Part 05

Thania's POV

I blinked several times as the sunlight peeked through the window, making me squint. Getting out of bed, I glanced around the room. Gibran was nowhere to be seen. Did he not come home last night? I wondered.

The sound of the door creaking open made my heart race. I didn't even need to turn around to know it was him. As I faced him, I noticed he was still wearing the same clothes from yesterday, though they were a bit wrinkled. That could only mean one thing—he hadn't come home at all last night.

"Gibran, you didn't come home last night. Where were you?" I asked, concern evident in my voice.

As always, he ignored me and walked straight to the bathroom. But this time, I wasn't going to let him off so easily. I grabbed his arm, determined to get an answer.

"Gibran, answer me!"

Without a word, he shook off my grip—roughly. My breath hitched, and I stood frozen for a moment before taking a deep breath, pushing back the tears that threatened to fall. With nothing left to say, I turned around and made my way downstairs to prepare breakfast.

By the time the clock struck seven, everyone had already gathered at the dining table. I glanced toward the staircase just as Gibran descended, buttoning the sleeves of his shirt. No matter what he did, he always looked effortlessly perfect in my eyes.

Gibran's POV

I opened the bedroom door, immediately spotting Thania waiting for me. I knew she would question me about last night.

As expected, she did. But I wasn't in the mood to explain anything. I ignored her and walked past her, but she wasn't one to give up easily. She grabbed my arm, demanding an answer.

Her persistence irritated me. Without thinking, I shook her off. I didn't mean to be rough, but my mind was a mess, and the last thing I needed was to be questioned.

After a quick shower and getting dressed, I found myself wondering if I had been too harsh on her. As I made my way downstairs, I caught her watching me. The moment our eyes met, she quickly looked away.

Thania's POV

The rain poured lightly outside, its chill creeping into my skin. It wasn't heavy, but if I stepped out now, I would definitely get soaked.

Thankfully, I wasn't working at the store today, so I could go straight home. The only problem? I had forgotten my umbrella. Left with no other option, I used my bag to shield my head from the drizzle.

By the time I arrived home, the rain had stopped. I hurried inside, changed into dry clothes, and towel-dried my damp hair.

10:00 PM

As usual, before heading to bed, I waited for Gibran to come home—even though I wasn't sure if he would. I had no idea what time he finished work, but it didn't seem right for someone in his position to be working this late.

I stepped out of my room to grab a glass of water and decided to sit at the dining table while waiting.

"Thania?"

I turned to see Givan standing there.

"Givan," I greeted him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I just came to get some water."

"Has Gibran come home yet?"

I shook my head. "No, not yet."

"What? That's odd. It's already past his usual hours." Givan checked his watch, frowning.

"He's probably busy. Maybe he has a lot of work to do," I reasoned.

Givan scoffed. "That's unlikely. Even on his busiest days, he never stays past nine. And if he did, he would've at least let you know. Have you tried calling him?"

I hesitated before answering, "No. I don't have his number."

Givan handed me his phone. "Here, save his number."

I took the phone, typed in Gibran's number, then handed it back. "Thanks, Givan."

"No problem. If you ever need anything, just let me know."

I smiled at his kindness. "What about you? What are you doing up this late?"

"I'm starving. Thought I'd check the kitchen for something to eat."

I glanced at the empty counter. "How about I make you some fried rice?"

"You don't have to. I don't want to bother you."

"It's no bother. You're hungry, right? And there's no food left anyway. Just let me cook for you."

"If you insist," he said with a grin. "I won't say no."

I quickly prepared the ingredients, tossing in some chicken and eggs to make it heartier. Within five minutes, the fried rice was ready.

"Here you go—fried rice for the hungry man," I teased, placing the plate in front of him before sitting down beside him.

"Thanks, Thania. Gibran's lucky to have a wife like you."

His words made me freeze for a second. I wished that were true.

At Jo's Place

"It's getting late. Don't you wanna go home, Gi? Your wife is probably waiting for you," Jo said, leaning against the couch.

Jo was always Gibran's escape whenever he was bored or having a bad day. And Jo knew exactly why Gibran was here tonight—he was avoiding Thania.

Gibran sighed, grabbed his coat and car keys, and stood up.

"Where are you going?" Jo asked, puzzled.

"You just told me to go home," Gibran replied flatly.

"Well, yeah, but I didn't expect you to actually listen. You just got up without saying anything!" Jo shot back.

"Whatever," Gibran muttered.

"Wait, wait! Are you really going home? Or are you just saying that?" Jo narrowed his eyes.

"I'm going home," Gibran confirmed before walking out.

"Alright, good. Let me at least walk you out."

Gibran stepped on the gas, driving home in silence. By the time he arrived, he spotted two figures at the dining table.

"Gibran!" Givan called out, surprised to see him. "Why are you so late?"

"Was at Jo's," Gibran replied shortly before heading upstairs.

Givan turned to me. "You wanna go talk to him?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks for keeping me company, Givan. And don't worry about the dishes—I'll take care of them later."

"Nah, I got it. Thanks for the fried rice."

I gave him a small smile before following Gibran upstairs.

When I entered our room, he was taking off his jacket. He knew I was there. Slowly, he turned to face me.

"Dad asked where we want to go for our honeymoon," he said, his tone unreadable.

I stiffened, caught off guard. After a brief pause, I answered, "I… I don't want to go anywhere."

His brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't argue. If that was what I wanted, then so be it.