Jannah be giving me joy😂 lots of love guys... I want to double update but your comments are too low for this book💕

Taking care of Adnan for the next three days proved to be harder than anything in the world. The man just won't accept the fact that he is in a disadvantage, his leg won't work like it used to perfectly. She's been trying her best to make things easier but Adnan? He is hellbent on making her go back to Nigeria without wording them out, she is on the verge of leaving him to the hands of God knows who.

"I don't want you to remove the dressing, it's fine." He had argued the next day when she went to remove it for him so he can take a bath.

"Don't tell me you plan on stinking the whole day? Because we refuse to die of fetidness. You cannot bathe with that thing around you." She put her hands around her waist cocking it to the side, her expression serene to not let out how agitated she is.

He turned around on the bed holding his phone to his face as he typed away briskly, dismissing her with the move so Jannah left him. He is going to beg her to remove it for him so he could bathe, she won't ever talk to him about that again so she planned a date with Mariam the next day to show him she cares not about his health. How dare he treat her like this after everything?

She veiled herself in an ivory gown that smoothened down her svelte curves with regular long sleeves matching it with same veil and ebony Prada stilettos. Taking her Michael Kors barrel bag with her, she matched towards her daughter and kissed her forehead. Imara got her own tablet from Adnan, Alim bought if for her so she tends to be too busy with it.

"Mama is going out for awhile with Mariam. Stay put and keep eyes on Dada, hmm?" She whispered quietly, her eyes trained on the man behind her daughter whose attention is still on his phone like it had been for the last two days.

Imara gave an excited nod, kissed her mother's cheek before she went back to playing her games. Jannah made her way to the now repaired door handle and left the room feeling his eyes on her with that deep scrutiny that makes her skin flush and goosebumps to rise all over. She didn't turn around to acknowledge him, just strutted out of the room, her head held high like her handbag.

"I am leaving Maldives later in the evening. I'm tired of this place." Mariam complained as they were both served amazing dishes that had them both salivating.

There is steak with thyme and cumin, seared peppers, onions, lime and avocado. In another plate there is chicken tikka, meat pie deluxe, chicken salad. There is wheat pasta topped with spinach, homemade sauce and chicken with side asparagus and lasagna. Jannah swallowed, she is so going to eat this food to her fill right now. She is awfully hungry though she's eaten breakfast earlier in the suite.

In the middle of their meal, Jannah asked. "Why are you here all alone? I thought vacations are meant to be with loved ones?"

Mariam shrugged whilst cutting a piece of chicken with her table knife and fork. "My mother would rather die than go anywhere with me, then there is my friend, she is busy with her mother's operation and stuff. My other friends on the other hand, I don't think we are close enough for me to invite them to join me on my vacation so..."

Jannah's mind got filled with more questions like; why wouldn't your mother come with you? Why do you talk as though your mother hated that she gave birth to you? What sort of life are you living now that you could afford coming here on vacation? And most of all, who are you in general? She wants to ask all those things but she kept her mouth shut, she won't pry on people's lives. She was trained better.

"Well, I don't know when we are going back to Nigeria. Dracs would want us to go back as soon as possible but I won't give him that joy." She smiled at herself. No matter what he says or does, she won't let him be.

"You two are like cat and mouse. Always after one another." Mariam announced pointing her fork at Jannah's face who only shrugged her shoulders with a sly grin.

"What can I say? You're not the only one with secrets." She surrounded herself with this mysterious aura, shielding her own secrets tightly.

"I knew it! There is more than meets the eye with this relationship of yours. There is something you guys are hiding but we'll find out sooner or later." Mariam smiled, it's good having a different friend in a foreign place.

Jannah swallowed a chicken, a smile stretching her face. "My secrets are powerful. I cannot let them out just yet but like you've said, it shall all come to an end and everyone will know. Till then though, they'll be safely tucked inside me."

"I love people with secrets. I feel more connected to them because who doesn't have his own mystery within? Some just don't want to believe that they are also human with same nature. That's why I hardly have friends apart from the ones I grew up with. And that's only one person, Madina." Mariam concluded staring outside the door at the beach.

Jannah is now too curious about Mariam. She wants to choke out her life from her just so she could spill everything. There is this strong enigma cloaking her, sheathing her away from the finest side of the world. Why is she doing this to herself? Stopping herself from finding happiness while doing things she thought are her source of solace? She also wants to meet the woman that gave birth to this girl.

Today should have been the day both Adnan and Jannah leave Maldives to Tokyo but due to his leg injury, the snakebite, they are going to postpone it to the next day. Later in the evening Jannah woke up from a deep slumber, she felt the slight pain in her lower abdomen that confirmed she wasn't dreaming when she thought about her period.

She groaned into the pillow knowing she is going to face real challenge later in the night, she won't be able to sleep. Standing up, she searched around her luggage for a tampon, she found them inside so she removed one and made her way to the bathroom while taking another set of fresh clothes she wants to adorn herself with after bathing.

She took a quick bath and cleaned herself thoroughly. The change of clothes consists of a loose palazzo pants, a white tank top atop her sports bra. She yawned as she made her way out of the en-suite, her eyes closing ever so slowly. Every slothful and lethargic bone in her body is screaming out that she join her baby on bed but the sight of Adnan outside the balcony lured her.

Her steps quick and catlike, she made it outside the cool air. Adnan is on the net-like thing by the edge of the deck with two strong pillars holding the edges so it won't fall inside the water. Jannah slowly made her way there, she's never sat down on it afraid her weight would oppress it and she will fall into the water. Seeing Adnan there though, she can sit there and even jump.

"Can I join?" She peeped at him, her head poking out so it is the only thing he could see from below.

The smoke from his cigarette gave him away or she wouldn't have known someone was out there. He opened his eyes to look at her, shooting his hand up at the deck to keep the butt of his cigarette, he's finished four! Her eyes widened, this man is going to die soon from the looks of things. Four cigarettes in one night? Is there no limitations for such things?

He didn't answer her, only turn his head to look at the water by his left. She went back into the suite to get J&W wine from the fridge, Mariam gave it to her as parting gift the day she left. She took two flutes along with her and went back outside to settle inside the net with Adnan. He said nothing for the longest time so she decided to initiate the conversation.

She made herself comfortable on the net first, taking on huge frost pillow to place beneath her head. The place is large enough to carry one more person so she lied down the way he did, her arms across her face on her forehead staring at the beautiful sky filled with shimmering effulgent stars. They are so pretty.

Deep in her thought, she blurted out into the obsidian canopied canvas. "Let's play a game."

His reply wasn't immediate, she was about to turn around and see what's up with him when it came. "I don't play games."

"It's an adult's game." She persisted, dropping her hands to her side with a pout. It won't be easy pursuing him to play, of course.

"Adults play games? No wonder there are several unemployed people in the world."

"Don't be a party pooper. Not everyone is a workaholic. They want to have fun as they work to keep their minds in check unlike some people." She rolled her eyes, the man is impossible to deal with.

"I'm still not going to play it." He answered curtly, she felt him moving slightly to get another cigarette.

"Come on! It's going to be fun, I promise."

"No!" And this time around, the answer was immediate she almost got a whiplash. Yup, she was that shocked.

Jannah sat up on the net making it shake a little, her heart palpitated on instincts before it yaw back to its natural pace when she realized that nothing is going to happen to them. She narrowed her eyes at the man smoking his fifth cigar that night maybe in less than an hour? His eyes were on the sky, not her.

"I'm going to cry so loud right now that the entire resort will shake and then press your wound hard so you won't be recover by tomorrow." She threatened. One might think she'd stop that after everything that has happened to her because of it, she won't.

"Is that all?"

"Then I'm going to use that contract against you and sue you."

"All you've got?"

"Why are you being so hard on me? It's just a freaking game!" She let her voice shake a little, that got his attention.

His flat jade eyes, dispassionate as bullets settled on hers in the dark. "Will you leave me alone after you fail?"

She forced herself not to smile, he might back out when he realizes that he's got a soft spot for her. "And who told you I am going to fail? I'm a daredevil."

"I am also not born with failure, I always succeed."

"Well, I won't leave you if I fail. The penalty is drinking this just for the sake of it." She knelt down on the net to hold the bottle of J&W wine in her hand.

"That's not alcohol." He deadpanned, mouth set grim and expression granite-like.

"We are Muslims, we won't take alcohol." She answered slowly as if talking to a small kid that is yet to hit pubescence.

"I'll only play when you agree to smoke this..." he raised the packet of his Treasurer Luxury Black cigarette, "...if you fail."

She gulped, that thing smells like malodorously. "But it smells like burnt dog feet!" She kvetched with an exaggerated pout.

Raising a dispassionate brow, he asked one last time. "Are you in or out?"

Slowly starting to relent, she closed her eyes and breathed through her nose, out through her mouth. Well, at least he's caved in, she should too.

"Alright, Mr. Heartless Reptile." She capitulated, her eyes still closed.

"The name of the game is 'truth or dare' which means if you chose truth, you'll have to answer my question and if you go for dare, you'll do everything I dare you to do and vice versa." She explained, pouring the wine in both their flutes.

"Okay."

"I'll go first since I know about the game more. Ask me truth or dare." She sat back down, folding her legs Indian style.

He refuse to sit up, he lay there nonplussed, oozing conundrum and enigma. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth." She beamed, her nose flattening at the way her mouth transformed.

Adnan thought for a minute, not knowing what to ask. "What do you want to be in future?"

Jannah was startled at the question, she doesn't know how to answer that because she hadn't expected him to question her on that. Her future? Does that even matter? She is just moving along with the flow her life is drifting her on. There is nothing to think about on the future. She is tired of doing so.

"I don't know. Become a mother of five and live happily ever after?" She tilted her head looking confused at her own answer. Is that really all she wanted?

"That's not what you want to do. You should think about it sometime." He advised not able to stop himself. Wasting her time on becoming a housewife won't last, and she's got the spirit.

Jannah quickly got herself into the act. "Maybe if my memory comes back."

Adnan gave a curt nod. "Truth or dare?" She asked, licking her lower lip uneasily at the way he is suddenly staring at her. There is a new gleam she's never seen before.

"Truth."

"You don't have to choose that because I did. But let's go with it." She was quiet for a few seconds then she hauled. "Do you care for me? Even a little bit?"

Adnan furrowed his brows, the eyes that possessed the power to make her moist, fixated on hers. "Unfortunately, I do, just a little bit."

She gave a wide smile and clapped her hands loudly. "I know you do! Which means we are going to gradually get there with time."

"Get where?" That brow raised, expression unflappable and smooth.

"Get you to love me, of course. If there is care, love is a little behind it." She pinched her forefinger and thumb, giving a little space in between them so he could see what she meant with the little.

Adnan shook his head as though what she's just said is the top tier nonsense he's heard in a long time. Because he cares about her she thinks he will love her? That is a curse.

"Don't be delusional, release your breath and get your life moving. I'd care for anyone who's given birth to a daughter of mine." He fusilladed the small piebald bubble she's surrounded herself with.

Her smile fell, she grimly whispered with an oath whorled beneath her words. "But I happen to be the only woman that gave birth to your daughter. Don't hold back and see what happens to that heart of yours. I'll pierce, pervade, puncture, infiltrate, trespass, rupture, disintegrate and tear apart that organ like a thunderbolt. You won't see it coming till it's too late. Wait for it."