CONNECTED HEARTS

31: Unexpected Encounter

Kaltoom's pov

Jalal's brother's office was just a rough ten-minute drive away. We arrived at a huge glass building, the kind that immediately gave me a strange chill,a feeling I couldn't explain but couldn't shake either.

Before we stepped out, Laila tugged at Jalal's sleeve, whispering if we could just wait in the car. But Jalal, being Jalal, was insistent.
"Come on, Laila has to meet Hamma Zayn," he grinned, already hyping up the moment. "You guys can back me up, right?"

It was pointless to argue with him. So we gave in.

The parking lot stretched wide, swallowing cars into neatly lined rows. It took us nearly five minutes just to cross over to the main entrance. The company screamed wealth and status,glass panels glinting under the sun, polished floors, perfectly trimmed landscaping. Beautiful wasn't even the word. Still, in my head, I couldn't help comparing it to Adyan's company. His was sleeker, grander... more him.

Inside, everyone seemed to know Jalal. The way they greeted him, nodded respectfully, it was clear he was no stranger here. We piled into the elevator, heading up to the 10th floor, hearts racing with a mix of nerves and curiosity.

The doors slid open, and there it was an office enclosed by glass walls. I caught sight of a man seated inside, curls falling in a way that instantly reminded me of Adyan. My heart skipped. Could it be?

Then I noticed another figure, standing casually near the desk. He looked a lot like Jalal, just older, broader, with a neatly trimmed beard. When his eyes caught ours, he smiled warmly, almost too warmly.

But then the man in the chair turned and my suspicions were confirmed. It was Adyan.

My breath hitched. He wasn't smiling. His eyes, sharp as ever, went straight to Laila standing next to Jalal. His expression darkened. That famous glare of his the one I hadn't seen in months landed squarely on his sister.

Laila froze instantly. She clutched my hand so hard it almost cut off my circulation.
"Layla, you're hurting me," I whispered, prying her trembling fingers off mine.

"That's my brother," she muttered, her voice quivering as though she might cry right there.

"Yeah, I know," I said calmly, though inside I was panicking too. "But don't you think it'll look worse if we turn around now? Let's just go in."

We stepped inside, the cool blast of air-conditioning hitting us. Adyan was already on his feet, his jaw tense, waiting.

"Hi," I said, trying to act casual.

"Laila, Kaltoom... what are you doing here? And Amani?" His voice carried both confusion and disapproval.

Before Laila could respond, the older brother Jalal's look-alike stood, grinning like he owned the world. "So this is her, huh? My little brother finally got himself a girlfriend," he teased, clapping Jalal's shoulder. His voice was deep, oily, and unsettling the kind that belonged to a villain in a late-night drama. He reminded me of Rajveer from King of Hearts, and not in a good way.

Adyan's eyes narrowed. "What are you doing with this guy?" His tone cut through the room, sharp and laced with fury.

Zayn smirked, his gaze sliding toward me. "Well, if little bro's already taken, I might as well go for her friend." His words dripped with mockery. His eyes locked on me, and I felt my skin crawl.

Before I could even process, Adyan's fist connected with his jaw. The sound was sickeningly sharp.

"Adyan!" I gasped as chaos erupted.

Laila rushed to pull him back, Jalal restrained his brother, who was now swearing furiously, face bleeding and fists clenched. It all happened in a blur.

Adyan didn't wait. He grabbed my wrist and yanked me out of the office, too furious to even glance at Laila. Amani and Laila scrambled behind us.

"Hey, wait!" Jalal called, chasing after us. "You can't just leave like that..."

But Zayn's taunting voice cut through from inside. "Don't worry, bro. He'll come back with her. That damsel's mine."

Adyan stopped mid-stride, his entire body stiff. I nudged him to keep going, begging silently with my eyes. His grip tightened, then released. Without a word, he stormed off toward the elevator.

Minutes later, we were in the car. "Get in," he ordered, voice low and dangerous. No one dared argue.

The ride was silent, heavy. He drove recklessly fast, anger radiating off him in waves. He dropped Amani first, then me. I wanted to speak, to calm him, but his face was carved from stone. This was bad. Really bad. Following Jalal had been a mistake.

⸻

Adyan's POV

The rage boiling inside me was indescribable. Seeing my sister with that family with him and then the way Zayn had looked at Kaltoom... I could've killed him right there.

By the time we got home, my knuckles still ached from the punch. I didn't care.

I dragged Laila out of the car, my grip firm on her wrist as I stormed into the sitting room. Mum and Khaireeya were already there. Their eyes widened at the sight of us.

"Muhammad, what's going on? Why is Laila crying?" Mum rushed forward, worry written all over her face.

Laila collapsed into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Any other day, her tears would've broken me. But not today. Today, my anger was stronger than my sympathy.

"Ask her yourself, Mum," I snapped. "This girl is walking herself straight into disaster. You know I told you about Zayn? She's been seeing his brother behind our backs. And today.. today she had the guts to follow him into Zayn's office."

Mum turned to Laila, horrified.

"Mom, Jalal is nothing like Zayn, wallahi," Laila stammered between sobs. "He's good, he's different"

"What do you know about that family, Laila?" Mum interrupted, her voice sharp with both fear and disappointment.

I clenched my fists. "She's too naïve, Mom. You need to tell her yourself,I don't want to ever hear her name mentioned with that guy again."

Without another glance, I stormed upstairs, leaving the sound of Laila's crying echoing behind me.

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