"Two days... I'm not home for just two days and you manage to shoo your wife away?" "Dad, please. Let me focus on looking for her. I don't need your lectures and speeches right no---" "Look for her? She will choose to live with her kidnapper rather than you. What makes you think she will want you back in her life?" Antonio flashed a deep disapproving look while Rafael's jaw was clenched and his fists were balled up as he tried to control his anger.  "At least admit it to yourself, Rafael. This is not the time to let your ego flare up. Do you think someone as sweet and kind as Ruhi would take such a big step on an impulse?" "She's sweet and kind, sure, but this was such a stupid move. We talked about Gus loitering outside our house just an hour before she took off. What was she trying to prove by putting herself in danger? Why couldn't she---" "You asshole! It's not about proving anything to a fool like you. She left beca

The door creaked open, and Ruhi heard heavy footsteps approaching the bed as she waited inside the bathroom. She was glad she put the diary back although she was sure the person in the bedroom was mostly Zack, not Gus. Gus had a stealthy style of walking, and she was doomed if it was him, because he wouldn't just look under the bed and leave. When the sound of the footsteps receded and the door closed, she climbed up the toilet tank to peek outside the window. The same patrolling man was still guarding the area. She hoped he took turns and stood somewhere else for the next one hour.Walking back to the bedroom quietly, she waited for Gus to assume she ran away. It would be much easier for her if half the men were looking for her somewhere else and didn't guard the exits. Without her phone or access to the internet, she had no idea where to go, even if she happened to escape successfully.Tired of waiting and letting her thoughts run crazy, she op

"Are you serious?" Ruhi couldn't believe her ears.He ignored her and focused on his phone when Zack texted and then called him. "No, no weapons and none of his men. He can go back if he doesn't agree."She waited for him to finish talking on the phone while peeking into the coffee mug he left on the table."Was that dark rum or black coffee? Did you really mean it when you said I can go?""Pack your stuff before I change my mind."She darted up the stairs but stopped when she heard Zack enter the house with a pissed off face and announce something to Gus. When did he ever look happy? She wondered and turned back to the room but stopped dead in her tracks when she thought she heard Rafael's name.Climbing back down the spiral staircase, she walked towards the door to listen to their conversation."Just one then. Check thoroughly.""Check who?" She asked Gus, who ignored her again and went to grab some stu

It took a lot of courage for Ruhi to utter those four words, knowing full well Rafael wasn't going to let her go that easily. If he was a person to reason with and walk away with mutual understanding, she would have never tried so hard to run away from him. As she expected, his eyes flared, smoldering with what seemed to be fury, and his body grew rigid above her, taut with tension."What?"He rolled onto his side and forced her to meet his gaze."You heard me. I can't live like this anymore. I want out, and I mean it."He flinched slightly at the steely resolution in her eyes. His gaze was feverishly raking her up and down, with disbelief clearly written all over his face. She was equally baffled that he hadn't seen this coming. She wondered if he was being deliberately dense."Ruhi, I know you didn't deserve the treatment you got from me." He stroked her cheek back and forth with his long thumb. "It's not fair that I make a mistake

No matter how much Rafael hated to move to a different room, Ruhi was super adamant, and he had no other option but to leave the room. He hoped the next morning to be better and planned a day full of fun things to do. He missed the good old times where all she wanted was to eat a good meal with him at a restaurant and make him watch some kids' movies.She answered his call after deliberately missing it the first two times. He assumed she was sleeping. Sleep was the last thing on her mind. Without him by her side, she tossed and turned until the stormy predawn sky gave way to some daylight outside the huge glass windows. "Wake up, sleepyhead. We have reservations for breakfast at a lakeside cafe here.""What makes you think I'm still in my bed. I ate breakfast already."Rafael's face fell when he heard that. It was barely 9 AM and Ruhi was still in bed on weekends, so he didn't expect her to be out already when on vacation."Where are you