DECE-P-TION

DXLII

Rayyan's point of view.

I watch the little boy giggle while playing with his mother's phone. I look away to see Lateefa and Jabir talking as Lateefa bursts out crying. I look away realizing how this looks like a decade ago when Alya lost her mother. My phone rings as I pull it out of my pocket to see an unknown number. I ignore the call, hanging my head.

Jabir still doesn't like me so I'll presume it applies to Lateefa too. He obviously prefers Falah but I don't think it applies to Lateefa. She's more paranoid, difficult to relate to. My phone rings again as I answer it, stepping out of the reception. "Hello?"

"Hello, good day."

"Good day, who's this?" I lean on the wall. "I'm sultana, Falah Nadeem's assistant." I sigh. "What can I help you with?" I try to hasten it so I can end this conversation. "I believe it's more of how i can help you. I would like to trade resources with you." I stand straight, finding this interesting. "What do you hope to gain?"

"When we get to the bridge, we'll cross it." I chuckle softly. "You misunderstand the situation. You called me, not the other way round so tell me what you want or we end this trade here." She keeps silent for a few seconds. "I want a place at your firm. Not a flimsy position but rather a good and lucrative one where I hold my office and certain influence to practice."

"I'll think about it but it also depends on your information. If it is good and useful, I'll think about it."

"I'd like us to sign a formal agreement."

"Leave that to me, come to my office by 10am so we can further discuss about this...alliance." I raise my head to see Falah walking towards the door. "Mr Rayyan, it seems like you believe you're doing me more of a favor. You need me more than I do."

"I'll be expecting you tomorrow." I hang up, sliding my phone in my pocket. "Falah, how are you?" He halts to look at me. "Rayyan." He acknowledges me then walked in the reception, ignoring my question. Arrogant prick. I walk into the reception finding Lateefa and Falah talking. I walk to baba's room to check up on him and Alya.

I knock on the door. "Come in." She weakly says and I enter. I find her sitting on the chair beside the bed, holding his hand. She sniffles, wiping the tear off her cheek. "How is he doing?" I stand beside her. "The same, no change." Her voice cracking. "How are you?" She inhales deeply. "Scared. Hurt. Guilty. Regretful. Angry. Sad." I pull another chair beside her. "It might not be my place but you have my shoulder to cry on."

She gives me a tight lipped smile when the door swings open. Falah walks in, glancing at the both of us. He saunters into the room to baba, looking at him. I feel the tension between Alya and him. What happened? He acts as if we aren't in the room and Alya did the same.

He takes a deep breath before walking out of the room. I see Alya hang her head, sniffling. "Everything okay?" She nods, raising her head. "Yeah." She holds baba's hand again.

***********

I step out of the room, feeling tired. I sit on the chair at the reception as I contemplate whether to go or not. I feel someone sit on the chair beside me and i turn to see Jabir. "Rayyan, right?"

"Yes, how are you?" I sit properly. "I'm fine, what are you doing here?" I pause to find the right words to say. "To check on baba as a colleague and friend of Alya." He nods lightly. "Don't worry, she has family around her to comfort her."

"It seems you don't enjoy or like my presence here." Jabir turns to look at me. "You aren't supposed to be here. You were in a relationship with her and now you come, hugging someone's wife. How does that look?"

"It's not what it looks like."

"Answer this question truthfully. Do you still have interest in Alya?" His question takes me aback, suddenly remembering how straightforward Jabir is. "I do but I'm not here for that."

"It doesn't seem or look that way. She has a husband here to support her and her siblings too." Jabir clears his throat. "It might seem like your presence exacerbates me but it doesn't. I simply believe in leaving the past in the past and knowing what's right and wrong. This is wrong. A slap to any man's face and a disrespect to her family."

I nod. "I understand and I'll be leaving immediately." I stand up. "Thank you for your understanding."

"Have a good day." I walk away feeling annoyed. I don't hate Jabir but his straightforwardness has always aggravated me and yes, I still have interest in Alya and unless she tells me to move on, I'm not leaving. I walk to my car when I see Falah sitting on his car.

"Trouble in paradise?" I ask hoping to get him riled up. His anger always seem to give a certain power over him. He ignores me as I open my car parked beside his. "I understand you being here but you also have to remember about the trial we have coming up."

"You need to grow up and straighten out your priorities." I scoff at his words.

"You'll see." He doesn't say anything else. I enter the car, driving off.

*************

I take a sip of my coffee as a woman walks to the table, her heels hitting the porcelain tiles. "Good morning." I raise my head to see a woman smiling at me. "Morning, miss sultana. Please, take a seat." She sits down.

"Now, I have a few questions for you." I clasp my hands together, keeping eye contact with her. "May i ask the reason why?"

"I don't know or trust you. I can't simply take your word for it when it comes to this case or me in general. Why are you doing this?" She shifts her eyes away from me then looks back at me. "I thought we had an understanding between each other but when everything went his way and didn't need me, he tossed me aside."

I flip some papers. "You've been his secretary since the beginning of his career, yet you betray him. Why should I trust you?"

"You don't have to, you get what you want and I get what I want. That's it." I nod in agreement. "How much do you know?"

"Everything." I stand up, loosening my tie a bit. "When you say everything, I expect every single thing." I lean on the table, beside her. She looks up at me. "Like I said, everything." I cross my arms. "Tell me something I don't know, something that will make me sign this." I slide the agreement document to her.

She opens it, her eyes glossing over the paper. She opens her bag and takes out a pen. "Falah had a twin brother when he was younger but he died." I furrow my brows. "He had a brother?" She sighs it, sliding the paper to me. "How about you sign it and I'll tell you how he died and how that will discredit him?"

I narrow my eyes at how treacherous she is. I take the paper, signing it. She stands up, leaning to my ear and whispering it. My eyes widens and just before she completely pulls away, I grab her wrist. She tries to tug it away from me. "Rayyan." She calls me firmly. "It's Mr rayyan to you and I want to clarify this to you." I pull her closer to me.

"I'm not Falah, try to play double agent or give me false information and I promise you that the destruction of your life will only be the beginning." I release her wrist before she steps back. "Talk about a gentleman." She massages her wrist with her sarcastic statement. I walk back to my seat. "You can go." I dismiss her.

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