The room is still in chaos. No one has left my cabin yet, and they're wasting their working hours without a care. But since it's about Ziah, I'm letting it slide.
Zach is getting too comfortable, spewing nonsense every other second, while Mateo is acting all shy like a girl whenever Eric compliments him. Fuzail, for some reason, is hugging Mateo, and here I am, sitting in my seat with a headache, wondering why I even tolerate these men.
"Mostly no one knows they got married except us. I, you, Eric, Fuzail, and my two girl buddies were present at the wedding," Zach says, referring to Ziah's friendsâwhose names I don't remember. "And Maxâoh waitâwhere is Max?" He blinks, looking around, and that's when I remember there's one more person who knows everything.
"I don't know." I shrug when they look at me.
"I'll go call him. He must be in his cabin."
I glance past their shoulders at Max's empty cabin but don't bother stopping Zach from going. At least I'll get some peace.
Just as he reaches for the door, it suddenly swings open from the other side, nearly knocking him backward.
"Goodness!" He clutches his heart, stumbling back as if the door was about to take his life.
"Ziyan!" A loud, excited voice fills the room, and a smile tugs at my lips as I see the little girl in a pretty pink, full-sleeved sundress running toward me. Max enters right behind her.
"Who is this?" Zach blinks, confused, while the others exchange puzzled glances.
"And how is this beautiful girl doing?" I smile at her as she beams brightly.
"Great after seeing you!" She grins, standing beside me happily. From the way she stares at me, I can tell she wants a hug, but I don't think it's appropriate to hug another womanâno matter her ageâwithout my woman knowing. Besides, I wouldn't be comfortable with it anyway.
So, I gently pat her head instead, and she giggles cutely, looking satisfied.
"Sit." I gesture to the seat beside me, and she quickly obeys. I reach for the chocolate bar I always keep in my desk for her and Ziahâboth of whom love chocolates. "No school today?" I ask, and she mischievously giggles.
She leans forward, resting her elbows on the desk, then motions for me to come closer. I comply, and she cups her hands around her mouth to whisper, "I wanted to meet you, so I told my brother I wasn't feeling well and that my head hurt. My acting worked, you know." She giggles proudly.
Even though I haven't been able to laugh properly since Ziah's pressure has been weighing on me, I force a quiet chuckle so she doesn't feel like she's talking to a wall. I hand her the chocolate, and she takes it with a big grin.
"He better not cheat on my friend. I'll forget he's my boss for two seconds," I hear the guys whispering among themselves, though it's not hushed enough to escape my ears.
"Same here, bro. I'll tell my Ziah to file a case against him, and I'll testify as a witness for my Ziah," Mateo adds dramatically.
That my Ziah is enough to make me snap my gaze up, giving them a hard glare.
Zach and Mateo freeze like deer caught in headlights before awkwardly scratching their necks and avoiding my eyes.
"My brother's not that bad, you idiots," Fuzail huffs, smacking them both on the back as he takes my side.
"I am a man, and that gives me full permission not to believe in men," Zach scoffs but scoots closer to Max, who is watching us with a smile.
I nod at something Irene is saying, but nothing registers in my mindâexcept for the word hospital, so I assume she's talking about her treatment.
"Max, who is this girl? Is she our boss's mistress?"
I am this close to punching Zach.
"She's my sister," Max glares at him, and Zach gasps, immediately backing away while mumbling a string of apologies.
"No violence, bro! I got the message from your glare!" Zach hurriedly flashes the peace sign, but Max's expression is so terrifying that Mateo hides behind Eric, while Fuzail suddenly finds interest in the paintings.
I know Max is very possessive over his sister, but that was just a jokeâhe should take it lightly instead of scaring the poor guy, who was only being protective of his friend.
"I don't like those syringes! They hurt!" Irene whines loudly, catching my attention. I let out a chuckle.
"But you have to be a strong girl and take those tiny syringes so you can stay healthy and visit me always," I smile at her.
She pouts, clearly not liking the word syringes at all.
"Hi," Zach steps forward, smiling awkwardly.
"Hi!" Irene, who loves making friends, grins happily, and that automatically makes Zach mirror her expression. He quickly takes a seat beside her.
"I'm Zach. And you are?"
"I'm Irene, his sister." She points at Max, whose hard expression immediately softens when she looks at him.
"You're beautiful, you know that?" Zach compliments, and Irene shyly smiles.
"You're handsome too."
"I know I am," he waves it off, brimming with confidence. "Can we be friends?" He holds out his hand for a handshake, and her eyes widen with excitement. She nods multiple times before shaking his hand.
"Ziyan never shakes hands with me," she pouts, complaining to Zach, who turns to look at me.
"Your loyalty is impressive, boss. I respect that," he says, bumping his fist against his chest before holding it out for a fist bump.
I stare at him, unimpressed. He does not seriously expect me to do that childish nonsense. When I roll my eyes, he turns to Irene instead, who happily bumps her fist with his.
"Who is he loyal to?" Irene asks innocently.
Max suddenly steps forward, shaking his head with a hard expression on his face.
"Toâuhâto God! Yeah, to God. He's loyal to his God."
Irene still looks confused, but before she can question it further, the others step forward to introduce themselves.
I only focus on Max, who has been acting strange today. Why is he glaring at everyone so much?
The group keeps Irene entertained, and she looks overjoyed, making so many new friends. If Ziah were here, they would have become soulmates by now.
I smile, thinking about Ziah, who is definitely throwing tantrums in her mind right now after waking up to an empty bed. She had quietlyâshylyâasked me not to leave her alone yesterday, but I had no choice when I saw Eric's message.
I need to stop by and grab some chocolates before heading home, or else I'll be receiving a series of curses the moment I walk through the door.
"My dream? My dream is to become a CEO of a big company," Zach suddenly announces, narrowing his eyes at my seat as he shares his wish.
"That's nice! I hope one day your wish comes true," Irene tells him sincerely.
Zach sighs dramatically. "I don't think so. The CEO is still young." He glances at me, muttering just loud enough for everyone to hear.
The others burst out laughing, immediately catching the humor behind his words. I roll my eyes.
Why is he still in this building? He should have been kicked out long ago.
"I feel like someone is getting bored working here," I deadpan. "Well, I can happily send your resignation letter tomorrow, Mr. Zach."
Zach's eyes widen in horror. "No, no, boss! What are you saying?! I love working here. I could never get another boss like you! I'm lucky to have you, boss. Don't fire me, pleaseâI was just building up some mood, you know?" He grins, but I only respond with another eye roll.
"What is your dream?" Irene turns to Mateo next, who smiles shyly.
"I want a woman who can take my grandmother's place."
"You don't want a man?" Eric suddenly jumps in, blinking innocently.
"Bro, he just indirectlyâbut very directlyârejected you to your face," Zach sighs dramatically. "It's okay, I can feel your heartbreak. You'll move on soon." He pats Eric's back.
Eric swats his hand away, looking annoyed.
"And what's your dream, little Irene?" Zach asks, his tone playful.
Irene's eyes light up like she's been waiting for them to ask.
"My dream..." she shyly smiles, then sneaks a peek at me. I give her an encouraging nod.
"My dream is to marry him."
My heart jumps out of my chest.
What the freaking hell?
Everyone snaps their heads toward me, their eyes huge, while I sit there in stunned silence.
Sorry? What did she just say?
I must have misheard. I definitely misheard.
"Huh? What?" Fuzail stares, stumbling over his words.
I remain frozen.
She's a kid, Ziyan. She's just joking.
"I said I want to marry Ziyan. That's my dream, and Ziyan always fulfills whatever I ask him, so I'm sure he won't deny this. Right, Ziyan? But don't worry, I'll propose to you another day, romantically," she shyly declares, leaving me bewildered by her seriousness.
All of a sudden, Zach starts laughing. "Oh my goodness, that was a nice one!" he says between his laughter as Mateo and Fuzail join him awkwardly. But my eyes drop to Eric, who is looking at Max and then at his sister. When I glance at Max, I see a very hard expression on his face.
"I'm not joking!" she yells, slapping Zach's thigh, making his laughter slowly die down.
"You're not?" He clears his throat, blinking wide eyes.
"Ziyan, tell them I'm not joking!" she pouts at me as if I was the one planning all of this mess.
I gulp down the heavy lump forming in my throat.
"Hey, sweet girl, what are you saying?" I start quietly, keeping my voice calm even though my nerves are trembling at what I've brought upon myself.
"What?" She pouts, looking at me with innocent eyes. "I want to marry you. I told my brother too, and he said yes. We will get married," she grins brightly, and my eyes widen at her words. I glare at Max, who keeps looking down, shifting nervously from one leg to another.
Everyone is staring at the scene in shock.
"But that's not possible, beautiful," I say, using as many nicknames as I can, not wanting to hurt her.
"W-What?" She stutters, looking at me with soft, pleading eyes. "Why?" she whispers.
I stand up to sit beside her and explain what her brother should have. Zach quickly stands up, giving me his seat.
"Because, beautiful, you need someone your age. I'm even older than your brother, which means I'm like your big brother. And we don't marry brothers, do we?" I explain gently.
But, of course, Zach's big mouth never stays shut. He snickers behind me. "Well, you did marry your sisterâsorry, cousin," he scoffs under his breath but quickly coughs out loud when I turn to give him a hard glare.
"You're like a little sister to me, and I love fulfilling my little sister's wishes because that's what brothers do, isn't it?" She nods, but her eyes glisten with tears.
"You like me because I buy chocolates for you. But, beautiful, people don't marry someone just because of that. You have a big life ahead of you. You're going to grow up, become the best model in the States, and then we'll think about who your soulmate will be. But by then, I'll be an old man, and you don't want to see yourself with an old man, right?"
She giggles, shaking her head as she wipes her tears.
"Well, nobody wants to see themselves with an uncle, and that's not right either," she nods, agreeing with me.
"Yes, Irene, you're so beautiful. You should marry someone as handsome as you. Our boss isn't for you," Zach pipes up again. Seriously, why does he talk so much? I'm on the verge of firing him.
"Yeah, marry Zach. He's only three years older than you," Mateo pats Zach's back, making him gasp in surprise as he pushes Mateo's hand away.
"Shut up, dumbass. Someone's already waiting for me. I can't break that person's heart," he suddenly jumps into a shy state.
Mateo rolls his eyes, clearly not believing him. "Leave him. He doesn't match your beauty. We'll find you someone else. And anyways, Boss is off-limits. He's ten years older than you. You should be calling him Uncle."
A gasp leaves the girl's lips as she stares at me. They're making me feel like I've crossed fifty when I'm just twenty-seven.
"But he looks young, and he's handsome! I want to marry him!" Her eyes glisten again as she looks at her brother, who quickly moves forward and takes her into his arms.
"It's already late, baby. Let me send you home," he tells her, but she shakes her head, crying.
"You said I could marry him, but he's saying I cannot!" she looks up at him with teary eyes, and he tries his best not to meet her gaze.
"Sir, please excuse me." And with that, he leaves with the crying girl in his arms.
Irene has never left my cabin crying before. This is the first time she's walked away disappointed. I just hope everything falls into place.
I glance at Eric, who has been silent for a long time. I raise an eyebrow, but he only shakes his head, deep in thought.
"Boss, my inborn detective skills tell me that Max isn't as he seems. Why do I feel like he's hiding something?" Zach voices his thoughts out loud, and Mateo nods in agreement.
"I heard Max had a girlfriend before. Why would he suddenly jump to another gender?" Tapping his chin, he looks at Fuzail, who seems just as confused.
"But I don't trust this guy either! Boss, please keep an eye on him too," he adds, pointing at Fuzail.
Fuzail gasps in shock before stepping forward to land a solid punch on Zach, who bursts out laughing at the sheer horror on Fuzail's face.
I roll my eyes at how quickly they shift the atmosphere. One moment, it's serious; the next, it feels like an old friends' reunion.
But from all this nonsense, one thing is clearâMax is someone I need to keep an eye on.
My mood today is so bad I wouldn't be surprised if I start boxing whoever dares to look at me the wrong way.
I freaking hate that rotten tomato who got tied to me yesterday! What does he think of himself?! I politely asked him not to leave before waking me up since I wanted to loot himâbecause, of course, he didn't bother giving me a wedding gift. But that spoiled nugget still left. For what? Work! Who even works the day after their wedding?!
Calm down, Ziah. Calm down. You don't want to wake up with a pimple tomorrow just because of stress, right? So, relax, baby.
"Why are you sulking since morning, Ziah?" Hafsa huffs, clearly annoyed. I do not reply, just lean back on the couch with a deep frown.
"At least have your breakfast, girl. It's already 1 PM," Nisma scolds as she places a plate full of food on the table.
I shake my head, still grumpy, glaring at the ceiling.
"What's wrong with you? What did Ziyan Bro do?" Hafsa asks again.
"He did nothing. That's the problem." I roll my eyes so hard they might just disappear into my skull.
The girls beside me choke and cough loudly.
"Sorryâyou're upset because he didn't do anything?" Hafsa repeats, looking at me like I've lost my mind.
I nod, sitting up straight to tell them why I am actually upset.
"IâIt's okay. Maybe he wants to take it slow," Hafsa hesitantly tells, and Nisma nods her head, agreeing to it.
"Slow? Oh, he's taking everything slow! Dude, we got married yesterday! He doesn't even have the courtesy to buy his wifeâthat's me, by the wayâa freaking gift!" I glare at them as if they were Ziyan.
"Don't they usually gift their wife on the night of the marriage? All of our sisters showed their gifts to us, and even Ammi told me that! Heck, even Grandma showed her chain, looking all smug because her husband gave it to her! But my husband? Nope. Let's go visit my first loveâworkâbefore we even think about that woman I married yesterday!" I breathe out, yelling at nobody.
"Okay, since I'm the mature one here, I did not say a word when he didn't give me anything last night. But this morning, instead of apologizing and pampering me like he should, he dares to leave for work! Just you waitâI'm not talking to him till evening!" I cross my arms but see Nisma and Hafsa looking over my shoulder with wide eyes.
I roll my eyes when I remember Mamma was about to come. Before she could lecture, I speak first.
"Mamma, don't lecture me. I am angry with Ziyan, and you can't change my mind," I huff, sitting back, but see my cousins standing up.
"What is it?" I ask, annoyed at their behavior as if they have seen some ghostâ
Shit. Was Grandma listening to everything?!
Freaking hell. My day is already bad, and now I'm gonna be smacked for doing nothing.
I do not dare to open my eyes, but my eyes shut automatically, waiting for a hard smack to land on my head when I hear the steps nearing me.
But a gasp leaves my lips when a muscular arm wraps around my neck as he pulls me back gently before lifting my chin up.
My hands automatically fly to hold his arm, but my eyes widen to the size of planet Earth, and my breath hitches when I see Ziyan's face upside down, just inches above mine, looking down at me with a soft smile playing on his lips.
I press my lips together when nervousness hits every muscle in my body really hard.
"Is someone upset?" he whispers, taking a peek at my lips, and I'm so frozen that I can't even manage a subtle nod.
"I'm sorry," he whispers again, his hot breath fanning my forehead, and I'm so close to fainting at our proximity.
He leans in closer, and my eyes automatically shut, unable to stare into his beautiful orbs or the soft lips just inches away from my skin. Both of us forget that we're in the living room as he presses a firm, loving kiss on my forehead. The fact that my lips are brushing against his forehead is driving me insanely crazy.
Too intimate. Too intimate. I'm sure I'll faint in a few secondsâmaybe even die and go straight to paradise.
Loud coughing snaps me out of this torture. Ziyan, with a soft smile, moves away and turns toward the source of the dramatic hacking, who sounds like they're about to collapse.
"Sorry, my holy eyes couldn't take so much unholiness, and I choked up," Fuzail apologizes with a mischievous grin.
Ziyan rolls his eyes but finally lets me go, only to settle beside me on the couch.
I bite my lip hard from nervousness, but nothing helpsâmy cheeks keep heating up as he silently stares at me.
"Why is your stomach still empty, hmm?" Ziyan questions as he unbuttons his cuffs and folds his sleeves up.
I'm still in a state of coma, and he's asking why my stomach is empty.
"Is this her plate?" Ziyan asks Hafsa, pointing at the one on the tea table. When she nods, he picks it up.
"Do you want me to feed you, or can you do it yourself?" he asks, and I can hear the smirk hiding behind his voice.
Gather your freaking self up, Ziah! You can't act like a shy teen!
You're angry with him!
I roll my eyes, doing my best to act annoyed.
"Please feed me, hubby," Fuzail chirps in a girly voice, making even Ziyan chuckle. When he notices my mouth still shut, he scoots closer.
"Come on, Ziah. I had something to handle. I'm sorry," he murmurs, tapping the empty spoon against my lips when I don't respond.
"Okay then, Fuzailâthe chocolates I bought for Ziah, can you take them and give them to Hafsa and Nisma? Because I don't think Ziah wants anything from me."
My eyes widen at the word chocolate, and that's when I notice the bag beside him.
"Goodness! Really?!" Before Fuzail can snatch my property, I quickly grab it, glaring at him.
"Who said I don't want this?" I clutch it close to my chest, but Ziyan just looks at me with a soft smile.
"You were upset, right?"
"IâI wasn't upset. I was just a little bit angry," I explain, but of course, Fuzail has to jump in.
Girls are so pathetic, just seeing few bars of chocolate and him being sweet and I am melted caramel over here.
"My vocabulary tells me upset and angry are the same words. Am I wrong, girls?" he asks, turning to Hafsa and Nisma, who are thoroughly enjoying this.
"What are we now?" I ask Ziyan, and he raises an eyebrow, amusement still clear on his face.
"We're husband and wife. If we don't have these small fights, we won't be labeled as a certified husband and wife. So, I was just picking a fight, nothing elseâdon't take it to heart," I wave dismissively. After all, he did successfully bribe me with a bag full of big chocolate bars.
"Hmm, sure you're not upset?" he asks, eyebrow raised.
"Nope!" I shake my head loudly, and he lowers his head with a chuckle.
"Now, keep these chocolates away and let's feed your tummy," he says, taking the bag from me and moving the plate forward. I giggle quietly as I start eating, while Fuzail complains about how Ziyan stole his dream before it could even reach him.
Such an overdramatic human he is.
*****