Novels by Nour El

“Zaniel is amazing, isn’t he? Look at him, he’s so energetic. He’s only five years old, but he’s already so smart,” Amelia commented as she sat beside Elmy, serving cake and cold drinks on the terrace.Elmy watched Zaniel quietly. Even though she hadn’t been able to breastfeed him, he had still grown into a healthy child. These days, he loved playing soccer with Zayne. Recently, he had even started asking them for a little sibling.Unfortunately, that was the one thing Zayne would never allow again. Even though Elmy was willing to get pregnant one more time, the doctor had warned them that another pregnancy would be extremely risky considering what she went through during her first delivery.“He said he wants to become a soccer player,” Elmy said with an amused smile as she looked at Amelia. “What about Nana? Is she starting kindergarten this year?”“Nana said she wants to become a model. I guess Sebastian’s artistic side really runs in her blood,” Amelia replied with a knowing smile.

Elmy sat there restlessly. Her hands were tightly clasped together while her legs wouldn’t stop moving. She kept glancing at her watch over and over again, wishing time would just stop. She had already met Dante before—she had even wished for him to disappear from her life.But now, she was terrified of being rejected by her own father.Elmy stared at her trembling fingers. Why was she acting like this?Because of guilt?Because she finally realized that Dante had actually cared about her all this time?Or because Elmy was afraid Dante wouldn’t forgive her?All those thoughts stormed through Elmy’s head. She had been thinking about this for days, and in the end, she decided she wanted to fix everything. No matter what happened, she would accept it.Elmy had been left alone on the balcony by Isabella, who was downstairs trying to calm Zaniel’s loud crying. For some reason, the baby got fussy easily whenever someone else held him. But thankfully, Isabella seemed to manage to calm him do

“Where’s Zayne? Why can’t I see him?” Sebastian asked while gently rocking his baby during their video call.“Oh, Zayne…” Elmy swallowed the food in her mouth first before answering. “He went out. He said sunlight is good for babies, so he took Zaniel out for a walk,” Elmy said as she sat at the dining table.“That’s true,” Sebastian replied before sitting down after Amelia took their baby from him. He faced the camera, allowing Elmy to see his face more clearly. Sebastian looked tanner than before, and he had also gained some weight.“Did you gain weight?” Elmy asked.“Yeah, Amelia won’t let me eat too little. She really spoils me and our baby,” Sebastian said cheerfully.Elmy smiled widely. That was good news. It seemed like Sebastian’s decision to separate from his parents had been the right one. He looked truly happy now with his little family, even if they were far away from the city.“So when are you finally going to tell me your address, huh?”“Soon. Maybe after Zaniel is old e

“At last, my grandson is coming home,” Isabella said excitedly, making Elmy lower her head weakly in front of Zaniel’s incubator. Her hands tightly gripped the hem of her pale yellow dress until it wrinkled.The doctor said Zaniel was healthy now. He was finally allowed to go home. That was good news. Wasn’t this what Elmy had been hoping for all this time? Zaniel returning to her arms. But at this moment, why did she feel scared? Why did something feel so heavy in her chest as she watched the doctor lift Zaniel into his arms?Zaniel’s face was slightly red. He squirmed with his eyes open. His soft cries made Elmy bite her lip, trying to hold back the emotions swelling inside her chest. After an entire month, she could finally hear Zaniel cry.Before this, Zaniel used to cry silently. But now, the baby was truly healthy. His tiny clenched fists moved weakly. Elmy felt like reaching for him, but strangely, her body froze instead. Her shoulders tensed when the doctor brought Zaniel clos

Almost every day, Elmy did the same thing that had slowly become part of her routine—going to the hospital. The doctors, nurses, even the gardeners at the Kensley family hospital had all become familiar with her by now.They knew Elmy’s visiting schedule by heart. Ten in the morning. The NICU room, where Zaniel was still staying inside an incubator. Today, she returned to the same place again, visiting the tiny baby who had finally started responding to her voice.Zaniel’s little body had started filling out. The doctor said his progress was remarkably fast. Even though he was only getting nutrition from formula milk, Elmy couldn’t complain. As long as she still couldn’t breastfeed him, then maybe this was something Zaniel would have to live with for now.It was heartbreaking.“I think we need to talk, Mrs. Elmy. Could you come to my office?” the doctor suddenly said from behind her.Elmy followed him into the room. The doctor let out a long sigh before pulling out several sheets of p

“I’m going to take leave as soon as possible.” Zayne flipped through the documents in his hands before looking over at Gion. “Let Mr. Tiano handle the rest. I can’t ignore Elmy’s condition right now.”Gion, who stood across from him, simply nodded. He didn’t protest or object to Zayne’s decision. Zayne had already made up his mind from the start. Once he finished taking care of a few important matters, he would hand everything over to Mr. Tiano and focus entirely on Elmy and their baby.Just one more month, Zayne thought before Zaniel could finally come home with them.That wasn’t a long time. Maybe. They just needed patience, and maybe he needed to comfort Elmy more often. She looked disappointed in herself now. Knowing their baby was born premature and that she still couldn’t hold him had caused her condition, which had been improving, to worsen again.She was on complete bed rest at the hospital. While Zayne handled work at the office, he entrusted everything to Isabella and Dean.

"What were you and Vallen talking about?" Dylan asked sharply.I had barely stepped into the hospital room before he fired the question at me. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, ready to cut right through me. I walked over to the sofa where he was sitting."Nothing important. We were just chatting," I replied casually as I sat down beside him."Then why did you have to go somewhere else to talk?" he asked."Vallen didn't want to disturb Father," I lied, hoping it sounded convincing enough that Dylan wouldn't keep asking questions. I honestly had no idea what else I could say if he kept pressing me.My eyes drifted toward the bed. My father-in-law was already asleep. When I looked back at Dylan, I saw him scrolling through his phone. A second later, he placed a call."Yeah, I need a nurse to take care of my father." He leaned back against the sofa, his phone still pressed to his ear. "I need two of them so they can alternate shifts

I couldn't understand what Dylan meant.For several long seconds, all I could do was stare at him from across the room, carefully studying his unreadable expression until I arrived at a rather ridiculous conclusion.Please don't judge me. It's only an assumption.I thought... it seemed like Dylan wanted to sleep with me.The moment the thought crossed my mind, heat rushed to my cheeks. I lowered my head and squeezed the water bottle in my hand so hard that water burst out, splashing all over my clothes.Damn it.This is so embarrassing."What's wrong with you?" Dylan asked, puzzled."Nothing."One of his eyebrows arched."You're definitely overthinking something," he scoffed with an amused hiss. "Go wash your face. You look like a mess."I got to my feet. Abraham was watching me with unmistakable amusement in his eyes."Yeah, looks like you should wash yours too. You look like a zombie," I shot back.The corners of Dylan's lips lifted. He stood up and asked his father for permission t

ANNAAll I could do was stare at Dylan, blinking in disbelief. His words echoed vividly in my mind."I'll fulfill all one hundred of Anna's requests. Whatever she asks for, including having children."That single sentence made my cheeks burn. Didn't that mean Dylan had just promised he would grant my wish to have a child? Even if I asked him right now, I was sure he would say yes.My heart felt like it was about to burst. I quickly forced myself to calm down. My family was still standing right in front of us, especially Lea, who was glaring at me as if she wanted to tear me apart."Are you sure?" I asked quietly.Dylan fell silent for a moment. I was certain this decision had come after a long night of thinking. The exhaustion in his eyes was proof that he hadn't slept. As he ran a hand through his hair, he gave a small nod."How can you possibly do that?" Jessy cried."Dylan, we're getting married soon. Just a

"With Anna? You've got to be kidding me. Why does it have to be that wretched woman?" she shouted.The tension didn't ease. If anything, it only grew heavier. Jessy turned toward Anna with a look of utter disbelief before shifting her gaze to me. All I could do was rub my temple with my fingers."It was Dad's request. What am I supposed to do?" I said before walking over to a chair and sitting down.Jessy remained where she was, staring through the glass at Abraham's hospital room. The doctors and nurses were doing everything they could to save him."You can change his mind. All he wants is a grandchild, isn't that right?" Jessy turned and walked toward me.My eyes met Anna's. She stood frozen a short distance away. I couldn't quite read the expression on her face. It was a mixture of worry and disbelief. I lowered my gaze to the cold hospital floor once more."Forget about that, Mom. Right now, the only thing that matters is Dad's condition," I said, trying to redirect her attention.

Silence.Anna seemed to be weighing my words. Even though I already knew her answer, I wanted to see just how firm her resolve still was after everything that had happened these past few days.Her breath came in quick, steady exhalations, brushing against my face as we stood inches apart. Our eyes met, locked on each other in silence."Answer me," I whispered softly.I want to hear it from your own lips, I added silently.Her lips parted as if she were about to speak. They stayed open for a brief moment before closing again, as though she were holding something back."Why aren't you answering? Are you starting to waver? You know things will only get harder from here because of the decision we've made," I said, trying to reason with her. I gently lifted her chin so she would meet my eyes again. "Are you listening?""Yeah," she replied quietly, so softly I could barely hear her.I ignored the commotion of the nurses behind us and kept my eyes on Anna."So, what's your decision? Are you

DYLANThe doctor said Lea was doing much better. Strangely enough, the news didn't bring me even the slightest sense of relief. Especially knowing she was planning to attend my event later.There was only one thing I hoped for. That she wouldn't cause a scene during the event, and more importantly, that she'd keep her distance from me."Are you leaving?" Lea asked."Hm.""You don't look happy to be here. Are you already getting tired of seeing me?" she accused, as always making my temper flare."No. I'm just tired," I replied, using it as an excuse to avoid another argument.Lea opened her arms.I stepped forward, wrapped my arms around her, and kissed the top of her head. She brushed her lips against mine. For a few seconds, I fought the urge to pull away. Then she slowly stepped back with a bright smile."I'm so glad we've made up.""Hm.""Then get some rest. I'll see you at the even

“Dr. Xavier sold this clinic a long time ago,” one of the staff members explained to me.“Sold it? Why?”“I’m not exactly sure what happened, but back then, Dr. Xavier didn’t seem to be in a good condition,” she explained while organizing the files she’d been sorting earlier.“Daddy, let’s go home!” Woody tugged on my hand from below. I smiled at him and simply nodded.“Wait a second, okay?” I said before turning back to the young woman. “Do you know where Dr. Xavier works now? Like where he opened his new clinic?”“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know about that,” she replied.I pressed my lips together and nodded in understanding. “Thanks,” I said before gently taking Woody’s hand and leaving the clinic.The boy looked at me once we were inside the car. “Daddy, who’s Dr. Xavier? Why are you looking for him?”“I’m not looking for him. I just wanted to know how he’s doing,” I replied with a smile while turning the steering wheel. “He’s… the doctor who used to check my teeth too,” I adde

“Dent, are you really going to make Xavier stay away from here? He’s your brother,” Jonny said, trying to negotiate the agreement I’d made with Xavier. Even if it sounded cruel—kicking him out without Jonny’s approval—I still had no intention of changing my decision.I didn’t want to see Xavier’s face. Even if he apologized for what he’d done, I still couldn’t give him room to be forgiven. You could say I just wanted to heal from the damage he caused.“I don’t care.”“Dent, you shouldn’t be acting this childish.”I turned to look at Jonny. What did he just say? Childish?“He destroyed my marriage. Am I supposed to keep being nice after what he did? Just because he’s my brother?” I asked, making Jonny fall silent.“I’m not telling you to stop being his father. He’s still your son, but I don’t consider him my brother anymore,” I said firmly.Then I slung my bag over my shoulder and walked away, leaving Jonny sitting weakly on the couch.“Where are you going?”“I already rented an apartm

Olivia’s POV“I’m really sorry, Amanda.” I held both of her hands tightly. “I let you down. I don’t deserve to be your best friend,” I said, my voice trembling.Amanda just stared at me with disappointment written all over her face. She squeezed my hands back, then gave me a bitter smile. But not a single word came out of her mouth.“How could I… I…” My words were cut off by my own sobs. I couldn’t even bring myself to say it. “I ruined our friendship.”“Yeah,” she replied, making me fall silent. Elena, who was sitting beside her, didn’t even try to mediate. She just lowered her head while holding her glass of juice.“If you’d admitted it earlier, maybe I never would’ve gotten involved with Xavier emotionally. But it’s like you never saw me as your friend. You only told Elena,” Amanda muttered without even looking at me.“Amanda… how could I tell you when back then you—”“You should’ve been braver about making a decision, Olivia! Because now… it’s not just Dent who got hurt, right?” s

Anna’s funeral was solemn. A lot of our friends and relatives came to say their final goodbye to her, including Olivia, who stood quite far from Anna’s grave. She wore a black dress with a veil covering her head. Even with the mask on, I still recognized her the moment our eyes met.She avoided my gaze. She looked scared and nervous at the same time. I tried not to care, but whatever feelings were still buried inside my chest made me glance at her every now and then, just to make sure she was okay over there.Damn it, even after all that betrayal, I was still thinking about her.Wondering if she was okay.If the pregnancy was making things hard for her.Deep down, I hated myself for still hoping these wounds could somehow heal.When flowers were scattered over the pile of dirt covering Anna’s body, that was the exact moment I realized my connection with her had been severed by a different dimension. I would never see my mother again, never touch her, kiss her, or even hear her voice.

Everything felt like a nightmare. I wished it really was one, and that when I woke up, Anna would still be smiling at me. Still talking to me. Still making my favorite food. I kept my eyes shut for a long moment, grimacing, refusing to open them.But Xavier’s sobs and Jonny’s voice behind him forced me to open my eyes.Yeah. My hope shattered.This wasn’t a nightmare, Dent.This was reality.The doctor declared Anna dead. Right after she found out about the huge mess tearing this family apart. A mess I should’ve never dumped on her in the first place.I punched myself in the head with my fist. Why did I tell Anna about my problems? And why the hell didn’t I know she had heart disease? Where the hell had I been all this time?“Stop that, Dent. Hurting yourself won’t change anything,” Xavier’s shaky, hoarse voice stopped me.I turned to look at him for a moment. His eyes were filled with grief. His blue eyes looked dull, completely stripped of their light.Just as I was finally starting

“Dent, you should know your place.”Xavier’s words hit me like a knife straight through the chest. I shot up from my seat and grabbed him by the collar. The angrier I got because of what he said, the wider his grin became.“What exactly can you even give Olivia?” he asked.My free hand clenched into a fist, ready to smash that smug face of his. But no matter how badly I wanted to, I could never bring myself to hit him. Xavier was my little brother. The little brother I had loved all this time. And now, standing in front of me, he looked like someone else entirely.He had turned into a bastard who dared to steal his own brother’s wife.“Do you even realize what you’ve done?” I whispered right in his face.Xavier didn’t look guilty at all. He chuckled softly while tugging my shirt back. Our breaths collided. Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered in that low voice of his.“Let me tell you something, Dent.” His breath was hot against my ear. “Did you know Olivia masturbates while s