All Chapters of Shattered Veil: A Muslim Romantic Thriller: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

“Get some sleep,” he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.But sleep was impossible.The shadows danced on the walls, and my father’s face lingered in my mind, his memory now clouded by questions I might never have answers to.And Khalid, sitting there like a sentinel, became both my savior and my captor, a man who blurred the line between duty and something far darker.14KHALIDI could feel her eyes on me, the weight of her doubt pressing against my back like a blade.She didn’t trust me—not fully.And why should she?I’d done nothing to earn it.Her questions had been expected, but they still stung.I wasn’t lying when I said her father had trusted me, but I hadn’t told her everything.She wasn’t ready for that truth, and maybe I wasn’t either.I glanced toward her, huddled in the corner with her arms wrapped around her knees.She looked small, fragile, like a bird with broken wings.But I knew better.There was fire in her, even if she didn’t see it yet.Still, her words ec

For the first time in a long time, I felt something other than control.I felt vulnerable.And it terrified me.18NOURAThe bleeding wouldn’t stop.No matter how hard I pressed, no matter how tight I tied the makeshift bandage, the blood kept seeping through.“Khalid, stay with me,” I begged, my voice cracking under the weight of my fear.His eyes fluttered, his head lolling to the side.Panic clawed at my chest, and I shook him gently, trying to keep him conscious.“You can’t leave me,” I whispered, the words spilling out before I could stop them. “Not now. Not after everything.”He opened his eyes, just a sliver, and for a moment, I thought I saw something softer there.Something almost human.“I’m not leaving,” he said, his voice barely audible. “Not until you’re safe.”The words cut through me, a painful reminder of how much he had sacrificed for me.How much he was still willing to sacrifice.I didn’t know if it was gratitude or something deeper, something I wasn’t ready to name

“It was years ago, during the first raid. We were taken—both of us. They said they only needed one hostage, and they made me choose.”My stomach twisted violently, bile rising in my throat.“Khalid…”“I froze.”His voice cracked, raw with self-loathing.“I couldn’t make the choice. So they shot him right in front of me and dragged me away.”I couldn’t breathe.The image his words painted was too vivid, too horrifying.My mind rebelled against it, but the grief in his voice made it impossible to doubt.He turned his head, meeting my gaze with eyes that seemed older than time, etched with a sorrow so deep it threatened to drown us both.“I’ve been trying to make up for it ever since,” he said, his voice barely audible. “Every time I save someone, I think maybe… maybe it’ll balance the scales. Maybe it’ll mean something.”The weight of his confession pressed down on me like a physical force.Suddenly, everything about him made a terrible kind of sense—the way he’d thrown himself into dan

When I saw my father, my heart should have swelled with joy, but instead, it froze.He was standing there—just as I remembered, his face older, his eyes wary, but he was still him.The man I had spent countless nights dreaming of reuniting with.But something inside me cracked open, a realization I couldn’t ignore.I wasn’t the same girl anymore.My father’s eyes flickered over to Khalid, his gaze lingering there longer than I was comfortable with.I felt a knot in my stomach twist tighter with every second.He knew Khalid well.Too well, it seemed.“Khalid,” my father’s voice was gravelly but warm. “I owe you my life. You’ve brought my daughter back to me.”Khalid gave a solemn nod, his eyes narrowing just slightly.“I made a promise,” he said, his voice low but firm, like the weight of it was too heavy for him to bear.“Yeah, a promise.”My father’s hand reached out, clasping Khalid’s in a firm handshake.I could see the gratitude in his eyes.But there was something else too—someth

“I know Khalid. I know his history. The man has skeletons in his closet. You don’t know him as well as you think you do.”His words struck me like cold water, dousing the warmth that had been slowly building between Khalid and me.I felt the weight of them settle in my chest, suffocating me.Could I trust Khalid?Could I trust my own judgment?I looked at Khalid, trying to read him, to figure out what he truly wanted.His eyes, however, didn’t betray him.They were unwavering, steady.Too steady.“I’ve told you before, Noura,” Khalid’s voice was soft, but there was a sharpness to it, a seriousness that couldn’t be ignored. “I developed feelings for you when I rescued you. I was there when you were at your lowest. I couldn’t leave you, couldn’t just walk away. I want you. And I want you to be my wife, not my girlfriend. I want to go about this the right way. I want to protect you, keep you safe.”His words sliced through me, but the sting wasn’t new.I had heard the promise before, fel