My hands trembled as my heart beating very fast against my ribcage. The words from the note kept played in my mind. I started to panic who ever the sender of the red rose and the note was totally dangerous.

I picked up my purse and sling it over my shoulder before looked it again the flower and thinking if I wanted to keep it or decided to throw it into the trash bin.

You must be stupid if you kept it, Zahra.

Sighing, I picked up the flower and walked out of my room. Searching for a trash bin, I found it at the corner and started to walk towards it.

I looked again the red rose and the note at my hand and threw it roughly at the bin. My hands still trembling at my side. Then I felt someone was watching me from my behind.

I heard footsteps that was walking towards me. Then the footsteps stopped right behind me. My heart become more pounding roughly and very fast against my ribcage.

Slowly I turned my body around but my head collided a hard wall or may I said a hard chest. "Ahhhh!" I screamed and fell to the ground.

I shut my eyes tightly and put my palms on both of my ears.

"Please don't hurt me." I said the words repeatedly and my tears fell down.

"Wowowo, Zahra are you okay?" a familiar voice sounded into my ears. I opened my eyes but blurred because of my tears.

Looking up, I saw a pair of green eyes staring at me. I blinked a few times and wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my blouse. I sighed in relieved when connected to a familiar green eyes that was staring at me.

"Zahra?"

I snapped from my thoughts and looked at him. "Are you okay?" he asked again and pulled out his right hand towasrd me. I nodded and held his covered forearm instead of his hand.

He pulled me up from the position earlier as I wiped the tears that left a little bit on my eyes and cheeks once again. I closed my eyes to calm down and cleared my throat.

I opened my eyes and saw that Nick still staring at me with worried eyes. Inhaled deeply, I smiled at him that was clearly a fake smile.

"I'm okay." my voice cracked.

He narrowed his eyes at me because he doesn't believed my words. "Really, I'm okay. "I said again with some awkward laugh.

He only nodded as if he believed my words.

"You look ugly."

"What?"

"You're ugly."he blurted the same words again.

I glared at him but he only smirking.

He's gonna be dead by me.

When I wanted to step at his foot he started to back away from me. He chuckled when I started chasing him to step on his foot. His laughter become loud and that's my chance so I stepped hardly on his right foot.

"Ouch!!" he yelp and bending down to grabbed his foot. I chuckled because he jumped up and down using one of his leg while holding his foot.

"Zahra are you a girl cause you stepped at my foot like an elephant."

I glared at him again and brought my left hand up to hit his shoulder. Before my hand hit his shoulder he turned around and ran away from me. My eyes widen and I started to chase him.

"Nick!! Don't you dare to ran away from me and do not ran on the corridor."

He only laughed and slowed his steps. I stopped and gasped to catch some air because of tired to chase him.

Yeah, he also had that long legs.

He turned around and smiled at me.
"I'm glad you're okay now and I have my little Zahra again." he suddenly speaking and looked straight into my eyes.

A smile tug accross my lips at his words because I totally forgot about the red rose and the note when I'm with him.

I looked up at him and saw in his beautiful green eyes staring at me with some relieved and smiled at me.

🔥🔥🔥

Right now Rose, Noor and I were sitting at our room at the hotel.

"Ara? Come on let's go breakfast at the restaurant with your free coupon that you got before." Rose held my arm and shaking it to persuade me.

Noor also nodded and grinning widely. My eyes twinkled when I remembered the coupon and we will be going to eat for free.

"Let's go!!" I squaled exitedly and threw my arm in the air.

"Okay, lets go. I'm going to invite someone. You know the guy that I said before that stayed across my room with his friend." Rose chirped exitedly and pulled out her phone to type messages to the guy.

"Okay. He said they will be join us." she squaled and grinning widely.

I nodded and clapped my hands because the more the merrier.

The moment we entered the restaurant it's really beautiful and cozy in here. The modern classic styles with some blue royal and cream walls. The tiles were also shining and clean.

Noor linked Rose and my arm as we walked towards the table at the corner. I sat right beside Noor and Rose sitting across of Noor.

"Ouh,they are here." Rose voice snapped me from my thoughts.She waving at her friend from behind me.

I looked up when they already reached here but my eyes widen as well as my breath hitched. Because I saw a familiar face well the annoying person actually.

"Zahra!"

"Nick."

We spoke at the same time. I groaned and glared at him but he only grinning at me.

"Okay.What's going on here?"

I looked at Rose and saw she narrowed her eyes at me. "I talk to you later." I said to Rose and looked at her pleadingly.

She nodded and wiggled her eyebrow.

"Come take a sit."she said to them.

Nick excitedly pulled a chair from the next table and sat right beside me.

The other guy sit took a seat beside Rose and across of me.

"Ouh I'm sorry this guy name is Matt."Rose said while patting his shoulder.

"Hi, I'm Noor."Noor waved and greet at him.

"Hi,I'm Zah..."

"Zahra." before I can finished to speak Nick cut it off.

I glared at him and he looked at me innocently. I heard Matt chuckled with Noor and Rose.

"Hi,Noor.Hi,Zahra." he smiled at us and woww he has dimples at his both cheek. It's really hard to find a guy that have dimples on his both cheek.

"Okay, let's eat."Rose chirped happily and waved her right hand to the air to call the waiter. A young man come towards us and gave us the menu.

After ordering, we were chatting and laughed together and I'm ignored Nick until the food were done. Nick poked my shoulder but I ignored it with talked to Noor.

After the food already prepared we started to eat.n"Can I have a newspaper please." Nick asking before the waiter went to his work

The food was really delicious and it's also halal food. I'm glad that this restaurant prepared and sold some halal food for Muslim.

"How did you guys known each other?" Noor voice snapped me from my thoughts and looked at me and Nick.

"Yeah,how?" Rose said and nodding.

I started to think on how I met the annoying guy that sat beside me. Actually he was the first to greet me because he was sitting beside me when we were giving the instruction from the speaker.

"Well, she's the first one that greet me because I'm handsome." Nick suddenly said and run his hand into his blonde hair.

I gasped and my jaw dropped at his words. Rose and Matt whistling and Noor wiggled her eyebrow.

"No!! He's the first one! And not to forget to flirt with his pickup line 'Hi,gorgeous.Are you a camera.Cause I automatically smiled when I looked at you'." I glared at Nick and mocked him at the first our met.

Before Nick wanted to talk the waiter came and gave him a newspaper. He ignored us with reading the newspaper as if trying to get away from their question.

"Hey,look."Nick squaled and put the newspaper on the table after pushed our plates to give him place. He showed us a news that made us terrified and scared.

The police lost track when chasing a group of the most big mafia and number one in this country that named Black Blood for the fifth times. The pack also is in the list of top five in the world.

They also killed almost all of the police that take incharge in their duty. Ruthlessly they killed the policeman with cut their heads off their body.

Some of them have some bullets and cuts on their body. We also got some information that the leader is known as DXL.

I gasped and shocked when I read the news. Was it just a coincident that the sender of the red rose and this criminal had the same name?

Or it could be the same person.

I hoped not.

🔥🔥🔥

Present

"W...Who are you?",my throat still sore and my voice become cracked.

I stared at the man and he also did the same. His intense stare made me felt uncomfortable. I looked away and blinked for waiting him to answer my question.

But he just kept silent making the sound of the chirping bird,the wind and the engine of car passed by can only be heard.

"Who are you?"I asked him again angrily and glared him.

You should not afraid of him, Zahra.

He tilted his head and then the corner of his lip twitched slightly. "I'm yours baby doll." he smirked.

My lips let out a gasped as my eyes widen slightly.

Baby doll?

Wasn't it the same nickname that written on the note that I got a few weeks ago?

I heard him chuckled that made shivered until it goes down to my spine. Quickly, I got up and started to take a few steps away from him before he followed my steps and looked at me softly.

"Stop." I said with shaky voice but he continued to walk closer to me.

"Stop!" I shouted at him.

And finally he stopped at his tracks with a looked of some admiration and love?

Maybe it was just my imagination. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply to calm myself. As soon as my eyes opened , I saw a black coloured button up shirt in front of me.

I gasped when I looked up and saw that man was already towering my small frame. He was very tall and I barely came into his chest only.

My eyes widen when I felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around me. Astaghfirullah, he was hugging and touching me.

I put my hands on his shoulder to push him away but he was very strong and didn't budge at all when I pushed him again.

"Let me go!" I said to him as I struggled against him.

"No." he said and growled.

He tighten his arm around me until there's no space around us. I slipped my hands from his shoulder to his chest for prevented him to moved closer than it should be. My hands felt his hard, muscled chest.

"Let me go!" I said to him again and began to punch his hard chest.

I gasped when my hand contact his chest because it's really hurt. I heard him chuckled and tighten his arm more around me.

Suddenly he bend down and put his head at the crook of my covered neck. I heard him sniffed and inhaled my scent.

"Help!" I screamed, askung for someone's help and pushed him more roughly.

He took held both my arm to put it at his chest and tighten his arm around me. My eyes began to blur when the tears rolled down and kissed my cheeks.

He's gonna raped me then used me until he satisfied before killed me with cutting me into pieces. My tears rolling down more with the thought replayed over and over again inside my head.

Suddenly the strong arm loosened but still holding me and he warm palm cupped my face.

"Whats wrong baby doll?"he asked softly.

He asked what's wrong?

"You're the wrong."

He wiped my tears with his thumb and looked at me curiosly. "Why me?" He asked with looking straight into my soul.

"Who are you? You can't touch me! It's a sin in my religion! And you're just a stranger! Go away!" I shouted at him as my eyes become more blurred.

"I'm sorry baby doll." he looked shocked at my state before pulled away.

I backed away from him and hugged myself after wiping my tears. Before he wanted to speak, his phone was ringing and I heard him cursing. He pick up his phone and answering the call angrily.

This was my chance.

I ran away and didn't looked back at all. Luckily,a taxi stopped right infront of me. I opened the door before enteringly rushingly and told the driver my hotel adress.

Sighing, I looked out the window and found that man was staring at me until this taxi disappeared from his sight.

🔥🔥🔥

I woke up from my sleep and looked at my left to see that Noor was still asleep. I picked up my phone and looked at the clock and it's still midnight.

I can't sleep after the day that I met that man even it's already past a week. I let out a soft sighed and looked at the ceiling until my eyes felt tired and closed by itself.

"Ara! Ara!." I felt someone was shaking my body.

"Zahra." my cheeks being touched by a soft hand.

Groaning, I pushed away whatever bothering my beauty sleep. I heard someone was cursing and I smiled to myself because nothing bothered me anymore.

"1...2....3!"

Suddenly I fell down after someone pulled my blanket away.

"Ouch!!"

I opened my eyes and saw Rose and Noor were laughing at me. I glared them as I crossed my arm across my chest and waited until they finished laughing.

"Finish already?" I narrowed my eyes at them.

"Look at your ugly face." they started to laugh again. I groaned and pick up my pillow and threw it to them.Before the pillow can hit Rose ,she already caught it.

"Okay sorry,sorry."Noor said and wiped some of her tears because of laughing too much. I huffed but they just giggling.

"Ouh wait for a minute."Rose said and walked towards the couch.

I looked at Noor questionly but she shrugged her shoulder. My eyebrow wrinkled when I saw Rose holding a box.

"This is for you. I found it infront of the door."she said and gave me.

For me?

I grabbed it and looked at the box. My hands started to tear the wrapper then I opened the box to see a full box of chocolate.

Chocolate!!

"What is it? Wow. Chocolate!!"Rose and Noor screaming at the same time making me giggled and nodded at their question. I searched for any card or some note and found it at the corner of the box.

"Is it from Nick?"Rose said and wiggled her eyebrow at me.

I huffed when she said his name. I opened the card as my eyes widen when I read another note again. Not just any note from anyone.

But Him.

Baby doll.
I'm sorry for that day before.
I know I'm just a stranger.
But now I'm not a stranger anymore.
By the way my name is
Damien Xavier Luciano.
I know your name
It's Zahra Adriana Hazriq.
And I miss you.
See you again my baby doll.
-DXL