Fray of Affection

“Are you the guardian of Miss. Anna Rae?”

Ibrahim stood up from his seat when a doctor approached him. He was wrought up, his muscles were tense indicating that he is worried and anxious.

"I'm her husband," Ibrahim informed the doctor. "How's her condition?" he inquired impatiently.

"She fainted due to sudden shock. It may not be dangerous, but if it occurs frequently, it may lead to an anxiety disorder. I recommend that you admit her to the hospital for one night." The doctor clarified.

Ibrahim breathed a sigh of relief when he learned that she was fine. "Can I see her?" he inquired.

The doctor gave a nod. "Please be quiet as she needs to rest, and if she wakes up, please call me right away."

Ibrahim nodded, as if he had comprehended what the doctor instructed. Before the doctor left, he thanked him. He reached for the doorknob and turned it open. He doesn't understand why his heart breaks when he sees Anna's pale face. Her face is as white as paper, and it pains him to see her lying there like a stiff. If he could, he'd rather be the one who's lying down there not her. He might not love this woman, but before God he swore that he would protect her, and here he failed to do so. She’s part of her responsibility, too.

Ibrahim sighed and sat on the chair next to the bed. He gently caressed her cheeks and removed a few strands of hair that were covering her face. What did he do to her? He felt even more guilty as he watched her sleeping helplessly. His fingers moved to her hair, which he stroked gently, like a father trying to soothe his daughter.

“I’m sorry.” He uttered. His voice is so weak that it sounds like a whisper.

It's extremely stressful for him, and in his head he has only one name for the root of the attack. He turned around and faced the window. As he gritted his teeth, his face darkened and his jaw tightened. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

"Luke, I might need your assistance." His hoarse voice was heard once the person he called picked up.

“Yes.”

“During the charity event, there was an attack, and I need you to look into it. The men who were supposed to look after my security are completely useless. I require more competent men.”

“What? Were all four I assigned to you were unsuitable? What exactly happened?”

“I'm only thinking of one name. It's Arthur James, and I'm pretty sure his true target is me. I wish I could tell you the entire story, but I can't because I'm in the hospital.”

“Are you hurt?”

“I'm fine, but Anna isn't. She passed out.” When he mentioned her, his voice cracked slightly. He returned his gaze to her.

“What happened to her, Ibrahim?” Luke asked worriedly.

“It's a long story, and what makes me uneasy is how Kai Jones appeared out of nowhere at the event. It’s suspicious. Make sure you also check on him.”

“I understand. I will handle this.”

When he heard a loud groan, Ibrahim turned around. Anna opened her eyes and massaged her temple with her palm, he sighed in relief.

"Luke I've got to go. Please contact me as soon as you have any new information."

He didn't wait for Luke's response and immediately hung up the phone. He sprinted over to Anna, who was struggling to sit down.

“Stop moving. I will call the doctor.” Ibrahim spoke up and pressed the button near the bed to summon the doctor.

Anna couldn't stop massaging her temples as she was feeling a bit dizzy and everything around her was spinning.

“Where am I? I heard a gunshot earlier but why am I here? I survived?” Her voice is so soft that he can barely make it out.

Ibrahim took a deep breath and sat on the chair beside her bed. "You passed out." He stated.

Before she could ask any further questions, she heard the door open. A man with white coat entered with a nurse. He did several checks on Anna to make sure if she’s really okay.

“I see no unusual symptoms, and the only reason you fainted was because you were scared and shocked. If you feel better, I believe you will be discharged tomorrow. For the time being, I recommend that you get enough rest. If you notice anything unusual, such as an irregular heartbeat, sweating, trembling, or hyperventilation. Please call me right away.” The doctor explained, and Ibrahim noticed that the doctor was quite calm while explaining, implying that she would be fine.

As the doctor left her room, she tried to sit down. Ibrahim sighed at her obstinacy. Didn't she hear the doctor tell her she needed to rest? Ibrahim took her hand in his and quickly tucked a pillow behind her back. She drew back and leaned against the pillow. She looked at Ibrahim, full of questions for him.

“What was it? Just what kind of game are you trying to get me in?” She inquired, her voice trembling. She's only been his wife for a month, and she almost got killed.

Ibrahim abruptly exhaled, unsure where to begin. “Didn't I warn you earlier to avoid Arthur Jones? I warned you not to accept his offer." He responded.

Anna buried her face in her palm. How could her life have turned out this way? "What happened between you and him?" she inquired, recalling the tense heated interaction between Ibrahim and Arthur.

“I’m a businessman. Of course, I have enemies who wish to harm me, which is why I must be extremely careful about my protection. I have been wary from the beginning. As you have known and experienced the consequences. I hope you understand and will not make such stupid mistakes again.” Ibrahim responded, his face expressionless. He sounded more like giving warning than being worried.

Anna was taken aback by Ibrahim's expression. "Hey! I'm your wife, and I almost got killed, and yet you don't seem worried." Anna is extremely disappointed. She accepted that he would never love her, but he could show her some consideration. But here she was, nearly got killed, and he seemed unconcerned about it.

Ibrahim is filled with despair. He wanted to tell her how worried he was about her. How could he even put into words how he felt when he saw her unconscious on the bed? Even if he does, will she believe that he is so worried?

"You need to take proper rest." Ibrahim tried to soften his gaze when he replied. He feels responsible for it.

Anna’s eyes widened as she remembered something from the incident. She panicked right away. “Where is Kai? I need to see him.” She pushed the comforter aside and attempted to get out of bed.

Given her tenacity, Ibrahim couldn't be more stressful. He did his best to push her back to her bed, as he was preventing her from moving.

“Let go of me.” She yelled at him and struggled to get free. She wanted to see Kai.

“Where is Kai? I need to see him.” When she looked at Ibrahim, her eyes were bloodshot red with tears pooling in them. She remembered how Kai had saved her and took the bullet which was aiming at her. She began to struggle again in his tight grip and pleaded to Ibrahim to let her go.

She started shouting because it was too stressful for her to win with her strength.  “Let go of me you jerk. I need to see him.” She began to grab anything that she could reach and throw it at Ibrahim.

Ibrahim couldn't take her obstinacy any longer. If his strength wasn't enough to stop her, he should try something else. He slowly pulls her to his chest and encircles her in his embrace. His hands brushed through her hair gently, trying to calm her down.

For a second Anna is speechless. How could a hug from this cold man turned so warm and comfortable?

“Kai is fine, according to the doctor, the bullet did not penetrate too deeply and did not damage any of his veins. Please don't be too stubborn because you're still very weak and need a lot of rest. Please calm down.” Ibrahim gently persuaded her while running his finger through her hair.

This feeling is bizarre. Anna's tears began to fall from her beautiful eyes. How could he sound so convincing and warm? It feels like she wanted to believe him no matter what he said, even if he said the moon is square now, she would believe it too.

Ibrahim sighed softly as he noticed her trembling shoulders. She's crying. This is the first time Ibrahim saw her crying. It's as if the appearance of the defiant girl who always tried to provoke his rage has faded away, and the girl in his embrace right now is just an ordinary girl who needs someone to protect her. He couldn't understand why his heart ached when he saw her crying and why his palms were rubbing her back to soothe her pain away.

"Don't cry, please." He said it in the middle of her sobs. “It hurt a lot to see you cry.” He whispered softly.

Anna's tears stopped eventually. Is it possible she refuses to let go of his warm embrace? She wanted to stay in his engorged arms. She wanted to continue inhaling his scent and make sure he was near her. She's puzzled why she felt so safe and secure in his arms. This strange sensation is something she has never felt before. Not even with Kai Jones.

Once she was calm, Ibrahim assisted her in lying down on her bed. He drew the comforter over her chest until it was completely covering her. "Sleep," he advised.

Anna simply obeyed. She became concerned when she saw Ibrahim about to leave her. With remaining strength, she held onto his arm.

“Don’t go.” She whispered and looked at him with her weak gaze.

Ibrahim surrenders. Her eyes appear to be telling him that she needs him. He doesn't have the heart to abandon her, given how frail she is looking now. “I’m just turning off the lights. I’m not going anywhere.” He replied and walked towards the switch. He turned off the lights and went back to sit on the chair beside her bed.

He could tell she had closed her eyes, and his fingers couldn't stop themselves from brushing the few strands of her hair that covered her lovely face. When he looked at her sleeping face, he didn't realize his lips had formed a light smile. Although he’s tired too, it feels like he doesn’t want to go anywhere.

A harsh sunlight penetrated through the window, which made Anna open her eyes forcefully. She looked around and realized that she was still in the hospital. However, she feels so much better now. Her head is no longer throbbing and making her dizzy like yesterday. She looked at the man who was sleeping in a sitting position beside her bed, and a strange feeling lingered through her heart right away. A scene played inside her head as she tried to recall how warmly Ibrahim treated her last night. He was so gentle and warm, as if he truly cared about her. Is this the real Ibrahim? But how could it feel so different? The next thing she saw was that her hand was intertwined with his. Does this imply that he slept the entire night with his hand locked onto hers? As much as she wanted to move her hand out of his hold, she didn’t do that. He looked tired, and it must be so uncomfortable for him to sleep in a sitting position.

Could she be given the chance to stop the time for a few minutes? She doesn’t want Ibrahim to go back to his original self.

Although she wanted to look at him a little bit longer, it seemed impossible. Ibrahim started to open his eyes and woke up feeling like his whole-body hurts. He looked at their intertwined fingers, which he gently released.

"How do you feel?" he asked, his face expressionless.

Anna let out a soft sigh as she realized how quickly that warm and gentle Ibrahim had disappeared completely. “I'm fine, and please allow me to meet Kai.” She asked, not meeting his eyes.

Ibrahim rolled his eyes in annoyance. “Just do whatever you feel like.” He replied expressionless. He responded without emotion. He tried his best to make her feel at ease, but it appears that Kai is the only thing on her mind. It irritates him to no end.

Anna couldn't give a damn. She reached for the infusion needle and gently pulled it out, hissing slightly. "Where is he?" she asked, ignoring the pain.

Ibrahim, too, avoided looking at her. "Right next door." He responded quickly.

Anna walked out of her room right away. She didn't even look at Ibrahim, pretending he didn’t exist. Ibrahim sighed loudly as this girl exceeded his expectations. He recalls what happened yesterday between them and feels as if he has gone insane. He was not drunk last night. How could he be so gentle with her?

When a lot of things are going through his head, his phone rang. He took it out and answered immediately. “Yes, Luke. I get it. I’ll go now.” He hung up the phone, took one last look at the empty bed, and walked out of the room. When she left the room to look for Kai, he felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation in his body. He shouldn't have cared for her.

Anna peeped through the glass door to check if what Ibrahim said was true. She could see Kai eating his breakfast and his left arm was bandaged. She didn’t think twice before entering the room.  

“Kai.” She called and approached him right away.

Kai looked at his ex-girlfriend and smiled. “What are you doing here? You should have taken a proper rest instead of coming here.”

Anna pushed his head playfully, as she usually did to him. “How could I rest properly when I know that you took that bullet for me? I don't know what to say, but thanks for saving me.” She couldn't help but hug him right away.

Kai let out a sad smile as if he were hiding something. "Yes. That’s okay." Anna." He shook his head and lightly brushed her hair.

Anna could feel Kai’s fingers running through her hair, and for a second, she did feel something weird. This guy used to be her boyfriend for 2 years, and she was comfortable with him back then, why doesn't she feel that way again now? How could Kai’s touch be so different from Ibrahim’s? Earlier, she felt so safe, secure, and warm in Ibrahim’s embrace, but why doesn't she feel anything when Kai strokes her head? It feels like it’s just a friendly gesture. If she didn’t hug Kai, she wouldn't be aware of the difference. Just what magic spell did Ibrahim cast on her last night?

“Is your husband aware that you’re here?” asked Kai as he let go of her hug. As much as he desired her, he knew she belonged to someone else.

Anna lowered her gaze as she remembered Ibrahim's disappointed expression when she left him alone in the room. She should go back now? She has thanked Kai for saving her.

“I left him in my room.” She replied.

Kai gave her a friendly smile. “You better go now. I don’t want to be shot for the second time.” He tried to joke.

Anna caught up with what he meant and smiled back at Kai. “I don’t want to see you lying on a hospital bed like this. Please don’t save me from now onwards. I don’t know how to repay you." She uttered this as she felt so guilty.

Kai returned her smile. “You owe me nothing. To see you live a happy life is more than enough. Let me know if that man hurt you. I will kill him straight away.”

Anna let out a small laugh. "I think I should return." She replied. Anna felt terrible when she dumped him because she had to marry Ibrahim, and now he's the one who saved her life. She couldn't hurt him anymore.

Kai nodded his head. "Goodbye." When she had completely left his room, he sighed loudly. "Just how should I continue this game?" He said to himself angrily.

Anna left Kai's room and walked back to her own. When she entered her room, the first thing she did was look for her husband.

"Ibrahim." She called and looked around the whole room. She opened the bathroom door, and no one was there. Where did he go? Did he go somewhere?

At the same time, she heard a loud knock echoing through the whole room. She’s confused why Ibrahim would knock the door. He should have just entered.

"Ibrahim." She called, but when the man who entered her room was not Ibrahim, she was deeply disappointed.

“Why are you here?” Anna asked in confusion.

Jaspar, Ibrahim’s driver, "Sir asked me to escort you home as he said you would discharge this afternoon."  

Anna’s heart feels like dropping to her stomach. He's left already? How? He must have left when she went to meet Kai. The weird feeling came again. It feels like she wanted to see him even longer, but she couldn’t hide her disappointment.

Anna nodded at Jasper. "I get it. Could you please give me some time? I want to be alone. I will call you later." She replied weakly.

"Okay." Jasper said nothing and left her alone, as she had requested.

Anna sat on her bed and dunked her head in her palm. How could it be so complicated? She really needs to be alone sometimes.