Sooooooo how've you been? Someone said you guys are not hyping the book much🌚 and it's kinda true or because we are not doing that on each paragraph?🥲 Shaaaa, floooooood because the book is just starting.

The entire process of leaving the country made Jannah exhausted and queasy. She was doing everything all alone with a bodyguard Hajiya Maimuna sent with her. He works for Adnan, his second right hand but he's missed his flight yesterday with them so he is going to join his boss today. He made things less hard but he was so stern too.

His name is Mohammad and from everything she's gathered, he's been working for Adnan for a long time and is awfully loyal to him too. He wouldn't disclose anything about his boss even though he knew she was his wife. He looks like a Yoruba man with the heavy accent and pidgin English but he is also good looking in a weird kind of way. He stood tall and broad in black outfit shielding her away from the crowded airport as he bought tickets for them.

They are flying first class, Hajiya Maimuna promised that the next time will be in a private jet. Now they are already inside the plane, Mohammad holding Imara for her as she cannot deal with her hand luggage and Imara at the same time. She got to sit down by the window, her daughter close to her and Mohammad somewhere behind them.

Looks like she isn't the only one tired because Imara is already fast asleep before the flight could take off. If only she could summon sleep too before the flight takes off, she might just regurgitate her breakfast. She searched around for a nylon, she heard they have some in the plane just in case. Voila, she found it.

Excruciating ten hours later they landed in Velana International Airport (MLE). Mohammad did all the process for them and ask them to wait for him outside where he's already called a taxi. When Jannah saw the taxi, she almost swore the owner didn't know he's got the name stuck at the top but he tipped his hat when she entered and welcomed her. Okay, just wow.

Mohammad joined them shortly and sat at the front with the driver. "South Male Atoll 20109."

The driver started driving smoothly, Imara is still sleepy after waking up four hours into the journey. Jannah could only sleep for about thirty minutes then wake up, she did that more than a few times till they landed. Now her daughter is relaxing beside her like a glue, her eyes closing halfway then she'll open them. She must be exhausted too from sitting in one place for hours. That is not her forte.

Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, Jannah read aloud. They dismounted the car and continue to walk further down to a bridge, all she could see was water everywhere. The Resort is in water though the water is not that deep but what on earth is that? A place people live in water? What if a storm comes or something?

She didn't voice out her thoughts, followed Mohammad closely as he took two of her suitcases up inside the resort and went back for one she's packed for Imara. He talked to a woman at the reception like place, they gave him two key cards, he passed one to Jannah. She held the rectangle card in her hand weirdly then shrugged.

Gratefully Mohammed showed her how the card is used, he pushed open a door that lead into a large suite. Her eyes widened. Seems like she is meant to be astonished with everything around her. It is just too striking to be given to just anyone to sleep in. Everything is clean, burnishing even. A view of the water out front, large glass wall spotless.

"This is the boss's suite. Hajiya asked me to bring you two here. He no go come back anytime soon so I'll leave you to it." He bowed his head, arranged the suitcases by the wall then turned around to leave.

"Wait, I'm hungry and I know my daughter is too. Can we get something to eat before we rest?" She tilted her head to the side looking around the room instead of him.

"Sure, Ma'am. I'll ask them to bring up a tray for you. Any specifications?"

"No, anything will do. Please, no seafood." She grimaced. There are seas all around so seafood is most definitely the highest most sought out food here.

"Roger." Another bow, he left the room quietly, his footsteps swallowed by the wood.

"Mama, water!" Imara jumped excitedly by the glass window, touching it with her hand and dirtying it in process.

Jannah joined her and together they sat down on the floor watching. "It's so divine, huh? We'll go swimming soon."

To think she is not a good swimmer, promising her daughter something she cannot do. Adnan is a great swimmer though, she's seen him once two years ago swimming in their home. Maybe she'll push the two of them together so they can spend sometime? The reason why they are there in the first place.

"Yay!" Imara stood up from her thighs, ran all around the enormous room then collapsed on the bed.

Getting away had never sounded greater especially to a place like Maldives, no wonder Aisha was excited when she talked about Maldives. This is not a place meant for work, it's for vacation and relaxing, things Adnan lacks in his vocabulary of course. He is here to get more work done, she is sure of that.

She stood up and checked Imara to find her soundly sleeping on the bed, she laughed quietly. Now she can step out onto that balcony and relax on that wooden chaise lounge chair, close her eyes and let the sun work it's wonder on her. Watch the waters crash against the shoreline then recline back. The water is so cerulean, so blue and pretty.

Then again, she is too tired to do that or wait for the food she's requested. She won't be able to do those things, another time. She made her way to the bed and lie down next to her daughter, she couldn't remove her shoes. Her glasses are folded right beside her, she might break them with one wrong turn. She is too sleepy to notice that.

Adnan walked around the land he's just purchased hours ago. When he landed yesterday in Maldives and took a ferry to the suite Alim reserved for him in Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort, he went up to the old man straight to get him to sign the deal. The geriatric is dying, eighty three years old is not a joke. It was trouble when the man kept insisting on irrelevant stuff.

"My wife wanted me to gift my son the land, but he died few years ago in the water. I don't know what she would've done had she been alive." The man stared morosely at the contract in front of him.

Adnan has never been sentimental so he looked up at Alim in silent order to get something done. He wrote down what he should say and pass him the tablet, Adnan almost laughed at the words written there. The geriatric man won't appreciate that and might tear the contract in front of them.

He cleared his throat instead and began. "Your wife would want you to sell the land and do something productive with the money. Maybe build a nursing home with her name or a garden?"

The man's face had lightened up at the thought which elicited a choking sound from Adnan. Did he seriously buy that bullshit Alim wrote? Why are older men so sentimental when it comes to their dead wives? Everyone is going to die accept that and move on. He is still stuck in wanting to please a dead person? He won't ever understand why people want to make their lives difficult.

He grinned at Adnan gratefully, his wrinkled face tightening. "You are so right! She's always loved a garden, that's what I'll work on. Great idea."

Adnan mentally shrugged, as long as he'll get the land. "So you'll sign the contract then? Everything is readied and you can name any price you want."

Mr. Santos, the older man who owns the land narrowed his eyes at him. Adnan knew what his next questions were going to be, he's balmed his words on their way there. A man told him about how sentient this older man is, he needs to be careful with his words or the deal is off. He is not after the money, that is by far the modicum in his list.

Sipping on coconut juice, Mr. Santos's face yaw serious. "What are you planning to do with my land, Mr. Attahir? Anything productive?"

Where his passion is, business with lots of profit. He leaned forward, bracing his arms on his two powerful thighs and closed his palms together, veins crossed between one another in an intriguing way. The Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime watch clasped on his wrist gleamed beneath the ancient chandelier lightening the small study they are in. His eyes suddenly dilated to that of a businessman's, profits only.

His voice deepened in a businesslike manner. "I wanted to construct a college there but you've got more than a few here. Then I thought better of it, a harbor is going to do just great. It is going to consist of a food court, gift store, money lending company, electronics business, restaurant, spa you name it. Those are things you lack around here."

Mr. Santos could only look at him with slacked lips, his expression filled with pride because the place where these things are going to be was his land. This man here is going to make life easy for his people. People from his island. He is a true business man for thinking ahead, that's how they should be.

He offered Adnan his right hand. "We have a deal. You are a true businessman, I'm so proud at this moment. I'll sign the contract, where is it?"

And he signed it up, Adnan shook his hand again before they left with Alim closely behind him who's always staring at Adnan with this new found gleam after finding out his boss has a wife and daughter. It still doesn't make any sense in his head but he is trying to live up to that. To accept that his boss is human after all, he has a family!

Now he's signed another contract with a few contractors, they'll start working on it. He'll be leaving Maldives in two weeks to Tokyo to see how the oil drilling has been going in his absence. He's got so much to do with such little time. Being a businessman is not just about spending money and relaxing, it is working your ass off most of the day and sleeping very little.

"It's going to be done in less than six months, the entire construction. Do you want the beach sand or something else? So we can order the best from Asia." One of the contractors, a middle aged man asked.

"Leave the beach sand. They are more familiar with what they grew up on. It will do."

Tired from working for many hours straight, Adnan decided to go back to his hotel room and FaceTime Bakri so he can make all the necessary arrangement to speed things up. If he leaves Maldives now, he won't come back until after three months to see how much they've upgraded.

Opening the door to his room with his keycard, Adnan felt something was missing before he pushed the door open. He touched the pistol in his slacks to confirm its presence then pushed the door open leisurely. His eyes perused over the entire living room first then he entered fully, not surveying the bed. Why would his attacker be on bed? Nevertheless his eyes landed there and he frowned.

What on earth is Jannah and Imara doing in Maldives, in his room, sleeping?!

He walked further into the room and inspected the two of them to confirm they really are the ones there in his room. Jannah dark skin and hair confirmed she was the one and Imara's smile while she is sleeping got him smiling too. He started wondering what she is dreaming about now. More paintings or her mother there beside her?

Jannah is now trying to make his life hard it seems. After yesterday night, he thought he's gotten rid of her for at least six months or more but she came here too? But who helped her c- the question halted itself in his head when he recalled how his mother had talked to him about Jannah day before yesterday on phone.

"...are not treating that girl right and it's hurting me too. A few words of kindness from you would lighten up her mood. And where are those smiles you grew up with? I'm starting to worry something is gravely not alright with you. Should I be concerned?" Her voice sounded perturbed and upset.

He'd cleared his throat and asked Alim to leave his office. It was few minutes after Jannah had left his working place that day.

"There is no need worrying about me. I'm fine. And I'll try making things better for her." He reassured, his mother's unhappiness is something he loathes.

"But you are not even trying. She's lost her memory, you should help her build more lovely ones."

"I said, I'll try. It's not as easy as it looks. My emotions are nowhere to be found." He rolled his eyes at his own words but he was darn serious.

He cannot remember being emotional since he hit pubescence and it is not his fault. He was too busy with life, it wasn't easy. He knew from a tender age that getting what you want in life is totally not possible if you sleep all day and react to everything that is happening around you. Life has toughened him up, feelings are not going to end so put a cessation to them and just keep surfing.

He did just that and then he forgot to click them back in place until it was too late for that anymore. He's tried bringing them back into him but zilch. The only time he could remember feeling anything is when he is with his daughter, a handful of times. He doesn't feel them much so he keeps his distance whenever he can.

Not so much it seems though, they are here with him and with the amount of luggage he can see by the door, they won't be leaving anytime soon. His mother and her weird advises will lead to people's doom one of these days. His patience is thinning, he is about to snap at any moment.

He made his way to the en-suite to take a nice long shower. While in the shower, the door was pushed open from outside stopping his movements. Jannah trudged in looking a little drowsy from sleep or tiredness? He is not sure but she opened the toilet ready to remove her jeans and underwear when he mistakenly knocked a soap bar on the floor. Her eyes widened and flew to the glass cubicle that's foggy with steam.

Their eyes clashed at the same time, both of them stood rooted with Jannah's hands tucked inside the waistline of her jeans ready to roll it down.

Now what should this Jannah do in this situation?