The Prince Of Hearts | ✓

Prologue

"Afra, I'm truly sorry, but this is how things will have to go. Atleast this is the best resort I could think of."

He pleaded, watching her eyes shoot glares at him. As provocative as he came off to be, he couldn't give up. Matters required action to be taken immediately and although it seemed like she could strangle him - which he genuinely feared - her life still was of utmost significance.

"Mr Sulaaymaan you're crazy!"

She shouted on his face, turning around, grabbing her phone from the bed and stomping off to the door.

Sulaaymaan caught her wrist just in time and hurled her back in front of him, his eyes shiny with tears of exhaustion and worry.

"Please Afra. You don't get it."

He softly begged, taking in the look of horror that passed by her eyes for a few seconds before she snatched her wrist from his hold.

She bitterly chuckled, her laugh so dry that Sulaaymaan felt his heart tremble.

"I don't get it?" She paused, taking a step closer and jabbing her finger at him. "You don't get it. I should've taken my gut feeling seriously. You're totally crazy. You're a mad man! How in the world did you even think I'd marry you? Just because of a plain threat? What made you think I'll believe your lies. You're pathetic." She fired, her breathing heavy and burdened.

Sulaaymaan sighed and grabbed her wrist again, hurling her dangerously close to him, her eyes widened with the impact.

"Yes I'm crazy. A madman. A psycho. Heck, I'm even a pathetic jerk. An insane prince who is doing anything in his power to protect someone. A prince who can't live with the death of another person. A stupid man out of his mind belittling himself, begging and pleading just so that he could save a life. Attempting to not let this slide so that later on in life the fact that I neglected you would not burn me alive every minute of my existence."

He shouted, making Afra shudder with his change in behaviour. Stopping momentarily, he shut his eyes and focused on his breathing. Whilst calming down, he felt Afra's wrist shake slightly in his hold and he squeezed his eyes shut even more. Minutes felt like a never-ending game of torture and excessive heat, before he gulped in air and faced her again, this time a softened look in his eyes.

"You don't freaking understand. Ya Allah! You don't know how big of a trouble you've got yourself into, Miss Afra . This guy has never let anyone he's captured live till now. Truly I fear for your life."

Afra watched him in still silence as he loosened his hold on her wrist, staggered back and began pacing up and down the room, her eyes keeping up with his body with a blank look.

"Trust me, I would have never suggested something as serious as that had I not grasped the urgency of the situation!"

Afra wrapped her arms around her stomach, lowered her gaze as she silently choked on a few tears.

"You have to get married to me Miss Afra. I can't let you die like Yusra. And like all the others he has killed. The guilt with her and the others being gone is gruelling enough. I can't live if something happens to you too!"

He cautiously took a step closer, sighed loudly with a few tears that fell down his cheeks.

"I couldn't protect her. But I can't repeat the same mistake again. Please, I beg of you."

When she didn't seem to acknowledge his presence, her eyes dripping with tears but her mouth sealed tight, he stepped back and dropped to his knees. She let out a gasp and stumbled a few steps behind. He clasped his hands and raised them up in front of her.

"Please, please, marry me."