Singapore.

Bilal stumbled out from his suite and made a straight journey for the elevator. He leaned back against the navy blue velvet clad box, his eyes closing at any given chance before the elevator was stopped. A groan slipped from his lips due to irritation.

Madina stepped inside looking disdainfully blithe and apt for his mood to swallow. And that sense of fashion she wraps her body in, it makes him want to remove both of his eyes from his head. She's too bright and too colorful for the frame he's found himself blanketed in.

All he wanted to do was close his eyes and lean closer into the velvet, to ease the sleep trying to drag him down. But he cannot help perusing over her from head to toes, like he's been ensorcelled. Probably. Any other person dressed like that would make his eyes burn or even regurgitate his last meal.

Madina pulled it off in a queer way. That's what she's good at. Insane stuff.

His eyes first fell on her mango orange tote Veneta bag that is resting against her lean shoulder. A currant Dr. Martens boots he's never seen closed her small feet making her look large from below. She's just a midget, truthfully.

The sapphire AGOLDE evening blouse emphasized on her pear shaped figure. Her stomach looks ridiculous small, like her waist is not visible if not looked properly. He had no idea she was this slim even though he knew she was a wee little woman that likes trouble. Paul Smith boyfriend jeans showed her short legs and wide hips along with ample curves.

This time around, he wasn't the first person that greeted her, she did in that cheery tone. "Good afternoon, Mr. Hashem. You look terrible."

No shit.

Bilal rolled his eyes not bothering to slip on his gentlemanly facade or businessman armor. Since this is Madina, there is nothing to hide from her when she knows what rotten man laid beneath. It doesn't matter what she thinks of him now.

"And you look like rainbow. Thanks for sucking the the rain, Miss Sambo." His eyes fell on her craning his neck down, incredulous at how small she really is.

Sending him a bright room-grabbing smile that is loaded like a gun, she replied. "You're most welcome, sir. I look forward to pissing it down on you."

Her hair was plunged over her shoulders in waves of midnight-black. Today she is not into red, it seems. Bilal couldn't help noticing how her natural curly virgin hair rest against her. It make him curious on how her hair really looks like beneath the wig.

Wanting to intimidate her, he stands, uncurling himself from the wall of the elevator and stretching to his full height. Despite wearing these stupid heels, her eyes were level with the thick trunk of his throat.

She's transfixed by the sight of his Adam's apple bobbing under the shadow of his jaw. Bilal swallowed twice even though it was really needless but she makes him do so many irrelevant stuff since she stepped into his life.

"I'd like to see you try." He rumbled, the words deep from his chest and since he's moved closer to her, she heard it like a growl.

Taking one step back, brows scrunched down. "You will see that soon enough. Continue with this sham around me and see how it'll end for you."

Bilal knew he doesn't have enough energy to talk to this bubbly woman in front of him. It looks like she's slept the entire night like a baby, woke up to nice breakfast in bed -because apparently, everyone wants to please Madina- and now she's going out on a tour.

While his night was anything but pleasant. It was filled with demands, negotiations and proposals that would make his eyes bleed if he stared at the MacBook for another minute longer. He had to bolt.

The company from Nigeria decided that it is just at the time he was supposed to sleep a meeting should hold for the new AL they are working on. He couldn't say no when it's the project he's been working on for ages.

The elevator suddenly came to a cessation, a sound from outside of metal grazing against metal made their ears ring. Madina's eyes widened from beside him, she checked the buttons that don't have light around them anymore but nothing worked. He saw the panic seizing her features in vice grip.

Fortunately the lights in the elevator is still on, that is good. He checked his pocket for his phone then muttered a curse remembering he's left it back in his suite with the meeting still running while he took a quick excuse to go get strong black coffee.

Now he is stuck. In an elevator with Madina no less. A total disaster.

"What the hell is going on?" She muttered beneath her breath, trying her best not to sound terror-stricken but he could see right through her.

She browsed through her bag for her phone and started dialing numbers while waiting. It would not ring for a long time and when it does, it is only once before the line goes dead.

Now he is also close to panicking. He's got so much to do and that coffee needs to be in his system before he lose his shit and crumble from fatigue. This cannot be happening right now. He waited patiently beside her as she continued to call for several minutes.

Madina strutted around the small boxed room clutching the phone in her hand. "Come on. Come on, answer the darn call."

With a sigh ricocheting from his lips, he leaned back against the velvet clad elevator in resentment. "I don't think the network will allow any call to go through."

As though she's just remembered he was there with her, her eyes snapped up to meet his. For a second there, his heart and breath came to a sudden halt, when he started breathing again, it was erratic and the thunderous sound of his heart pulverized his ear drums.

Just then the lights go off eliciting an alarming sound from Madina to echo around them.

Instincts had Bilal moving closer to her, he took her phone from her and quickly turn on the flashlight. He felt her swallowing harshly against him, her breath also quickening in the confines of the elevator.

With the flashlight turned on, his eyes fell on the dark head beneath his jaw. He realize that she's now glued to his body. Her back against his chest, long artificial stiletto nails fastened around his triceps in an invincible grip. He concluded that she's terrified of the dark.

Unhurriedly, he lowered them both to the floor knowing it might take longer than expected to get them out from the elevator and he doesn't have much strength in him. And now an unnerved woman in his arms to deal with.

They both sat down on the floor, Madina's back still against his chest the flashlight illuminating her face. That is when he decided to really look at the woman before him and not the one she wants everyone to see.

She has this pristine, youthful and frank beauty which she desperately veils with sinful and corrupted makeover.

Madina had dazzling, champagne-brown eyes and half-moon cheekbones. The recessed light made her eyes gleam with gusto is the closed space. So many secrets and darkness hidden behind those clear eyes with psychotic powers.

Her trout pout lips that appear to be suede soft -somewhere his thoughts really shouldn't go to. But that is the problem with Madina. She makes every man to want to go to hell for her no matter how unblemished. No matter how scary hell sounds.

Not liking her silence and the wayward thoughts glistening behind his mind, he teased. "Will you be quiet? You're making it hard for me to think."

Her brows bunched together in confusion then she slowly turned around to glare at him. Finally, she's back. He'd take this Madina hundred times before he'd even look at the other one. Is she claustrophobic? Or perhaps has nyctophobia?

"I wasn't saying anything. You're out of your mind." She gave him an incredulous stare, muttering speech about how crazy he's always been beneath her breath.

"Then stop thinking so loud." She continued to stare at him like he's lost his mind somewhere. He is starting to think so too.

That didn't flatter him from adding, jeeringly of course. "I can hear all the dirty things going through your mind because you have my triceps around you. I had no idea you were this cheap."

Her mouth gaped like a fish while she struggled to find something to say. Is she blushing? He'd pay a million to make sure that is what he is seeing in the darkened space but she narrowed her eyes before he could peruse further. Was she thinking about him for real?

Why did his heart took a large leap in his chest though? Where is that damn organ soaring to now?

Instead of backlashing out like he'd expected her too, she let out a smile. She had dazzling, piano key teeth and a star-radiant smile. No wonder men crawl around from all over the world for just a glimpse of her. Everything physical about her is in contrast with her personality.

"I hate you. There is no way any dirty thought about you would cross my mind. Stop thinking ahead of yourself or I'll think you've fallen hard for me." Madina watched him from below her lashes like a jezebel.

She had spider's-leg eyelashes and orbit-shaped eyes. A pert and dainty nose sat unapologetically in the middle of her siren face.

Seeing as she's turned his own words around, he shook his head. She will never change. "I don't get why you hate me when I'm this lovely... and of course, handsome like you've said."

Madina huffed out a breath and tuck a strand of hair behind her trim ear. "I don't lie. You are handsome and you know that you are so don't pretend."

The light from her phone go off unexpectedly earning a shriek from Madina. She scrambled to Bilal's arms again, her apprehensive voice mumbling how stupid she was for not charging her phone.

Bilal was quiet, really not knowing what to say with her pressure against him. The way she naturally fell into his arm like he's her knight in shining armor and not the boss she detested.

The feminine smell of her was a potent aphrodisiac, causing him to respond like any rutting bull in heat, and he either had to have her or find some way of getting rid of this new burning desire for her. The latter is more reasonable.

Bilal sat down on the deeply shadowed rectangular elevator, cradling her in his arms like he would a bairn.

"I've got you. Relax your mind." His dark head bending over her as she shuddered and moved her arms around his neck.

She closed her eyes tightly as he murmured incomprehensible phrases into her wig -his tone was soothing, low and gentle, inconceivably tender. Madina couldn't believe how things were rapidly changing.

She obeyed him, letting the warmth of his body seep into her skin, into her flesh, into her very bones, until the trembling stopped. His brutal strength was no longer something she had to contend against. No, all at once it had become her protection, bent around her in a shield.

She would never be this close to him again and she wanted to remember... she had never felt so safe, comforted, protected in her life.

"I'm afraid of the dark." She murmured softly, her head buried some more in the comfort of his powerful arms.

A rumble came from his chest making her giggle at how ticklish it felt against her cheek. "No shit, Einstein."

"I'm gonna need a therapy after this." She grumbled on his shoulder, goosebumps spiking all over her body for the first time since ever.

Bilal chortled, the low sound coming straight from his throat and out in the dark space like gossamer from Eden. "Book the same therapist for both of us. We really need it."

"Because you feel too amazing in my arms. And not in a sensual way. I need that therapy more than you, darling." Bilal thought in his head, a frown marring his features. This cannot be good at all.

Giving a broken sigh, she rested her head on his broad shoulder while his broad chest rose and fell steadily beneath her.

Madina did not know how much time passed by as she relaxed against him, but gradually it seemed that she had floated into the middle of the sweetest dream imaginable. A dreamless sleep she's coveted.

His lips touched her forehead, sending an exciting chill down her spine, and his muscled arm tightened under the back of her neck as he eased her head higher. But that should be in the dream right? Bilal didn't kiss her, hmm?

That would've been so weird and stupid of him. Even embarrassing if she's honest.

When she started getting deeper into her sleep, he tugged at her wig, almost removing it from her head. Madina sat up and swatted his hand away from her expensive hair.

"Don't touch my hair!" She warned in a groggy voice that is hefty with sleep and exhaustion. And he thought he was the only tired one there.

A chuckle escaped him again, this one nasty and unfriendly. "Is that really your hair? Let's be honest with each other since you hate fake people. Don't be fake too."

Scooting a little farther away from his wandering hand, she mocked. "Mine is makeup while yours... I don't even know. It's fucked up."

His voice didn't lose that lightheartedness when his next words drifted from somewhere far away. Where'd he go? She thought in panic. "C'mon, don't be so harsh. And I'm curious about what your real hair looks like."

Madina unconsciously started searching for him. She hates being alone in the dark and when she felt his jeans beneath her fingers, she let out a sigh. The guy is trying to tug her around like a dog in a leash. Seriously why move away when he knew she was afraid of the dark?

"It's dark, you won't be able to see. Not that I'm ever going to show you what it looks like." She rolled her eyes at that. Not many people have seen her hair anyway.

"Aww, you don't have natural hair. What's this funny Hausa word again?" He was quiet, short chortles flowing from his side making her smile at how carefree he sounded.

"Yes! Here is the word. It is hard so listen well. Kwaikwaido." And he burst out laughing making her reluctantly join him.

The word is so funny and when her friends would call her that while she was just thirteen, Madina used to bawl her eyes out to Misha. Then she found out about attachments and started paying hard earned money to get them done. Since she wasn't rich then, she'd let it stay in her head for more than two months.

"Don't ever try speaking Hausa again. I take God beg you! You sound like someone forced a rat down your throat just to pronounce one word." She let out one last chuckle before she leaned her head on the elevator wall behind her, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"It's been a while." Bilal murmured wistfully. Words taking double meaning.

"Yeah." Madina whispered understanding the thousands of meanings beneath the four sentence.

Last chapter has 0 I mean ZERO comments! And you will start asking for an update later when I don't update. This is not done guyssss. So not doneeeee. You want update? You tell me what you think at the end of each chapter. It's heartbreaking. Or are we fighting????????🫥