leave together if we do not understand each other and keep quarreling over things that shouldn't matter. That is a toxic environment, sweetheart. Is that what you really want?"
Her heart sank to her stomach; her mother had warned her, and she had been right. Bile rose to her throat. If she wasn't standing, she would have fallen to the floor like some ragged doll; the pancakes she had had earlier were threatening to come back up.
"I don't understand, Daniel. Are you breaking up with me? Is this house some kind of breakup present?"
She looked up at him then with those wide blue eyes capable of disarming anyone; those eyes were filled with unshed tears. Her eyes searched his pleadingly and saw the exhaustion in his eyes. The frustration. The concern. And beneath it all, something that might have been affection.
Hers looked back at him with pure, unadulterated fear. Daniel was her life; she would die if he abandoned her.
Daniel felt his heart break for the girl; he softened his tone and rubbed his hands against her cheeks in a soothing motion. A small smile crossed his features. "Of course I am not breaking up with you, silly girl."
"Would I put in all this effort and spend all this money just to break up with you? We just need a little break, both of us, to think and figure things out; moreover, you told me you needed space, and I promised to fulfill your wishes, so this is me giving you all the space you need so you don't go running into danger again to escape me."
"Daniel, please don't do this. I was out of my mind. I need you, please. I don't need space; I only want you. Please don't leave. Don't listen to me."
He continued as if she hadn't spoken, "This is a rented penthouse, and I have deposited two years' rent on it, and I would keep paying for it and catering to you for as long as you need me to. I would never let you suffer, sweetheart."
"Please, you are not listening to me." She fell from the bed and grabbed the hem of his trousers, tears and snot pouring from her face. She was sobbing hard. "I don't want space or to figure anything out."
"Amira, don't do this, sweetheart; you are making this harder than it needs to be."
Amira was pissed that he was hiding behind her words, so she decided to throw it at him: "You just needed a reason to leave me; this is all you. Don't put this on me."
"The only thing I want and have ever wanted is you, to be your wife," she thought but didn't say it. Couldn't say it. Because the truth was too raw and too desperate, and she'd already humiliated herself enough for one day.
Instead, she looked down at her hands and whispered, "I thought we were going to live together, that we had entered the next stage of our relationship. You may not love me, but I love you, Daniel."
"But you do not feel the same, right? You only said you liked me, but you do not love me. How would I expect you to? You are way above my rank. Is that the reason why I am not enough?"
His jaw tightened. "Amira—"
"I know," she interrupted, her voice stronger now. "I know you have your life. Your business. Your... whatever. But I thought—" She stopped and shook her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."
She let him help her to her feet and to the bed.
I'll get him,she thought, the familiar obsession curling around her heart like smoke. No matter what it takes. He'll be mine.
"I understand," she lied.
Daniel studied her for a long moment, then nodded. "Good girl. Now get some rest. You look like hell."
He turned and walked toward the door, and she watched him go, her mind already spinning with plans.
She would be better. Smarter. More careful.
And one way or another, Daniel would be hers forever, no matter the price.