Alhamdulillah I am done forestalling the end of this book and I'm happy to announce that it is now complete! Seventy four chapters with epilogue seventy five making 200K words! I almost thought it was going to be short but Jannah wasn't having it. Like I said, I'm taking it off twenty four hours after publishing the epilogue which should be roughly around Friday bi izni Allah! Is your review ready yet?????!🥰

Adnan lean back on his executive chair with a groan, this is all turning out to be more disastrous. He's been working hard on becoming more 'romantic' like Nawal had put it but things are getting tougher. He's got no idea what he is doing but he is trying, getting off his comfort zone and waiting on baited breathe for a word from Jannah. It's been four freaking days but it feels like century already! Why is she still silent?

He's been sending flowers to her every single day, thrice a day too. A chilled lonely Pepsi and dandelion flowers with a romantic book he could find. All the things Nawal had said she loves, every single one of them. He even replied those messages she sent before Imara's demise, all of them while waiting with his hands on the keyboard for her to miraculously reply him. She hadn't. Nawal said he should expect her letter and not SMS.

He is waiting for her...

When he browsed about how to be a more romantic husband, things were all weird. Watch movies with her, cook dinner for her or something like that -he doesn't know how to on a freaking gas cooker- arrange a getaway, they've done that right? Leave a love note for her or randomly send her emojis. But isn't that a bit too obsessive and stupid? Learn her love language and use it all the time. He had to find out what love language meant, he doesn't know anything about it.

Words of affirmation, he was damned sure this is part of Jannah's love language due to the environment she grew up in. She never got to hear coaxing words often from any of her family members and he's noticed how she hangs on each and every kind word he uttered to her. She loves it when he assures her that she is strong, a good mother and perfect woman entirely. Her eyes would literal glisten and shimmer all the time it happens.

There is act of service, he's always been nice to her right? Well... maybe a bit too blunt and honest here and there. Receiving gifts is also part of the love languages, they are five. And now he's started sending gifts though he is not sure whether or not she loves them. There is no word from her and he is getting so freaking anxious. He's never felt anything relatively close to this, it's so... unmanning and just not something he likes to feel.

And for the first time, he realized how awful it felt to be at someone else's mercy. The humbleness in his situation made him borderline nauseous. He's halted every single work, leaving everything on Alim's shoulder which reminds him.

Oh, and he didn't receive the email he sent those days because Adnan hacked into his account and deleted it. Genius right?

He rang the intercom, Alim almost tripped on his way inside the office. "Yes, Sir?"

"There is still no mail or letter from the guards downstairs?" He asked, trying his damnadest to sound brisk and nonchalant but he felt it, the uneasiness in his throat.

"No, Sir. I've called them just about a minute ago." Alim confirmed looking confused but not saying anything. His boss has been acting weird lately, he doesn't know how to react. Horrified?

Adnan dismissed him and went down to the list of love languages he's memorized in his head. Three of them are cancelled leaving only two in the list. There is quality time included, that is something he won't push. Lack of it is the main reason why they are not together now. She wanted more, he wasn't willing to open up then but now? He wants to do more than opening up for her. He is willing to do almost anything for her.

And the last but not the least, physical touch. Oh, that is something that shouldn't be questioned because he is literal obsessed with her body just like she is with his. He cannot be around her without drawing her to his body, that is an impossible task. So whenever she is at the vicinity and he cannot touch her, he feels physically punished for it keeping the mental state of his thoughts. Her body is meant for sinning, he won't mind dying a sinner for her. He is a devil, just for her.

A knock came from his door before Alim walked in with a dandelion yellow envelope, Adnan immediately sat up. Alim not seeing how worked up his boss is stared at the paper looking for it's barer, his brows coming together to the middle of his forehead. Shouldn't he have checked who sent it before coming in? Adnan knew who it was from the sight of the dandelion envelope, that's his wife.

"Your mother sent you a letter, Sir." Alim murmured with flummoxed voice then passed the envelope to his boss. He almost got fired for forestalling.

Adnan seemed riveted by the sight of the letter. Alim could have sworn his employer's hand trembled slightly as he reached out to take it. There was something very off about Adnan. It had started with that business over with lawyers, a few police, contractors and a judge when Adnan had impulsively decided to buy an entire estate. He'd gone about it with maniacal determination, bypassing his usual business protocols, and hounding lawyers, accountants, and bankers to have it accomplished immediately.

Then this morning, Adnan had been incredibly distracted and edgy, checking his Rolex watch over and over, and jumping up every few minutes to stand at one of the windows and stare blankly down at the street. And now the paper shaking in his hands screams something off. Alim wanted to ask what is up but he doesn't want to risk his job so he watched in amazement. He didn't even dismiss him.

Adnan briskly read what was written. Alim said his mother because on the yellow envelope the name Mama was written in Jannah's obvious dedication to make her penmanship look better than it was. He is darn sure she's written that more than two times before she finally chose one to send to him. Maybe her trash can is filled with the other papers.

"Dracs!

I shouldn't send you this letter very early because everyone is against me talking to you this soon but I'll have to stand up for myself right? I'm coming back to our home tomorrow. The rules I told you about few months back? If you cannot recall all of them then I won't stay. I'll see the changes for tomorrow, if I am not satisfied with your performance then we are calling it quits. What say? You don't have to come pick me up, I'll be there, I don't know what time.

Maybe still yours?
Well... Jannah xx"

Adnan grinned, a flush climbing in his fair olive complexion. His eyes were an intense blaze of tourmaline eyes. Such an apparent extremity of excitement was not at all normal for the man like Adnan, and it made Alim nervous.

"Is something wrong, Sir?" He couldn't help asking, his eyes apprehensively taking his employer.

"Nothing to worry about. I'll be occupied with. Cancel all my appointments for tomorrow and next week too." Adnan stood up and button up his suit, it is finally time.

"Are you sure? The company in Tokyo need you now for the pipelines-" Adnan shut his personal assistant with a cold raise of brow.

"Do as I say."

The flippant words concealed a sudden ache of longing inside. He needed Jannah...His life would not be complete without her. He experienced a sudden urgency to return to her and set about persuading her to accept him back. That is what he is planning to do now. No matter what he is going to make sure she is pleased with his so called 'performance' as she's used in her letter. He's written down the rules, he even knew them by heart.

"Get a housemaid to come clean the mansion thoroughly. Make sure she knows how to do her job. When that is done, send another set of flowers, a book and Pepsi to my wife." Adnan ordered before rushing out of the office leaving Alim confused and shocked.

He's forgotten about the flowers! Since he told the shop to keep sending them to the same address three times a day, with any romantic book that'll capture a woman's heart, he never went back or contacted them again because he's paid them excess. He thought they were for his younger sister knowing how demanding Nawal could be. It was so weird but he never questioned who they were meant for! So it was his wife?!

All the jumpiness, the grin and nervousness is all because of Jannah? What had this woman done to shackle up Adnan like that?

Adnan made it down the stairs when he heard the loud doorbell. He's dressed impeccably in dark washed out jeans that cling onto the muscular thighs of an equestrian. His upper body veiled with a white button up shirt ready to welcome his wife back home with a large grin. When he reached the door though, he frowned at the sight of Bilal's large teeth. The guy intentionally pushed his teeth through the peephole.

Why the heck is he there when he was expecting Jannah? He opened the door reluctantly.

His eyes narrowed when he saw that Bilal is not the only one there behind the door. His younger brother Ammar is there and one of his cousins who's gone missing in action for the past three years. The guys pushed their way through the door without waiting for invitation. Bilal and the other guy, Adam spun around in the large living in wonder. They've never been to his home so they decided to pay the mansion a visit. The place is burnishing and eerily expensive.

"Wow! Why were you hiding this place?" Bilal asked, checking out every crevice of the room just by standing at the door.

Adnan made his way to the mini bar that's probably never been used. He sat down on one of the tables, the other three men followed suit serving themselves his expensive wines. He didn't bother stopping them from doing so, his mind already somewhere else. He's left the door open just in case Jannah arrives, she doesn't have to wait. But she's got the keys to the house right? Or she's thrown them away somewhere?

The guys realize that he is not going to entertain them, only Ammar knew why. He wanted to drop her off but she told him to not bother, she can drive herself back home. Now the man cannot even hear a single creak without his eyes flying to the door. God, who would've thought this sight was ever going to be seen? Draco hopelessly in love? Ammar is still trying to wrap his head around the fact hoping he is not dreaming about the entire thing.

"Is that a smile on Draco's face?" Ammar scratched his head, feigning being dumbfounded. He was just teasing his brother.

It had only been forty minutes since they'd arrived and started playing cards and already Adnan wants to kick them out with his shoes deep in their worthless ass cracks. Adnan is inundated in thoughts about what the day holds for them, with his wife of course. These imbeciles are going to leave the second she comes back because he cannot afford no distractions. Today has been planned from beginning to the end. And they are not a part of it.

And the fact that Bilal had been in love with her and might still be in love with his wife made him see red. How? This man here had held his wife before he did! All he wants to do is crush Bilal's knuckles until they are limp and inactive-

"A smile you say? Surely not." Bilal squinted at his cards, taking a sip of his sparkling cider wine. "Perhaps he is having a stroke." He added in a serious tone.

"Maybe something got stuck in his teeth." Ammar shrugged and tapped his cards against the table. They were playing Crazy Eight. "Like, you know, feelings or something."

"Zip it." Adnan warned, his eyes sizzling on his younger brother.

When did they start that kind of joke? He's never been this light with his younger brother or anyone ever. This is all because of Jannah. They now think he is capable of feelings and they can do anyhow with him, that's not true. The only change he could feel is towards his wife alone, no one else.

"No. They're right. You're beaming." Adam frowned at him in abhorrence. "It's disgusting. People are trying to eat here." He dropped the remains of samosa -where did he get that from?- into a paper bag.

"Leave him alone. I think it's cute." Ammar took a pull of his cider. "Adnan caught a case of the feels, and there's no vaccine for what he's experiencing."

"Are you really one to talk about being pussy-whipped?" Adnan plucked a card from the stack in the middle of the table not with the intent to play but disrupt their game. "Your balls have been MIA since that maid arrived."

Oh, he knows about everything that's been going on. Even what had happened with Aisha, the person that did it and it's cause.

Every head in the room snapped in his direction. "What?" He raised that nonchalant brow testily.

"You said pussy-whipped." Adam's forehead creased, perplexed. "You never curse or you've changed that rule of yours?"

"Pussy is not a curse word." Adnan felt somehow using the word. It's all Jannah!

"I have a bad joke on the tip of my tongue." Ammar squirmed as though he was trying hard not to pee.

"Swallow it." Adnan snapped.

"That's what he said." Ammar couldn't help himself. Adnan shot him a look. He zipped his lips with his fingers, making a show of throwing the key across the room. "Sorry. Had to get it out of my system. I'm done now."

"No but I'm seriously confused here. What's happened since I left? I found out he was married, his daughter is no more and now he shows emotions and curses? What the fuck is going on?" Adam asked looking from one person to another but they only gave him a small shrug.

"You'll see in a little bit." Ammar patted his cousin's arm then went back to playing.

Bilal couldn't help saying. "He decided to hold his heart in his fist."

A man who wore his heart on his sleeve was displaying his emotions ... but a man with his heart in his fist was about to offer it to someone.
Not long ago, Adnan wouldn't have responded with any mocking gibe of his own. Instead, he found himself replying with a raw humility he rarely permitted himself to show anyone.

"It happened."

"Fuck! I have missed a lot! Who is she?" Adam wondered aloud.

Before Adam could close his mouth, the sound of a sport car accelerating into the house filled the room. All the men rushed out to see what's going on only to move back a little when a dandelion yellow Ferrari LaFerrari drifted in front of the porch right below the stairs that'll lead inside the mansion. Adnan's face remained expressionless even though his heart is thudding loudly beneath his pectorals. Damnation! Jannah is here with his new car. Where did she get it from? It was supposed to be shipped tomorrow from United Arab Emirates.

The driver's door swung open, her slender feet were the first to emerge from the car clasped in ivory Alexander Wang Rie Studded Leather Pumps. Slowly the men's eyes waltzed from the elegant feet up to the woman's complete figure that dismounted the car. Jannah stood by the car adjusting her Acetate Cat Eye Sunglasses instead of her bifocals. Adnan was robbed of breath. Fuck, he's missed her... a lot!

He wanted to make her understand that he wasn't the kind of man he had seemed so far. How had his well-organized life suddenly become such a mess? All words locked in his throat when he saw her. She looked so young and fresh, her skin like cream silk. It wasn't her sheer prettiness that proved such a potent allure; it was the troubling desire to cover her up and carry her away from the others' admiring gazes... to keep her all to himself.

God, he wants to be with her, alone!