Zara's POV

I spend the rest of the weekend with my family. On Saturday evening, I go shopping to the city centre with Maryam. We both buy some dresses and of course, makeup. A girl can never have too much makeup. My side job as a beautician and makeup artist requires me to have a lot of makeup, which is a good thing so I don't need to make excuses for buying lots of makeup. We have dinner at a local restaurant that evening, before heading home.

I stay at home on Sunday, helping Mum and Maryam around the house in the morning. Mum does the cooking, as usual, and me and Maryam help to clean up. Then, I clean my bedroom which doesn't take very long as it wasn't too messy in the first place. I hate it if my room gets really messy, so I'm cleaning it all the time. Yes, I'm a bit of a clean freak, I guess you could say.

'What time are you coming back from university tomorrow, Zara?' Mum asks me as we are having dinner that night.

"I have lectures all day tomorrow, I finish at 6. So I'll probably reach home at about quarter past 7," I tell Mum.

She nods.

'Lucky you! You only have university two days a week!' Maryam says, laughing.

I nod. "Your timetable will probably be similar next year, when you start university, sis. You won't have lectures everyday. I'm not free for the rest of the week though, as I've started working at the office now."

Maryam smirks. She is in her final year of college, and hopefully next year she will be studying at the same university as me. However, unlike me who studies Psychology, she wants to study Sociology. Hopefully she will get amazing grades at college this year and will get into the same university.

"This biryani is amazing, Mum," I say, smiling.

Mum smiles. 'Thanks, dear. So, did you have fun with Hafsa on Friday?'

I nod. "Yeah, we had loads of fun. I helped her with her notes, then we watched a movie."

Mum smiles. 'That's good, dear. You should spend some time with Hafsa, she's always saying that she misses hanging out with you outside of university.'

I chuckle. "She's crazy, I'm with her all the time! But yes, she said she might come over this weekend."

Mum smiles and nods. 'That's great, she can come over anytime!'

After dinner, I help Mum wash the dishes and set them away. Then, me, Maryam and Mum watch a Bollywood movie like old times. It's actually pretty fun. Dad is in the other room, watching the football game. Like me, he supports Liverpool FC. Today's game is a pretty big one, and Liverpool are in the lead (so far), so Dad is happy.

The movie ends at 11pm. We make our way to our bedrooms. I need to sleep now, as I will have to wake up early tomorrow morning for university.

********

I wake up at 7am the next morning, feeling refreshed for once. I got a good night's sleep last night. I take a quick shower and change into a rose pink flowy top and light blue skinny jeans. I slip on my matching rose pink flats and my white leather jacket. Cute.

I have time for makeup, so I quickly do my natural makeup look. Today, I decide to apply a matching light pink lipstick. I tie my hair up into a sleek ponytail, grab my white purse and head downstairs.

Maryam wolf-whistles when she sees me, and she winks. 'You should make this much effort of getting ready when you're going to work!' I shake my head and ignore her. She's crazy.

"Zara, you look beautiful dear," Mum says to me, smiling, as I walk into the kitchen. She is preparing breakfast.

'Thank you, Mum! I'm not really hungry, so I'm gonna get going. Hafsa should be outside in a few minutes,' I say. Me and Hafsa usually go to university together, in her car.

"You never have breakfast, dear. Eat something and then go. You won't be late," Mum says to me.

It's quarter past eight. She's right, I won't be late. I pour myself a glass of my favourite freshly squeezed orange juice and grab a piece of toast, eating it quickly. I hear Hafsa's car beeping from outside.

'Mum, Hafsa's here. Love you, Mum! Love you, Dad!' I say quickly. They both say 'love you' back, and I head out the front door.

I smile at Hafsa and get into her car. She looks really pretty, as always. She is wearing a navy blue top with black skinny jeans and a black leather jacket. She's actually done a bit of makeup today, too.

"Babe, you look beautiful!" She says to me, smiling.

I grin. 'So do you! For once, we're going to reach university in time on a Monday morning!'

She nods, and drives off.

There is no traffic today, either. Which is really weird for a Monday morning. There's usually loads of traffic at this time. We reach the lecture hall fifteen minutes before the start of the lecture. We head to the back of the lecture hall, taking a seat.

"This is weird, arriving this early! We're usually late, or just on time!" Hafsa says, laughing.

I nod, smiling. 'Let's get this long day over with!' I say. And the day does go by pretty quickly, thankfully.

********

At the end of the day, Hafsa drops me off home before heading home herself.

I reach home at quarter past seven. Mum is in the kitchen, preparing dinner. Maryam is in her room. Dad is sitting in the living room, watching the news.

I say 'hi' to my parents and head to my bedroom, changing into something more comfortable. Then I go downstairs and sit with my parents for a small while. We have dinner together, which as always is really delicious. Mum is an amazing cook, she's the best.

After dinner, I head upstairs to my room. I spend some time (about an hour and a half) making some notes on today's lectures. I don't want to get behind with my notes, seeing how busy my week is now. So I like getting my notes done the same day as the lectures. After finishing the notes, I watch a bit of Netflix.

I watch my favourite TV show of all time, Pretty Little Liars. It actually ended a few months ago, and I was so sad. But I'm rewatching it, because I love it so much. I'm currently rewatching Season 2. This has always been my favourite TV show, and Hafsa's too. I was so excited when I found out that Ayesha loves it, too. My favourite couple are Aria and Ezra, they're really cute.

I watch an episode of PLL, it is over 12am when it ends. I'm not too tired, but I get into bed and try to sleep, because I have to wake up early tomorrow morning, too. Tomorrow, I have university from 10am to 2pm. Not too bad, but I'm still going to have to wake up at about half seven.

********

Tuesday goes by fast, too, which is weird. Before I know it, it is Wednesday morning and I am getting ready to go to work.

I change into a white button-up blouse which is probably a size too small, but I don't care as I'm getting late. I pair it with black straight leg pants, and red heels. I apply some makeup: my usual Estée Lauder Double Wear foundation, light contour, mascara, a sweep of eyeliner and I opt for a maroon lipstick. I slip on my black coat and head downstairs.

I grab a piece of toast and tell Mum that I'll eat it on the way to work. It has become a habit. I eat it in Dad's car.

'So, I'll pick you up at 5, Zara. Okay?' Dad asks me when we reach the building of The Malik Enterprises.

I nod. "That's great, Dad. Have a good day at work!"

He smiles. 'You too, dear!'

I get out of the car and rush into the building. I'm a few minutes late, because there was traffic on the main road. I hope Zaid doesn't mind.

I say a quick 'good morning' to the lovely receptionist in the lobby on the ground floor and take the lift up to the 7th floor.

I rush to my cabin and set up after hanging up my coat. I have just logged onto the computer, when Zaid walks into my cabin. He looks exhausted.

I give him a small smile and greet him. 'Good morning, Mr Malik. How are you today?'

He comes over to my desk and helps himself onto the seat opposite me.

He stares at me for a few seconds before answering. 'I'm exhausted. And I have a headache. I hope you're doing well?'

I nod. "Didn't you sleep well last night?"

He smirks but quickly covers it up. 'Oh, I slept well. I feel a bit of a fever coming up, though.'

I nod. "Oh, I hope you feel better soon. I sent the email you asked me to send. And I've made your appointment with Mr Samuels for tomorrow. Is that okay?"

He nods. 'That's great. Can you please find file B23 for me?'

"Sure." I stand up from my seat and head over to the large filing cabinet in the corner of my office. It's huge, and it is filled with files. I find the file pretty quickly, as the files are sorted alphabetically.

I hear Zaid smirk from behind me. I ignore it. He is still sitting at my desk.

After finding the file, I take it out of the filing cabinet and hand it to Zaid. He fingers through it quickly and places it down onto my desk.

'Great. This is the one. Miss Ahmed, can you do me a favour?' He asks, looking at me sceptically.

I nod. "Of course, what can I do for you?"

He smirks again. 'Please go and get me a coffee. From the coffee shop opposite this building.'

"You...want me to get your coffee? Me?" I ask him, not believing it.

He chuckles. 'Yes, Miss Ahmed.'

"Erm, fine. Sure. I'll go and get it for you now."

'Great. In the meantime, I will stay in your office and I will read through this file more thoroughly.'

I nod, grabbing my coat and slipping it on. I head out.

I reach the coffee shop in five minutes. It is right opposite this building, and it is a new coffee shop. Many of the employees working here go to this coffee shop for their breaks. It's a large coffee shop, but it warm and seems cozy.

There is a lot of rush at this time, though. The place is nearly full. I'm not surprised, seeing as it is opposite such a huge company building.

I grab Zaid's coffee and also buy one for myself. Just after I have paid at the till (Zaid's money, of course), I swear I hear a voice that I never wanted to hear again. At first, I think that I'm hallucinating. It's not possible, is it? I mean, how can it be possible? It can't. He can't be here.

Yes, I must be hearing things. But how can I mistake his voice? The voice that I once thought I loved. The voice that I am afraid of now for my life, the voice that I hate now and never want to hear. It's not possible!

I'm trembling. I clutch the coffee cups harder and turn around. And I can swear that I saw him. His eyes. Hamza's eyes. There is no mistaking those eyes, either. Those dark brown, nearly black eyes. It's definitely him. He's here.

No. It can't be. He is in jail! He can't be out already. There's no way. I must be tired. Yes, that must be it.

I'm definitely hearing and seeing things. He's not here. He can't be.

I rush out of the coffee shop as fast as my feet can take me. I hurry into the building of The Malik Enterprises, and breathe a sigh of relief once I'm inside. I feel safe here.

The receptionist looks worried when she sees me.

'Miss Ahmed, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost! Are you okay, dear?' The lovely old lady rushes over to me and examines my face.

I nod, forcing a smile. I'm still shaking. I can't help it. "I'm okay, it's just a bit cold. Don't worry!"

She smiles. 'Mr Malik's coffee?'

I nod. "Is he in a better mood now? He fired three employees this morning, for no reason at all."

Really? I didn't know that. 'He's alright, he looks tired though. Poor employees. Ex-employees.'

She chuckles. "You better get going then, lovely. I don't want to keep you from him and get you into trouble! See you later!"

'See you later, Paula!'

I take the lift up to the 7th floor. I rush into my cabin and shut the door behind me, completely forgetting that Zaid is in there.

My breathing is hard and shaky. I'm shaky. I'm still trembling. Not with cold, but with fear. I'm trying to make myself believe that it can't be possible, that it couldn't have been Hamza in the coffee shop and that I was just hallucinating or something, but deep down, I know. I know it was him. But how?! How is he out of jail so quickly?! And why was he here?

He can't be here for me. He can't.

'Miss Ahmed, Zara! What's wrong?' Zaid rushes over to me and grabs me by the shoulders. I'm shaking.

"What? No-nothing. It's just...cold," I lie. I don't feel cold at all. Just afraid. I feel scared for my life. I haven't felt this scared since-

'Zara, sit down,' he says gently, taking me over to the sofas in my cabin. I sit down. He hands me my coffee.

"I'm sorry, I took ages. I just- it was really busy there," I tell him, stuttering.

'Zara, I don't care about the damn coffee. What's wrong with you? What happened?' He asks worriedly.

"Why are you so worried? Honestly, nothing is wrong."

'Do you want to go home? You can leave if you're not feeling well,' he says to me.

I quickly shake my head. "No, I don't want to go home. I'm fine." I don't want to go home, because my parents and Maryam are not at home. I don't want to be alone.

'You look like you've seen a ghost,' he whispers, gently placing a hand on my shoulder.

I force a laugh. "No!"

It's obvious that Zaid doesn't believe me, but he doesn't push. I feel my phone vibrating from my coat pocket. I think it's been vibrating for the past five minutes, but I haven't really been paying attention to it.

'It's okay, you can answer it,' Zaid says to me.

I'm surprised to see that Rayyan has given me 10 missed calls. If I haven't mentioned before, Rayyan is Ayesha's older brother. He is a year younger than Zaid. Rayyan is a great guy, really funny and he's a nice, caring guy. A right joker, though.

I answer my phone when I see his name flashing on my front screen again.

'Hey, Rayyan,' I say, clearing my throat.

I glance over at Zaid who is sitting opposite me. He is just looking at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Zara. Where are you right now?" Rayyan asks. This surprises me, as his tone is very serious. It's not at all like his funny, joking tone.

'Right now? I'm at work. Why? Is everything okay? Is Ayesha okay?' I know I have only known Ayesha for about two and a half months, but she is my second best friend. We've spent a lot of time together, and as she lives next door to me, we've been having sleepovers too. My family have become quite close to her family, who are all amazing.

"Ayesha is okay. I need to talk to you, now. I need to meet you."

'I'll come to your house after work,' I say to him.

"No, Zara. I need to meet you now. It's serious."

'What's serious? Have you lost your favourite football shirt or something? Or have you had an argument with Ayesha? Or your Mum?' I laugh.

"It's about you, Zara," Rayyan answers, sounding very worried.

'About me? What do you mean? Tell me, Rayyan.'

He pauses for a few seconds. "I'm coming. Now. I'm coming to your office."

Then he cuts the call.

I inform Zaid that Rayyan is coming to the office.

'Okay, it's fine. No problem.' I'm surprised that Zaid is fine with this.

I haven't ever heard Rayyan sound so worried before. And that makes me worried. What's so important that he needs to tell me right now? He can't wait. It must be something serious. It's something about me.

Rayyan reaches the office fifteen minutes later. He reached very quickly. Alicia, the receptionist on the 7th floor, knocks on my cabin door.

'Come in!' I say.

'Miss Ahmed, good morning. Is Mr Malik here? Yes, oh. Mr Malik, there is someone in the lobby on the ground floor, a young man. He wants to see Miss Ahmed, but he doesn't have an appointment,' Alicia tells me and Zaid.

Yes, it must be Rayyan.

Zaid nods. "Yes, Alicia. Send him up."

'Yes, sir,' she replies, politely smiling. She leaves the cabin.

I'm playing with my hair, which is a habit I have of when I'm nervous. Rayyan reaches the cabin five minutes later. He knocks on the door.

'Come in,' Zaid answers in his cool, authoritative voice.

The door opens and Rayyan walks in, with something in his hands. A parcel. An opened parcel.

I frown. "Rayyan, is that my parcel? Did you open my parcel?" I ask him, going over to him and taking the parcel out of his hands.

He slowly shakes his head. 'No, Zara. I didn't open it. It was already open. I got out of my house, and saw this parcel outside your front door. When I saw that your parents' cars were not outside, I thought I should tell Ayesha so I picked the parcel up, and it was open. The book fell out. And so did the...message. I didn't mean to read it.'

I ignore him and place the parcel on my desk. Both Rayyan and Zaid follow me. I slowly take out the large book from the parcel, and I tense when I realise what it is. No way.

This book is a photo album, containing my pictures since I was a baby, to now. I had lost this album a few months ago, and now it was sent to me in a parcel? This is so weird. Surely it can't be a coincidence that...

My fingers touch a small piece of paper which was also in the parcel. With trembling fingers, I take it out. Why do I feel as though I already know what this is, and who it is from? My fears are confirmed when I see the handwriting on the paper.

Did you miss me, baby? I missed you! But I'm back now, for good. For you!

He's back.

My head starts to spin, and the piece of paper falls from my hands. My legs give way and I feel myself black out. I fall, but something, or someone, catches me before I hit the floor.

********

Hi, guys! How are you all? I hope you've all been great! I was actually supposed to upload this chapter a few days ago, but I'm sorry for uploading it late. I've been really poorly this past week, with a high fever and a really bad cold. I'm better now, though, and I will be regularly updating!

So, what did you all think of this chapter? Did you like it? Did you dislike it?! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, don't forget to vote and comment! So the drama has started! Who do you think the parcel was from? Do you think Hamza is really back, or not?

This was the first chapter with Rayyan in it, what do you think of him so far? What do you think will happen next? And who do you think caught Zara when she fainted at the end?

I love you all so, SO much! Thanks for reading and enjoying my story! Stay tuned! x