Jannah fell sick the next morning making Aisha worry yet again. She's been making rounds around the room since she found out her friend couldn't move from bed after praying Fajr. It was so unlike Jannah to stay in bed past nine in the morning so when she checked her, she found her sick on bed clutching the duvet.

Imara is lying beside her sniffing because her Mama won't open her eyes. When she does, it's only for a few seconds before she closes them again and start sleeping. She'll wake up an hour later to ask Aisha to add another duvet on her that she is feeling cold albeit her scorching forehead. Aisha did as she was told.

"Mama, wake up let's eat. You sleep too much today." Imara whined when she awoke again few minutes later this time around, the interval wasn't long.

Jannah tried smiling but could only grimace, a headache is slowly building up from nape. "Mama is not feeling good, baby. You should go and eat with Aunty Aisha."

Imara pouted and sat down on the bed, finally happy she's gotten her mother's attention for a while now. "I want to eat with you. Come down let go."

"I can't, baby. Why don't you go eat with your Dada today? Then come back let's sleep together." Jannah wheezed out, she is starting to breath heavily.

Aisha decided to jump in. "Imy, let's leave Mama to rest. What do you want to eat?"

Imara reluctantly climbed out of the bed with her frown still intact. Her mother is acting weird and she doesn't like it. Why is she on bed since morning? She hasn't eaten anything while she is going down to have her lunch already. She is getting worried, her Mama has never acted like that.

When they stepped out of the room, instead of going downstairs with Aisha, she ran to her father's room not giving Aisha time to realize what she was up to. She opened his door with much energy and entered without knocking just like she's learned from him. Her eyes searched the room but he was no where in sight, her frown deepened. Has he left already? Her lower lip started quivering, no Mama and Dada that day.

Just when she was about to leave, a door clicked open and it was the walk-in closet. Her father came out looking all nice and ornamented in yet another jade Brioni Italian suit. She ran into his ready arms, he's already knelt down waiting for her to arrive. She kissed his eyebrow before her smile yaw upside down, her Mama.

"Dada, we help Mama. She is sleeping all today." She complained, her tiny left hand on his beard that never seize to intrigue her.

"She is probably just tired. Let her rest, hmm?" He made his way to his desk for his suitcase and together they left the room.

"She is not alright. She not have breakfast and now lunch." She tried explaining in her bad English but he understood what she's said.

So Jannah fell sick after that surf in the pool yesterday night? That's good for her, she will remember not to cross him ever again. When he decided to throw her into the pool, he didn't bother thinking how it might affect her later on. Seems like she is not a fan of water after all. She should nurse this little fever for now. And that should become a lesson for the future.

He made it downstairs passing by her door hearing a few grunts from her. Aisha was there in the kitchen making some pancakes for Imara as she's requested. She glared at Adnan but he didn't see, he wasn't looking at her. She wouldn't have been able to do so had he looked at her anyway.

"Sir, Missus is really sick and is definitely in need of help." She hollered after greeting him good afternoon and only get a nod as a reply. Huh? She's going to stop greeting the man soon, real soon.

Adnan raise his head to survey at her, his eyes like lasers and lips tilted to the side definitely ready to off her when his daughter's voice winded up from below him.

"Dada, let's go see Mama. She is sick." She persisted for the next five minutes while he tried to calm her down that she is just too sleepy and she'll be alright.

Reluctantly, he relented and swoop her back in his arms again. Together they ferried up the stairs while Aisha watch from the kitchen, the man loves his daughter. He is not heartless, that's just a brash attitude he is putting up to sheathe himself away from any emotional feelings. He doesn't want distraction, neither does he spit out fire.

Jannah is doing the right thing. If she persists some more, she will be able to get him to open up for her though that is not going to be easy. The man is headstrong and just too stubborn with a mindset that won't be easily shattered. She is just the right person for that though, she's got it in her. The patience and savageness and overflowing love.

Adnan opened the door to Jannah's room hoping to find her sleeping again so he can leave for office after convincing Imara that she is just sleeping for the rest of the day. He's got a meeting with Bakri and Jawad and his brother about an important deal he wants, desperately in Maldives. He is going to touch another business away from oil this time around. It needs to be done because that is where he wants to fly out to.

Jannah is inside on her bed with all the three duvets she's been covered with thrown by her side. Her red eyes are blindly looking for her glasses, she's slept throughout the night and day. Why isn't the maid helping her here and is down there doing God knows what? His mother hired some maids too, they still aren't here. Inefficiency is what he despises most. They might end up fired before they start.

Jannah's short pajamas shorts has ridden to serve as only an undergarment while the buttons of her shirt are removed to her belly leaving a glimpse of her chestnut cleavage. He could see the glimpse of her espresso aureole, her tight udder slightly looking out of place.

He calloused, he felt the change in himself at the sight of his frowzy wife looking for her glasses aimlessly as he pervertedly stood there watching her like a voyeur. It was a tug from Imara that got him moving closer to Jannah, his expression now granite hard. He is going to leave this house soon. This cannot be happening.

"Mama, your glasses." Imara said, gave her the glasses that were sitting by the edge of the bedside drawer.

Jannah smiled and took the bifocals from her daughter, adjust it in the bridge of her long nose then squint her eyes at Adnan's huge figure in her room. Her face scrunched into that incredulous look of confusion she's gotten used to because of her daughter. Why is Adnan there in her room? What is he doing? And why on earth is he looking at her like she's annihilated his puppy.

Just when he was about to talk, ripples of scorching heat like an avalanche fell over her in gossamer mesh. Her eyeballs spiraled before she debilitated back onto the pillow, taking on a duvet cover to shroud her wintry body impulsively. It was heat she felt but she is cold, the back of her head is aching so badly. She closed her eyes for a little bit but sleep emerged.

She curled herself in a tight ball, shivering zealously. Imara seeing that called her father's attention to check on her mother.

"Ask the maid to make some chicken soup now." He sent Imara down the stairs while removing his suit because it looks like she won't permit him to leave without tending to her Mama. The sooner he starts the better for him.

He gently placed his suit on the couch in the room, rolled the long sleeves of his spider dress shirt to his elbows and close her body with the rest of the two duvets. He made his way to the bathroom, fetch cold water from the faucet in a small bowl. He hunted for a handkerchief which he found in one of the cabinets along with first aid kit.

Coming back beside her, he placed everything on the bedside table and started working on getting the fever down. If she takes medicine now, it is going to be useless without food inside her. Something that will disintegrate in less than five minutes, she needs food first.

Just like how his mother had done to him several years ago whenever he gets sick, he placed the handkerchief inside the bowl of freezing cold water and drained it. He tenderly situated the Tuscan sun handkerchief on her head, a move he didn't know he was capable of making. How could his rough hands that had seen better days be this placid and amiable?

She let out a shuddering breath, her chest rising a little. He frowned at how hot her body is. Shouldn't they consult a doctor at this point? It is said they only need lots of fluid and rest but if her temperature doesn't go down after an hour or two, he is taking her to the hospital.

And to think he caused this, he is nursing her too.

Imara came back into the room exactly thirty minutes later with a bowl of chicken soup. How did she manage? Well, Aisha stood by the door so as to not interrupt his time with Jannah. He might stop doing what he is doing and ask her to do it so she went back down the stairs leaving the family up to have their time together.

She recalled the look in his eyes when he touched his wife's sweltering forehead, he was worried!

His daughter managed to wake Jannah up so they could feed her. Imara was darn clumsy getting the soup on her own clothes and her mother's so Adnan reluctantly took the soupspoon from her and decided to feed Jannah with his hands. He sat down beside her on the bed, settled her head on his chest then begin to feed her.

"It's okay. I'm fine." Jannah murmured tiredly shaking her head after the seventh morsel. She is only eating because Adnan is feeding her but she doesn't feel like having anything.

"No, have some more or the medicine won't work. And I have work to do." He admonished, pushing few more morsels into her mouth until she turned her head the other side.

He sighed, picked the medicine and gave her with water. Instead of placing her back on the pillow, he held her head to his chest quietly while Imara watch the duo with wide eyes. She's never seen her parents together so seeing them now is slightly bizarre. But why is she smiling at the two of them? She is acting weird like her mother. As if she is sharing unknown secrets in her head.

Adnan didn't know when he started drifting off to sleep, it was his phone that beeped in his pocket, alerting him. He blinked, looked down to see Imara sleeping on his two legs while Jannah huddle her other leg around his, keeping his prisoner. He raised a brow at the mother and daughter duo intricately comfortable around him.

He answered his phone, it was a call from Alim. There is no aperture for him to leave the bed so he lowered his voice, watching with horror as his hands sifted through his wife's messy inky hair that is not as soft as his daughter's but not hard enough to cause her headache while she combs it. He is acting like a schmuck, he removed his hand immediately like he was cauterized.

What on earth is happening? Is this room spellbound? Is this the voodoo she was talking about?

"Go straight to the point." He said to Alim the minute he answered the call, this balderdash must stop, it is absurd!

"Sir, the Japanese delegation has confirmed their arrival in two months to purchase steam excavators and drilling equipment. They also want to consult about engineering issues of building the railway through alpine regions." Alim explained, reading from his tablet as usual.

Almost preoccupied by the sight of his wife and daughter interweaved around his body, he answered swiftly.

"I'll need copies of their topographical maps and geological surveys too. And the blueprint they sent." He ended the call, wanting to give his brother one but his hand on Jannah's face halted him.

She opened her eyes at that moment, blinked slowly without her glasses. He sat there like a statue not able to remove his hand from her face, that would mean he was caught doing something wrong. Was he though? She is his wife and he just wanted to check her...temperature, right! But why is her face wet?

His fingers were strong but gentle, slightly cool against her hot cheek, and it felt so amazingly good that she trembled. She couldn't move or speak, only stared up into his lean, slightly wolfish face. A trick of empire chandelier had turned his walnut eyes iridescent.

In the next moment, the warmth of his lips strayed across her face, absorbing the taste of her tears. Blindly she lifted her mouth, wanting more of the soft, tantalizing pressure. He gave it to her slowly, gently parting her lips. Breathing in unsettled sighs, she reached around his neck. His kiss shaped and stroked and teased, settling deeper into her response.

How did that happen though? Who initiated the kiss in the first place? Er...it doesn't matter.

Her fingers laced around the shortness of his hair, urging his head down over hers, wanting more pressure, more intimacy. He gave it to her, in a kiss so full and famished, it made her weak, heat pulsing in every limb and collecting at the tips of her fingers and toes. It felt like something she could die from.

A tremor went through Adnan's frame. He crushed his lips amid the disheveled locks of her hair, his breath rushing down to her scalp like bursts of steam. She twisted, trying to recapture his mouth, but he resisted.

This cannot be happening! She is sick and he was there to nurse her because his daughter wouldn't allow anything otherwise but now they are kissing like they are about to ravish one another? Of course he wants her, that is something he's realized the night before. He wants his wife beneath him, above, anywhere. He just wants her!

Jannah frowned at the way he resisted her, she didn't like it. She wanted to make the first move, get him to make love to her. Then again, Imara is sleeping comfortably beside them, they won't be able to do that.

Adnan abruptly stood up allowing her head to fall straight into the pillow below her, she set her lips into a moue. Why is her husband so different from others? So heartless and detached from the world? Also immune to her?

"I'm leaving now." And without any other word, he left just like that with his suit. No take care of yourself or get well soon. This man knows how to ruin moments, his speciality it looks.