Chapter★6 "In the Shadows of Truth and Temptation"

She was sitting on the bed, fiddling with her phone. She pulled out the SIM card, popped it into her mouth, bit down on it until it cracked, then tossed it away. She pulled out a new one, inserted it into the phone, and turned it on. Just as she was about to get up and see who was knocking on the door—

His voice stopped her in her tracks.

She turned and found him stepping out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his waist, running his fingers through his wet hair, slicking it back.

(Seriously) "Just stay. Rest."

She sat back down, watching him until he disappeared from view to open the door. Soon, she heard him talking to someone and shifting things around.

Then she saw him pushing a food cart into the room. He brought it to the small table and looked up at her.

"Come eat. I didn't know what you liked, so I ordered a bit of everything."

She nodded, stood, and walked over, sitting across from him, scanning the options before picking what she wanted. But she didn't start eating—she waited for him.

He sat beside her and picked his food too. Silence filled the room, broken only by the clinking of cutlery against plates. Each was focused on their meal—except for Adam, who occasionally glanced up at her. She was eating, lost in the whirlwind of thoughts crashing in her mind.

He pulled her out of her daze when he suddenly spoke, without even looking at her.

(Questioningly) "You never told me your name?"

Her eyes widened in shock. She choked on her food, eyes tearing up and turning red. He quickly handed her a glass of water and gently patted her back, barely holding back a laugh.

Adam, rubbing her back:

"You deserved that. Just messing with you."

She pushed him away, frowning seriously:

"Your jokes are tasteless, Anas."

She paused, realizing what she'd just said, trying to recover. She squinted at him.

(Questioningly) "Remind me, is your name Anas? Or Adam?"

He smiled, recognizing her attempt to get back at him. He understood she wasn't as simple as she'd first seemed.

Meanwhile, Huda was mentally berating herself for that slip. She'd meant to tease him by throwing out a random name, but instead, she'd blurted out her ex-husband's name. She deeply regretted it, wishing she'd just stayed quiet.

Adam (seriously):

"I heard you were previously married."

Huda's expression shifted awkwardly.

(Nervously) "Yeah… I got divorced."

He nodded silently before speaking again.

(Questioningly) "Why did you divorce? Did you leave him or was it the other way around?"

She avoided his eyes.

(Calmly) "We just didn't get along. We agreed to end it."

Adam (seriously):

"Did you agree to marry me willingly? Or were you forced?"

He narrowed his eyes, awaiting her answer. She raised a brow at him, surprised.

(Seriously) "Why are you asking? Does it even matter now? We're already married."

Adam:

"It matters a lot. It affects how I treat you—whether as someone who chose this, or someone who was forced."

She went quiet, processing his words. For some reason, she felt he was hinting at sex. As if—if she said she was forced—he wouldn't approach her. But if she said it was her choice…

Huda ran her fingers through her hair, trying to calm herself.

(Softly) "And what's the difference between the two?"

He scratched his beard, a sly smile spreading across his face, confirming her suspicions about what he meant.

Adam (playfully):

"A huge difference. Now answer me."

Huda (challengingly):

"Before I do, tell me—did you agree to this marriage willingly?"

He leaned back, relaxed, arrogance in his tone:

"Men don't get forced into marriage. Especially not me."

His answer stunned her. She'd expected something more neutral, more careful. Curiosity got the better of her.

(Frustrated) "If that's true, then why didn't you show up at the engagement? Why didn't you make the effort to get to know me beforehand? Find out if I even liked you? What if I wasn't your type, or had flaws?"

Adam (seriously):

"The whole mysterious setup was my request. Even if it hadn't been you, it would've been someone else—same process. If I was looking for a specific type, I'd have picked her myself. But I preferred this: cast the hook and see who bites. Whoever does—that's fate." (winks)

His reply and the coldness in his tone infuriated her.

(Angrily) "So this girl, who you see as a fish that took the bait… did you ever consider you might not be her fate?"

Adam:

"If I weren't, she wouldn't be sitting in front of me on our first night together."

Huda:

"And if she didn't choose you? Was forced into it? That doesn't bother you?"

Adam:

"Which brings us back to my question—were you forced, or did you agree? If it didn't matter, I wouldn't be asking. I'd just carry on like so many others do after marriage."

Huda (questioningly):

"So my answer really matters that much?"

Adam:

"Answer and you'll find out."

She swallowed hard. Saying it out loud wasn't easy.

(Hesitantly) "I was…"

Adam waited, internally torn, unsure whether to expect rejection or acceptance. Her expression gave nothing away.

Huda:

"I agreed. Your way of doing things was mysterious, a new kind of experience. But I took the risk, even though my future was unclear. I believed in my decision—and here I am, your fate, as you put it."

Adam didn't comment. He didn't speak again. That silence made Huda suspicious. Was he testing her? Did he already know she hadn't agreed at first, and just wanted to see if she'd lie?

After washing her hands, she returned to sit on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap, waiting for him to make the first move. She could've gone to him, but she held back—unlike her first marriage. This time, she wanted to try playing "hard to get," to see how he'd approach.

She saw him pull off his t-shirt and walk toward her. She pretended to be distracted but was secretly watching his every move. He sat beside her, leaned in close… so close she could feel his breath on her face.

She waited to see what he'd do. Then the light went out.

Her first thought: he wanted to consummate the marriage in the traditional dark setting of wedding nights.

But instead… he pulled away and lay down on his back, hands over his eyes. His breathing steadied—he was asleep.

She was shocked. Did he reject her? Or what?

Then his sleepy voice came:

(Rough with sleep) "Good night… my wife."

In the dark, she couldn't see his face, but she felt a teasing smile in the way he said my wife. His tone had shifted. She watched him until she got tired too and lay down beside him.

---

A new day.

He stepped out of his car, tall and confident, walking with arrogance. A man in his early forties, with rugged Moroccan features—oozing masculinity, authority, and dignity.

He entered the company building, nodding respectfully at the employees he passed.

He waited by the elevator. As soon as it opened, he stepped inside, pressed the floor number, and looked straight ahead.

A young woman in formal attire appeared, motioning at him with her hands, lips moving—though her voice didn't reach him. She was running toward him. He squinted, trying to make out what she was saying.

"…Please… wait… hold the—!"

Before he could press the button to hold the door, she had already reached him and threw herself into the elevator just as it was closing.

She crashed into him, pushing him back into the wall, and all her papers went flying.

He coldly pushed her off and moved to the other side, adjusting his suit, ignoring her. She glared at him, knelt to pick up her papers—and saw he was stepping on some of them. She tapped his foot.

He looked down, raising an eyebrow: What?

She pushed his foot away, picked up her papers, and began brushing them off—they'd gotten dirty from his shoe.

She shoved the papers near his face.

(Angrily) "Look what you did! You dirtied my papers. What am I supposed to do now? I'm already late—and now everything's ruined. Ugh! What a crappy day!"

He didn't respond. He stood, hands clasped in front of him formally, eyes straight ahead. His silence infuriated her—he didn't even bother to apologize.

She smacked him on the shoulder with the papers.

(Angrily) "You don't even know how to say sorry? What kind of manners are these, old man? At your age? Shame! Look at me—totally disheveled because of you."

He eyed her up and down after she said old man, annoyed—he didn't even look that old. In fact, he looked younger than his age.

(Dryly) "Disheveled because of me?"

(His eyes dropped to her chest, spilling out of her blouse, with her bra straps visible)

"Even those flew out because of me? Did I do that too?"

Her eyes widened. She clutched her blouse, covering her exposed chest, looking for the straps that had slipped while she ran. She glared at him, biting her lip.

(Angrily) "What do you mean you played with them? Have some decency! What is this?!"

A faint smile traced his lips as he said,

"The buttons... don't let your mind wander too far, my daughter."

He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence before the elevator doors opened. He stepped out confidently, almost arrogantly, under her gaze, making her curse him quietly under her breath. She exited as well, heading to where her exam was being held. The hall was full of girls, all seemingly like her—looking for a job opportunity. She submitted her documents and politely asked to use the restroom to freshen up a little.

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Elsewhere, Huda began to slowly open her eyes, squinting against the light filtering through the window. She could barely keep them open. She felt like she was sunken into something soft, and a lingering scent of perfume gently spun around her nose.

She reached back to feel what was behind her. It didn't take long before realization hit her. She cracked one eye open to confirm—and her eyes widened in shock when she felt him holding her from behind. His breath was warm against her neck. He had her tucked under his arms, his head resting against her neck, and her legs tangled between his as if they belonged together—as if this wasn't their first night like this.

She tried to slip away from his grasp, but it was useless. He had a firm hold on her. She wanted to lift his hands off her, but they felt too heavy. She froze in place when she felt one of his hands move slowly across her abdomen, gently exploring as if memorizing her.

He spoke with his eyes still closed, his voice hoarse with sleep, giving it a harder edge:

"Stay… If you get up now, you'll take my sleep with you."

She said nothing—speechless. Her heart pounded. She wasn't used to being in the arms of any man other than Anas, who used to hold her the same way—a position she secretly loved and found comfort in.

Huda whispered,

"Adam… I need to get up."

Still drowsy, Adam pulled her closer like a doll. A faint smile crossed his lips when she said his name. He buried his face deeper into her hair and mumbled,

"Just a bit more… then I'll get up."

She lay frozen, unsure what to do, her eyes flicking around nervously. In the end, she closed her eyes, rested her head against him, and let herself drift back into sleep.

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In another place, Anas opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling. His head felt like it was splitting open from a post-drinking haze. He couldn't remember anything clearly—what had happened, or how he got back home. The last thing he remembered was seeing Huda walk away with her man. He turned his head and noticed someone lying next to him—on her stomach, bare-backed, her long black hair covering her face and concealing her features.

He didn't recognize her, but he wasn't alarmed. He was used to bringing girls over to distract himself, to smother the fire burning inside his chest. He got up groggily and stepped into the shower, hoping it would clear his mind.

When he came out, he noticed she was sitting up, her back to him. His eyes narrowed at the sight of bloodstains on the bed. Confused, he took a step closer to figure out who she was. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes widened as memories from the night before came crashing down. He ran his hand over his head in frustration, breathing heavily.

She looked up at him, eyes brimming with tears—and moments later, she burst into sobs, covering her face with her hands. He stood in front of her, hands on his hips, one brow raised.

She choked through her tears:

"Why did you do this to me, Anas? You ruined me... You're going back to Huda, and you'll leave me behind like garbage. That's not fair…"

Anas, coldly:

"Get up. Leave. Forget this ever happened."

Her crying stopped abruptly. She looked at him, visibly furious:

"How can I pretend this never happened? Are you mocking me? What about my honor? What am I supposed to do now?"

Anas, irritated:

"And what do you expect me to do? Marry you? Dream on. Why were you even this close to me? Why did you come with me in the first place? If your mother had taught you any dignity, you wouldn't have stepped foot in your best friend's boyfriend's apartment, let alone slept in his bed."

She lowered her eyes, fake tears sliding down her cheeks again:

"But Anas... You forced yourself on me. You're the one who assaulted me. And now you're blaming me?"

He stared at her, observing how fake her tears looked—how none of this screamed "assault." She flinched when he suddenly grabbed her hair and yanked her closer.

Grinding his teeth, he hissed:

"Don't play this whore's game with me. You think I was unconscious? I saw you—throwing yourself on me. (pauses, thinking) Wait... Is this a setup? You and that slut Huda trying to frame me and make me the villain so she can dump me? Is that it? I swear to God, I'll kill both of you if this is a trap."

She trembled—knowing very well how violent he could be when he lost control. She had seen what he'd done to Huda before. With nothing else to do, she let more fake tears fall and sobbed:

"I swear, I'd never ruin myself for her. I don't even care about her anymore—we're done. She's not right for me."

He shoved her away forcefully, and she fell back onto the bed.

"Well, I'm not right for you either. Stay away from me—and don't ever try this again."

He stormed out, leaving her biting her lip in frustration. This wasn't how she had planned it. She ran her fingers through her hair, thinking of her next move to drag him deeper into her web.

Her eyes landed on the clothes on the floor, and a wicked smile curled her lips.

She remembered what she had done the night before—how she had dressed in Huda's clothes to confuse him, to make him sleep with her thinking she was someone else. He'd spent the whole night whispering only Huda's name, but that didn't matter to her. It didn't move her.

The only thing that mattered was that she'd gotten what she wanted—to sleep with him.

The rest would be easy.

To be continued… ✨