The world returned to Noor in fragments—the faint scent of sandalwood, the smooth glide of leather beneath her palm, and the rhythmic hum of an engine idling in absolute quiet.She opened her eyes slowly. The harsh light of the courtyard was gone, replaced by the cool, tinted gloom of a luxury car's back seat. Her breath hitched. The panic from the riot flared back into her chest, but before she could push herself up, a steady hand rested gently on the headrest near her shoulder. Not touching her, but enclosing her space completely."Stay still," a voice commanded softly. It was low, rich, and utterly unbothered by the world outside.Noor sat up too quickly, her heart hammering against her ribs. In the driver's seat sat a broad-shouldered man in a dark suit, his eyes fixed strictly on the rearview mirror. But right beside her—scarcely a foot away—was him.The stranger from the fountain.His dark eyes held hers, steady and unreadable. Up close, the dangerous edge to his presence was unmistakable, yet he looked at her with an intensity that made the air feel thin."Where... where am I?" Noor's voice was barely a whisper, her hands instinctively clutching her scarf to her chest. "Where is Aisha? My books—""Safe," Zain replied calmly, his voice cutting through her spiraling panic. "You fainted. The crowd was out of control, so I removed you from it.""You... you had a gun," she stammered, the memory of that terrifying crack echoing in her ears. "I heard a gunshot."Zain didn't blink. He reached over, picked up a small bottle of cold water from the console, and held it out to her. "You heard what was necessary to clear a path. Take this."Noor stared at his hand. His fingers were long, framed by a silver signet ring, immaculate and commanding. Everything about him screamed power—the kind of power her quiet, ordinary life had never crossed paths with."I want to go home," she said, her voice trembling despite her effort to sound firm. "Please. My parents will be worried."A faint, almost imperceptible shadow passed over Zain's features. He leaned back against the dark leather, taking her in—her pale face, her wide, frightened eyes, the soft innocence that seemed to radiate from her very posture. She looked so fragile sitting in his world, yet she was the only thing in it that held his full attention."And you will," Zain said softly, his voice carrying an unquestionable promise. He gestured to the driver, who immediately put the car into drive. "Give me your address.""No, just drop me at the main gate, I can take the bus—""Noor," he interrupted, pronouncing her name with a slow, deliberate weight that sent a shiver down her spine.She froze. "How do you know my name?"Zain didn't answer immediately. He reached out, his knuckles brushing the stray lock of hair that had slipped from her scarf, tucking it gently behind her ear. Noor flinched at the brief contact, her skin tingling where his fingers touched, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from his storm-dark eyes."I know what I need to know," he murmured, his gaze locking onto hers with a possessive depth that left no room for doubt. "And I don't let what's mine walk back into danger."Noor's breath caught in her throat. Her mind screamed at her to run, to demand he let her out, but beneath the fear, an unfamiliar, terrifying pull anchored her to her seat. As the car glided silently away from the university, Noor looked out the blacked-out window, realizing with a heavy, thudding pulse that the quiet, safe world she knew was slipping further away with every passing second.
