CHAPTER 10: The Edge of Darkness

Lisa's POV

The truth hung heavy in the air between us.

I could still feel Noha's words like an echo in my mind:

"I'm a dangerous man, Lisa. And you shouldn't be here."

But how could I leave? How could I walk away when he was standing there—broken, vulnerable, and yet, so real?

I wasn't naive enough to think that love could fix everything. But in that moment, love wasn't about fixing. It was about staying.

I took his hand in mine.

"Then keep me safe," I said, voice barely a whisper. "I'm not going anywhere."

Noha's POV

I didn't deserve her.

I couldn't protect her the way she deserved. And I couldn't shield her from the world I dragged her into.

But she was here—still standing by me. And that made something inside me snap. The fear. The rage. The darkness I'd buried inside me for years—it all wanted to rise.

And I couldn't let it.

Because if I lost control, if I let the monster inside me out, I'd lose her.

I couldn't risk that.

But I couldn't keep her safe forever.

Lisa's POV

The silence between us was deafening.

I needed answers. I needed to know the truth.

"Noha," I said softly, pulling away slightly. "Tell me everything. What's going to happen now?"

His jaw clenched, eyes darkening. He was afraid. Afraid of what might come if he revealed more.

"I can't protect you from everything," he finally said, his voice rough. "I can protect you from him, but not from what's already inside me."

I didn't understand. Not fully.

But I nodded. "I can handle it. Whatever it is, I'll handle it. But you have to let me in. You can't push me away."

Noha's POV

The vulnerability in her eyes, the trust she placed in me—it almost broke me.

I stepped back and ran my hands through my hair.

"Dante is coming after both of us," I said, voice low. "He's not just looking for revenge. He's looking for a way to destroy everything I've built—and you're part of that now."

I could see her fear, but she didn't pull away. She stayed.

"So what are we going to do?" she asked, determined.

I looked at her for a long moment, trying to keep my emotions in check.

"We prepare," I said. "And we fight back."

Lisa's POV

It didn't feel real.

This life that Noha had been living—this world that he was a part of—was dark and dangerous, but he was the darkest part of it.

And yet…

He was still the man I had come to care for.

I couldn't run. I couldn't turn away from him. Because in the middle of all this chaos, he had become my world. He was my reason.

"I'm with you," I said, stepping closer to him again. "We're in this together."

Noha's POV

She was in my world now. And that terrified me.

I had built this empire on lies, on blood, on death.

And now? I was dragging her into it.

But in the pit of my gut, a small part of me—one I tried to ignore—was grateful.

Because this woman, this beautiful, stubborn woman, was standing by me when everyone else would've run.

"I won't let anyone hurt you," I promised, my voice low, the weight of it sinking into me.

But I didn't know if I could keep that promise.

Lisa's POV

The days passed in a blur of tension and whispered conversations. Noha kept me close, even though I could see the distance in his eyes. There were meetings, calls, and plans—things I couldn't understand, but I could feel the urgency.

I tried to stay busy. Tried to act normal.

But the fear, the uncertainty—it never left.

And then, one night, when Noha hadn't come back from one of his meetings, I found myself standing in front of his closet, staring at the empty space where his things usually were.

And that's when I realized—he wasn't just keeping secrets from me.

He was losing himself.

Noha's POV

I couldn't get the image of Lisa standing there, so vulnerable, so alive, out of my head.

But the reality of the situation hit me harder every day. Dante wasn't just threatening me. He was threatening her. And no matter what I did, I couldn't guarantee she'd be safe.

I was losing control of everything.

And when I lost control…

I hurt the people I loved.

Lisa's POV

I stayed up late that night, unable to shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Noha had been gone too long. His absence felt suffocating.

I had to find him.

I slipped out of the house, quiet as a shadow. My heart raced as I made my way to the car, but I didn't care. I had to know what was happening.

I had to know that he was okay.

I reached his penthouse in no time. The doors were locked, but my heart was pounding too hard to care. I rang the bell, my breath shallow.

And then the door opened.

But it wasn't Noha who stood there.

Noha's POV

I heard the door creak open and froze.

What the hell?

Before I could react, I saw her—Lisa—standing in the doorway.

My chest tightened, and panic surged through me.

"Lisa, get back," I said, voice dark with warning. "What are you doing here?"

But she didn't move.

Her eyes were wide with confusion, fear, but also determination.

"Noha," she whispered. "What's happening?"

And for the first time, I realized—there was no way I could protect her from this anymore.

Lisa's POV

"Noha, what's going on?" I asked again, my voice shaking. "I'm not leaving until you tell me the truth."

His face hardened, but for a split second, I saw the man I'd fallen in love with—lost, broken, and so desperately afraid.

And in that moment, I knew.

I was in deeper than I had ever realized.