Guilt

Just as Leo and his son were leaving, she noticed a familiar car entering from the front gate. It's Ibrahim. She took her bag and walked over to the passenger seat. She expected Ibrahim to ask her how her first day went or something related to her job, but she was wrong in that assumption. Ibrahim's face was expressionless, and he didn't say anything when she got into the car. It's strange. When he dropped her off in the morning, he was not like this.

“Are you all right?” she inquired.

Ibrahim didn’t feel like replying to her, so he just nodded his head. His face really shows that he is upset.

Anna doesn’t get it. What’s happening to him? Is there any problem related to his job? She feels uncomfortable.

“You go down first. I'll have to park the car in the garage.” Ibrahim spoke coldly and continued to ignore Anna's presence.

Anna sighed and realized how bipolar this guy is. He was fine this morning, but now he looked frustrated. She didn't want to respond, so she got out of his car. She wanted to talk to him, but she was already upset by the way he treated her now.

“Mrs. Saunders, you've returned. How’s your first day” The maid greeted Anna as soon as she entered the house.

Anna gave her a weak smile. “It was good.”

She entered her room and decided to take a bath. However, just as she was about to enter the bathroom, she heard the door open and turned to see who had come in. Just as she had predicted. It's her husband. She believes that they should talk.

“Hey!” She approached him and stood in front of him.

Ibrahim gave her a sly grin. “What?” he asked, coldly.

“What's the matter with you?” she asked.

As he looked at her stunned expression, Ibrahim exhaled sharply. “I should not have let you work.” He wasn't yelling or raising his voice, but she could sense his rage in every word he says.

Anna became frustrated as well. Didn't they already discuss it? What exactly makes him so furious? “What's the matter with you?” she asked again, but this time raising her voice. This happens every single time. They always fought and now this is getting on her nerves.

Ibrahim laughed at her. Why is she getting upset? He cupped her jaw and gave her a murderous glare. “You have gone to teach. But I saw you flirting with some other man.” He sounded calm, but he wanted to devour her alive.

She used all her strength to pull his hand away from her jaw. Did he happen to see her with Lucas's father? “What do you mean by I saw you flirting?” She began to become angry. Instead of being upset with her, he should have asked her in a more polite way. They should have talked and tried to appease each other.

“That man even gave you a flower. How is that not flirting?” Ibrahim yelled, and it was loud enough to startle her.

She dared to respond to his stare. “Instead of sulking like this, you should have talked to me about it!” Finally, she understands why he burst out. He feels envious.

“Sulking? What nonsense are you talking about?” Ibrahim asked.

Anna scoffed at him. “You're upset just because of a rose. Perhaps you're feeling jealous,” she speculated.

Ibrahim averted his gaze and began to question himself. What makes him jealous? He doesn't even like her, but he has the sensation that something is digging into his flesh and feels like it is burning something inside his heart. He's angry, irritated, and he doesn't like the way she smiled at another guy.

“Why should I feel envious?” He made every effort to appear calm.

For a moment, she feels disappointed in him. It's obvious that he's jealous, so why won't he admit it?

“Then why are you so upset about this insignificant matter?” She yelled at him. Dealing with Ibrahim's anger is exhausting.

Ibrahim returned her gaze, his face as usual expressionless. “Did you forget how much money I spent to have you as my wife? You are mine, and I don’t like sharing what belongs to me and you belong to me” He said it loud and clear.

Anna feels her leg weaken. She is about to collapse on her knees. The venom in his voice showed that he was still the same Ibrahim she met the first time. “You're so selfish.” She said it weakly and quickly entered the bathroom. She couldn't face him any longer as she was about to cry.

Upset? of course she is. She tried everything she could to persuade him that she wanted to give this marriage a chance, but how could he say such hateful words to her?

“Ibrahim, you are a complete moron.” She mumbled as tears streamed down her cheek. It hurts her so much to know that Ibrahim only sees her as a product he bought with his money. She tried hard not to let any sound escape because she couldn't bear the thought of Ibrahim finding out she was crying. He once again broke her.

She remembered his kiss last night. It was so hot and enticing, and it felt completely natural. For a brief moment, she believed he desired her as well, but how could a person's behavior change so quickly? How could she survive in this house if he was going to keep hurting her like this?

Like the thorns that guard the roses. He continues to cause harm to those who want to be close to him.

Ibrahim sat on the couch right after Anna ran to the bathroom. He cursed himself many times for upsetting her. He couldn't believe it. How could he say such hateful things to her? The struggle within his heart is wrenching him. He has no idea what he desires. When he saw her with another guy, his heart felt like it was on fire. His brain told him that he shouldn't have to get any closer to her, but his heart told him otherwise. Just how far could he hurt her? How far should he go and fight against himself? Should he just give up on his revenge plan?

The loud music and the strong scent of cigarettes kicked through his senses as he took another shot of the vodka. Ibrahim is not a drinker, he only drinks when there is an event or when his thoughts become too heavy for him to carry. He needs something to take his mind off his problems, and the club is the perfect place for him to do so. Isn't it pitiful? He couldn't look Anna in the eyes after their intense conversation earlier, so he decided to leave right away. He admits that when he saw her smiling at another guy while holding onto the roses, his heart felt like it was on fire. The feeling of hatred arises because she never smiled that way at him. Why would he feel so upset? Could she just understand that he doesn't like it when she gets close to another man?

He could see her shoulder trembling when she ran all the way to the bathroom, meaning that she was crying. He did have regret in his heart for saying such hateful words to her. His heart was broken by her imitated expression. He took another shot of vodka as the image of crying Anna flashed through his mind. Although he does not drink, believing he has a high tolerance for alcohol, he has consumed half of the bottle and he's still sane. Is this the right thing to do? Is coming to the club to avoid his wife the right thing to do?

“It's been a long time.”

A light tap on Ibrahim’s shoulder startled him. He turned to look at the source of the voice. He didn't invite anyone to join him for a drink, as he was alone in the VIP room. He preferred to be alone and is not in the mood to converse with anyone. He was half drunk, but he recognized the person who tapped his shoulder. When he saw the woman in the little black dress, he smiled. The short, tight dress clings to her like it's her second skin. The dress only covers half of her thighs, exposing her bare chest.

“I'm not in the mood to play with you right now.” Ibrahim replied in his hoarse voice.

Nadia chuckled lightly and sat on Ibrahim’s lap, caressing his sharp jawline. “You're still as seductive as ever.” She wrapped her hands around his neck and tried to get him to look at her.

Ibrahim gave an evil grin to the bold woman in front of him. He desperately needs something to keep him occupied tonight. Everything in his mind is about Anna, which is torturing him. He slipped his hand around Nadia's waist, closing the gap between them. He saw her as a beast, ready to devour its prey.

“You're still as daring as ever.” Ibrahim felt Nadia's lips on his neck. He groaned.

Nadia smirked upon hearing what Ibrahim said. It feels like she succeeded in seducing him. “I know you don't sleep with the same woman twice, but you looked so sloppy tonight that I think you might need a companion.”

Ibrahim laughed slightly. For him, a woman is a very greedy creature, but she is right. He never sleeps with the same woman twice because the women are just a toy for him to satisfy his physical needs. However, he believes that he needs one to distract his clouded mind for tonight. His lips darted onto Nadia's neck and nibbled. He's completely out of his mind.

Nadia moaned loudly when she felt Ibrahim's hands and neck kisses had gone wild. “We might need a hotel room, so I reserved one.” She said in the midst of moaning.

Ibrahim looked unconcerned. He didn't wait for her to agree before dragging her to a five-star hotel near the club. She has awakened the beast within him, and he will not be silenced. As he followed Nadia’s steps into the room, she had reserved. He pinned her against the wall and began sucking and nibbling every inch of her body as soon as he locked the door. Nadia is well aware that Ibrahim is not just a normal person, and she chose to risk her life by approaching him.

He pushed her onto the bed, hovered on top of her, and focused all of his attention on the woman in front of him. He could feel her fingers beginning to undo the first three buttons on his shirt. A strong scent of fragrance entered his nose as he continued to nibble her soft and delicate neck. He might be half drunk, but he's still got his senses. This is not the scent he seeks, and this is not the woman he wants.

When Nadia grabbed him by the nape of his neck and was about to kiss him on the lips, the image of Anna flashed through his mind once more. He came to a halt and sat on the edge of the bed, leaving Nadia speechless. Another wave of guilt washed over him when the image of Anna lying helplessly on the hospital bed reappeared. It's not right to go to the club and use other women to make Anna forget for a while.

“Why? Why do you stop?” She sounds irritated when she sees Ibrahim has begun to push her away.

This is not right. “I have to go.” Ibrahim said weakly and began buttoning back his white shirt.

When Nadia saw Ibrahim was about to leave the room, she sighed in frustration. She clutched his arm, unable to let go, but Ibrahim was strong enough to avoid her grasp. “You weren't like this before.” She pleaded.

Ibrahim gave her a sly grin. When he lost Natasha, this woman was there to distract his fogged mind. He doesn't think of her as a toy for his physical needs, but this time is different. This time, even the presence of Nadia couldn't keep him from thinking about his wife. As the guiltiness returned, the strange feeling lingered in his heart.

“In case you forgot, I'm a married man with a wife waiting for me at home.” He replied and walked away from Nadia without looking back. He walked out of the hotel and into his car, ignoring Nadia, who was screaming and calling his name.

His head was throbbing so badly, he sat in his car and rested his head on the steering wheel. He's not sure if it's the alcohol or his thoughts, but it feels like it's killing him from the inside out. The image of crying Anna replays in his mind. It's excruciating.

“I'm so sorry.” He said to no one. He shouldn't have come to the club to avoid her.