AHAM backtracked on their claims of being on the frontline with their attacks.

It had been six days since the attack occurred. For the last six days, I have spent almost every second in my hospital. It was my decision to take 24-hour rotations to deal with the patients.

A few doctors and I were having dinner at the cafeteria, and the TV was on. BBC showed that AHAM declared that their people had no involvement in the terrorist attack.

Food almost fell from my mouth as I watched the news.

"What does your powerful boyfriend say about the attack?" Brett asked me with a mocking tone, sitting in front of me. Rhys didn't let me go anywhere without his men, so now everyone knew that I was dating a guy who was so powerful that he had provided me with gunmen, and a government hospital had allowed them to roam around me freely. Thanks to God, the men Rhys had chosen were ex-EMTs, familiar with healthcare environments.

Rhys nagging made me uncomfortable around people. Now everyone maintained some distance from me, except for Anita and Suzy. Though none of us recovered from the initial shocks, we could not brush off our traumas that easily.

Nobody had any idea whom I was dating; I hadn't given anyone a name. Nor had I disclosed the extent of Volkner's powers. But everyone was aware that, because of me, we were not being investigated by the police about our victim management.

But then, after the news, I started to second-guess what had actually happened that night. Brett decided to nag me again,

"Ask your boyfriend, Kay."

Anita saw Brett being an asshole with me, so she came rushing.

"Just leave her the fuck alone," she sneered at him.

Brett left my table, and Anita sat down in his empty chair. We discussed a patient that I had treated that night with 70% burns; he had developed sepsis. We decided to involve Dr. Nicole, who was the head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery unit.

As we walked to her office, we saw men in uniforms seated outside Nicole's chamber.

Anita and I exchanged confused glances, but we didn't have to wait for long. We were told to meet Nicole at the mortuary. I was irritated to hear this. Out of everything in this world, I hate being anywhere near mortuaries.

When we stepped into the basement where the mortuary was, I was perplexed to see John standing in front of its glass doors. Before I could ask him anything, he stopped me and lowered his head around my neck to whisper in my ear.

"The director general of MI5 is inside. If he asks you anything about Rhys, act normal. Don't let anyone know that Rhys talks about his work with you."

My stomach churned with John's warning. Was it a mistake to go down to the mortuary? Anita didn't bother with John's presence and took me inside, emphasizing the urgency of treating our patient with kidney failure due to severe burns.

My heart dropped at the sight of the mortuary, filled to the brim with people. Shockingly, the director of NHS herself was among the crowd. Anita began searching for Nicole, but upon seeing me, Nicole whispered something to the NHS director, who, in turn, shared words with a distinguished-looking man in his late 60s.

Without hesitation, the man stepped forward, extending his hand to me.

"Good day, Ma'am. I am Lord William Jefferson, Director General of the Defense Security Service at His Majesty's office. It's an honor to meet you."

Anita was astonished at his identity and his humility.

"Nice to meet you too, Lord William," I replied. He smiled with utmost humility.

"Oh, call me Bill," he insisted politely, but Nicole interrupted him.

"Mr. Jefferson, the body has been taken outside." She signaled for him to leave us, then turned to us.

"You two better have a good explanation of why you're here."

We explained the patient's condition, and Nicole became somber about the inevitable outcome. Knowing he wouldn't make it, she suggested we inform the relatives to prepare them for the impending bad news. Heartbroken, Anita and I left the mortuary.

On the stairs, seeing John, it hit me.

"Anita, I have some work here; I'll be joining you in 10 minutes. Can you go without me for now?" I asked her. She nodded and left me.

I returned to the mortuary, where they had brought out a torn-up, burned-down body on the table at the center.

Everyone around the table noticed me coming back. Nicole questioned me, "What the heck are you doing in here again? Go back to work."

Ignoring her, I turned to Bill and said, "You know why I am here." Bill had become pale.

Bill stumbled while speaking, causing confusion among colleagues present on-site. "You can inform Mr. Volkners about the outcome on our behalf," he managed to say.

Dr. Murthi, the head of forensics, ordered the autopsy with Bill's permission. Two of my colleagues started to perform the autopsy on the dead body. I asked Bill, "Whose body is this?"

"Train conductor's. We assume he is complicit in the attack."

I checked the papers of the train conductor. He was a fully white British man. It had been almost 10 years since I saw someone run an autopsy on a body, but I had no idea the Director of MI5 himself would want to witness the autopsy under his watch. The doctors collected stomach fluids and other samples for further forensic investigations, but nothing suspicious was found.

My eyes fell on his torn, burned-down uniform. Bill followed my gaze and ordered the doctors to check his pockets. There was nothing except a single piece of paper in his breast pocket, the edges burned, and there were a few black spots. It said,

"Run, Maria Volkner, Run!"

The world around me started to spin as I felt nauseated.

Bill looked at me with a horrified gaze. I was hyperventilating at this point.

"Its time to inform Mrs. Volkner, please," the director of MI5 asked me with a shaky voice.

People around me gave me confused, angst-filled stares.

I felt my hands become colder with each breath I took in.

__________________________________________________________

Rhys rubbed the palms of my cold, sweaty hands. His hands were bigger than mine, so he struggled to warm them up.

Maria was on her way to London. Rhys and I were ready to face MI5 in their office after yesterday's autopsy in our hospital. Every time I watched James Bond movies and saw the SIS Tower, I imagined what it would feel like to visit there. But I had no idea such an occasion would present itself.

"We should leave."

I shook my head vigorously. Both Rhys and I were invited to join Bill for tea. I had already briefed Maria on what was happening, so she was well-informed.

Rhys brushed his fingers through my dirty hair; I was too tired to take a bath for the last two days.

"Kay, it will be fine. I am with you."

"They wanted to kill Maria," I declared in a shaky voice, and Rhys shook his head.

"No... No... Maria will be fine, Kay. Don't worry about her," he admitted. But before he could continue, Ju announced that Maria had descended to London and we should start our journey.

During our car ride, Rhys instructed me not to take off my sunglasses during the meeting, as they concealed the emotions displayed in my eyes. He wore his usual all-black attire, with a thick beard he hadn't bothered to shave since the blast.

He seemed like Sameer from Paris.

His return to his old self brought me some comfort. I mean, this was the man I fell in love with. He cupped my hands and said, "Kay, I will always be your Rhys... or Sameer... or whatever you want me to be. But please understand that I am a different person in front of these people. Don't harbor any negativity towards me or Maria today at the meeting, please."

His plea left me feeling nauseated. He removed my glasses and looked directly into my eyes. "Remember, you are coming with us. You are one of the Volkners today. I am sorry to drag you into this mess," he said, putting my glasses back on.

His words took me aback.

The car halted in front of a huge white archway of a building, opposite the Thames. I could see Westminster Chapel in the distance. Before the car doors opened, Rhys gave me a meaningful look.

And suddenly, his entire demeanor changed. He transformed into a new person as if I had never seen him before. His eyes narrowed, and his face became void of any emotions. All the sweetness of Rhys Sameer was gone.

He became Rhys Volkner, the Volkner Star, the ruthless COO of Volkner Corp.

Rhys stepped out of the car and offered his hand. I accepted and we stood on the street, surrounded by our security detail, some of whom were holding umbrellas. Despite the absence of rain or sunshine.

From a distance, I saw Maria walking towards us. She was wearing a black pencil dress, with a matching pea coat. Her short blond hair and bangs danced with each step, and she wore big sunglasses like mine.

Maria greeted me with a pat on the back, and I nodded in acknowledgment. Rhys had spent the whole morning training me on how not to show emotion, and I was trying my best to be as emotionless as them.

A few men came out of the building, all wearing white-collar attire. They escorted the three of us and a few of our men inside. I tried not to look anywhere, knowing that this iconic landmark was breathtaking, but I was told not to show any reaction.

We were escorted to Bill's office on the 5th floor which was grand, but not as grand as the Volkners'. Rhys, Maria, and I took our seats at the meeting table, accompanied by other MI5 personnel. Everyone seemed to be focused on Maria and Rhys, who exuded a strong sense of power and authority.

"I requested MI6 to be here," Maria stated with a cocky tone before Bill could finish the introductions. It was very atypical of her, at least in my experience.

"I-I don't think it's a matter for MI6," Bill stammered. Maria removed her sunglasses and gave Bill a steel cold stare with her grey eyes. A chill ran down my spine at her gaze.

"Oh, it is, Lord William," Rhys hissed at Bill with his velvety, low-pitched voice. Bill looked pale and signaled someone through the intercom.

An awkward silence filled the room for a whole minute, making me so uncomfortable that I had forgotten to breathe. The Director of General Strategy (DGS), a woman sitting across from me, broke the silence by addressing me directly.

"Dr. Rashidi, we heard that you and your colleagues were the first responders to the Northern Line attacks. We are grateful for your bravery and service. The NHS will be forever in debt to people like you."

I wanted to nod or even put on a fake smile, but I was almost blind due to the dark room and was still wearing dark glasses.

"You're welcome."

He held my hand beneath the table while I mimicked Rhys's cold response. His thumb's gentle stroke indicated his approval.

Suddenly, I felt warm and comfortable.

The DGS brought out a visiting card and gave it to me. "Dr. Rashidi, we know that you have applied for PR. Our country needs more people like you. If you need any help with your PR or even citizenship process, I will be more than willing to help..."

"But Swiss citizenship is more valuable and more fruitful, isn't it, Kaya?" Maria interrupted the conversation, mocking the DGS with a grin.

"It takes great care of its citizens, unlike the British government," Rhys added, joining in the mockery.

I gripped Rhys's hand tightly to contain a burst of laughter.

"But... it's sad England doesn't approve of triple citizenships," Rhys continued to mock. I struggled with my poker face, realizing that the sunglasses were a fantastic idea.

Two men rushed to the meeting table, and Maria turned her swivel chair to face them.

"It's a surprisingly short trip from the SIS tower to the Thames, Director General," Maria remarked.

"I was in the building and heard that you would come to MI5, so I knew we would meet here. I was waiting for you, Madam," the Director General replied, grabbing Maria's hand and almost bowing to kiss it.

"How fucking romantic." Maria hissed at his gesture.

Bill stood up and rushed to shake the man's hand. He was another British man, brunette, and looked to be in his late 50s.

"Mr. Volkner, Ms. Rashidi, this is Mr. Bernard Cumberland, our new Director General of MI6," Bill introduced.

Rhys gave him a smug look with a crooked grin. "What a pleasant surprise, Cumberland. I had no idea my lobbying would have that power."

The MI6 director looked uncomfortable, so Rhys turned to Bill. "Cut the kitty party short, captain. I have work to do."

All the men sat down at the table, and Rhys held my hand again.

"AHAM backtracked from their claims," Bill declared.

"What made you think AHAM was involved there, to begin with?" Rhys asked him.

"As far as I remember our last conversation, you told us that you had gathered information about a huge security threat and terrorist movement."

"And you immediately thought that any Islamic terrorist group would be behind it, didn't you?" Rhys hissed at Bill.

"We had intel that they had been planning something like the 2005 tube attacks since last October. We had our airports and train stations on high alert for possible suicide bombers. We had installed an additional £100 million worth of explosive detectors almost everywhere."

"Yet, it was not a suicide bombing," Maria teased the director.

"Your people were in London for the last 5 to 6 months for Ms. Rashidi's security. Even they did-"

"I would suggest you exclude my name from this narrative," I hissed at Bill to cut him short on his sentences. I had nothing to do with their mess.

"Ms. Rashidi, I would be more than thrilled to keep you out of all these narratives, but it seems like somehow you are intertwined with all this."

I felt a surge of electricity jolt all my nerves with anger. Maybe my facial expression had changed; Cumberland cleared his throat loudly.

We all looked at him.

"AHAM has a history of taking blame for attacks they didn't orchestrate. Sometimes, terrorists perform attacks individually to gain attention from their favorite organizations. We initially thought something like this might have happened."

"But it didn't," DGS added. Bill chimed in, "After Mr. Volkner informed us about the threat, we looked for every single individual we had marked as potential suspects. None of their movements were suspicious."

"And all the bombs were planted in the tunnels, not in the tube trains," Maria added. Members of MI5 and MI6 sighed at Maria's comment, knowing very well that Maria was not supposed to have information on the subject as an outsider. Yet she did.

"All the tunnels were closer to your apartment in Camden, Ms. Rashidi," Cumberland said. I felt numb. I realized why my building was trembling with each blast that night.

Was I the target?

Rhys gripped my hand tightly, palpating my worries.

"Why didn't you check on your workers who had worked in the tunnels on Saturday night?" Maria asked the commissioner of the TFL (Transport for London) board, who was seated with us.

"They were our employees," he said in response.

"Not all of them. Some were private contractors," Rhys assured him, waving his fingers at someone at his back. Ju came forward and handed Rhys a file full of papers; Rhys almost threw the file at the face of the TFL commissioner.

"These are the names of all the men who went into the tunnel to work on some electrical lines on Saturday night," Rhys added.

"And all of them were found dead in their houses," Cumberland added.

"None of them were brown, or black, or Muslim," Rhys said. I sighed a big sigh. I have faced racism many times since I came here to London.

"I want to know why AHAM wanted to be on this bandwagon so badly," Maria hissed at everyone.

"AHAM may have involvement with the Harakat al Tahrir Rimal group in Anubiah, Madam, Maybe they wanted Mr. Volkner to backtrack from his position with Anubiah's political dilemmas." Cumberland expressed.

"This should be none of your concern. That's my headache," Rhys calmly said.

"We highly suggest you move your residence somewhere safer. That's why I invited you to this meeting," Bill asked me, cutting off Cumberland. Rhys replied on my behalf.

"Yes, we will move out soon. Thank you for your lovely concern."

Bill smiled like a coward towards us. I was shocked to see how much these powerful men and women behaved in front of Rhys and Maria.

"Apex Group is highly lobbying for His Majesty to sack our current Mayor of London. They want their candidate to be seated in the chair," Cumberland expressed to Maria.

"What does the mayor have to do with all this mess?"

"Apex Group has acquired 20% shares of Tokushima Securities. They want to install very high-tech security devices throughout London. And it seemed like the blast had accelerated their opportunity. Our Majesty has ordered us to invest more in security tech, so we will call for a new government tender for buyers to offer these contracts. Apex wants to remove Volkners from the scenario in this matter," DGS added. I almost gasped at her claim.

I soon realized that everyone in the room worked for Volkner Corp's business facilitation, having been lobbied by the Volkners themselves.

"Apex wants to fight the cat-and-mouse fight with us for this silly, cheap contract? What do they think we are? Some peasants who would die without the great London Security contracts? Our businesses will die without this mere few-million-dollar contract," Maria hissed at Cumberland. He replied:

"It's more than business contracts, Madam. Tokushima has been heavily lobbying against Volkners in many contracts for the last few months, especially with our colleagues in American soil. Thankfully, their tactics won't work here. Perhaps you already know that Mr. Hiroki Takahashi, the new CEO of Tokushima Group, met with our Majesty himself. He had given funds in various Commonwealth projects in that meeting."

"Hm, I will talk with Charles about this," Maria replied. Cumberland seemed to relax a bit upon hearing this.

"I have a meeting with Foreign Secretary Anthony Cavendish tonight. I will ask him the details of the Tokushima meeting," Rhys added to Maria. She narrowed her eyes at Rhys, clearly signaling something.

God knows what the mother-son duo had exchanged between them!

"Lord William Jefferson, you should have listened to us," Maria mocked him with a proud grin. Bill started to sweat profusely.

"I-I apologize, Mrs. Volkner..."

"You made my son very disappointed," Maria calmly expressed. Bill looked like he would soil his pants. Rhys looked at him and calmly said:

"400 people died just because of your blatant ignorance and racism, my friend. You had every piece of information I gave you. I told you to stop tube transportation for a few days and stop any repair work. You didn't listen to me. You ignored the man who had donated money to you for lobbying in the very position in which you are now seated."

Bill looked like he was about to cry, but Rhys added, almost growling,

"I may be born into wealth, but do not take my fucking pennies for granted."

Rhys's words cut through the tension like a blade, leaving an indelible mark of authority in the room. The intensity in his voice sent a shiver down my spine as he addressed Bill, and I understood then why everyone feared the Volkners. Their power seemed limitless, wielded effortlessly through wealth and influence.

As Cumberland presented the note found on the train conductor, Maria's demeanor turned chillingly confident. "Now the mystery remains, who wanted me to run," she hissed, her gaze fixed on the paper.

My brain started to work with the very little information I had gathered at this table. And a lot of things didn't add up.

"Maybe they wanted to create a distraction with that note." I unwillingly added. As soon as I said it, Rhys's grip tightened around my hand. It was his cue for me to shut up.

"I was thinking the same, Dr. Rashidi," Cumberland said with worry in his voice. I shrugged a bit.

"Whoever it is, they've got the guts to order me to run away," Maria grinned with a chilling edge.

My eyes focused on the paper beneath the transparent poly bag.

"Run, Maria Volkner, Run."

The black lines on the note glowed like embers, leaving a fiery imprint on my face.

________________________________________________________

I was pleasantly surprised to find Marco on the new sofa, engrossed in his mobile phone. Rhys and I had returned to my apartment, now past 7 pm, and I had taken a break from the hospital for the day.

Despite my attempt at a big grin, Marco responded with a concerned smile. "Kay, you look sick," he observed. He turned to Rhys and voiced his worry, "She's lost weight."

Rhys sighed in response, "Kay stopped eating."

A wave of concern washed over me. Food had always been a significant part of my life, and the realization that I had given up something I loved so much was hard to accept.

"Why don't you take care of her?" Marco directed the question at Rhys, who began explaining, "I try to make her eat dinner, but..." His words trailed off, and I noticed how lifeless and tired he looked. Dark circles clung beneath his eyes, and aside from his thick beard, he appeared in desperate need of a haircut.

I had never seen him so defeated, so depressed. "I've been busy in my office since the blast. It was a hectic week," I muttered. Marco sighed, sensing the heaviness in the air, and decided to shift the conversation.

"By the way, nice space you have. The new futon is way better," Marco complimented. I nodded, forcing a smile, and then it struck me—I never told Marco about the new sofa.

"How do you know it's a new futon?" I asked, and Marco looked perplexed.

"Rhys didn't tell you?" he inquired, and I nodded while locking eyes with Rhys.

His earlier depression had vanished, replaced by a playful, mischievous grin. Yet, his lips were tightly pressed together.

"You installed Volkner security systems a few months ago. Rhys always kept an eye on your security systems. He used to watch you work in your apartment, right here... He didn't tell you that."

My jaw dropped on the floor. Marco realized his old style of banter gave me something to laugh about, so he decided to become a clown.

"Ooopsie-daisy... I shouldn't have mentioned that." He teased us once again.

Marco's revelation left me torn between anger and laughter.

"RHYS FUCKING VOLKNER, I WILL KILL YOU!!"

I screeched at the top of my lungs, charging at Rhys with a barrage of slaps and punches. Despite his larger size, he responded with childish giggles, as if being tickled rather than hit.

As he laughed, I felt a mix of fury, amusement, and embarrassment, causing my face to turn red. I relentlessly pounded my hands onto his large body which made my palms hurt.

Marco howled with laughter, seeing us fight, refusing to intervene. Rhys, now curled up in a fetal position on the floor, playfully appealed to his cousin for help,

"Cousin....help me!!" but Marco's refusal only intensified his laughter.

As I hovered over him, searching for an opportunity to deliver a chokehold, Marco started to record us fighting. I let out a string of colorful profanities at Rhys, seething with anger. Marco's teasing remarks only fueled my frustration, and I intensified my slaps on Rhys's shoulders, demanding an explanation. As I slapped Rhys's shoulders and arms, he laughed uncontrollably, tears streaming down his reddened face. Eventually, I stood up and demanded,

"Marco, get those devices out of our apartment!"

Rhys, still chuckling, wiped away his tears. Despite my laughter, a lingering annoyance persisted. Marco dropped a bombshell,

"Maria ordered both of you to relocate to their Surrey estate tonight."

My jaw dropped at this unexpected revelation.