Noah placed his elbow on his eyes. The tears were dripping down, staining his face. It was 2 AM, and both of them were restless. He chain smoked the whole night, while Carissa was wide awake. Her head was filled with his thoughts…. Only his.

In the morning, when Aaron came to check up on him, he coughed violently as soon as he breathed in the air. It was filled with a tobacco scent making it hard to breathe.


"Are you okay, sir?" Aaron asked while breathing with his mouth.

Noah ignored his question and asked him something else, "Give me a suggestion. I can't decide whether I should tell Carissa first or Mr. Zak?"

Aaron was deep in thought and he was not impatient at all this time. If it was some company matter he would kill him at this rate. After a lot of consideration Aaron finally spoke, "I think it is better to tell Madam first. She is the concerned party, she has the right to know everything about what happened to her in the past. It will be difficult but she will trust you more if you will be the one to tell her about everything".


Aaron was right. She will be more heartbroken if someone will be in his place to tell him. Noah nodded in affirmation.

"Now, why don't you go home and have some rest?


He once again nodded and went home. Carissa was not home, she went to the office early in the morning. He took a  shower and turned on his mobile phone and saw dozens of calls and messages from her.

"How's work going?"

"Are you busy?"

"When will you be back?"

"Can't you even talk on the phone?"

"Okay. I will stop disturbing you. Focus on your work. When you see messages call me I am worried about you".

He made a call and on the first bell she picked up his phone as she was waiting for his call. "Are you free now?" She asked.

"Hmm. How are you?"

"Fine". She did not sound happy at all.

"Angry? I am sorry".

"You better be."

"Okay. Finish everything first. I will come to pick you up in the evening".

Her mood instantly changed. "Okay".

Noah was tired but he was restless. He could not sleep at all. In the end, he took some sleeping pills to calm his nerves and slept for 3-4 hours. He had no appetite. He did some pending work at home and was waiting for her call.

Noah was standing in front of Zak real estate. Soon, she was seen, he extended his arm to give her a hug. Finally, when her familiar scent entered through his nostrils his heart was calmed, but his mind was still not accepting the reality.

"I missed you". Noah said near her in his hoarse voice and kissed his cheek.

"Were you busy? Your phone was constantly off. I was worried about you". She was hugging him back.

"I am sorry. Next time I will keep it on".

They were all lovey-dovey in their own dreamland, ignoring the harshness of the world, forgetting about their pasts, calming down each other just with their presence. Sometimes, you don't need to say anything. Being by side, being loyal to each other is all that matters. If your husband is with you, supports you, even all the world is against….. You are the luckiest person.

They did not know, someone was watching them. They had dinner and Carissa took a shower. Noah was standing on the balcony, the cold night breeze striking his body, extinguishing the fires inside him. Carissa glanced at him and hugged his waist from behind.

"What is it that is making you so depressed? You are hiding something from me, right? Tell me please". In fact, Carissa had an idea which is making him so upset. She has seen a file in his study.

Noah turned and held her shoulders. His eyes were not leaving hers even for a second. "You are strong, just remember it. When you will be ready to hear, I will share everything with you".

He was serious….damn serious, which made her tremble. Her eyes were getting wet with tears whether it was due to cold wind or due to the emotions, which she failed to control. Carissa looked at his concerned face, if he is with her maybe she can endure the reality. "You can tell me". Carissa mustered up her courage, her voice was like a whisper. She could not recognize her own self at the moment.

"Come with me". Noah held her hand and took her to the study. He carefully made her sit on the sofa there and placed a file and a laptop near her vision. She knows the file is inside it. She is familiar with it too, still her hands were trembling, her eyes were losing focus.

He held her trembling hand  "I am okay." She gave him an affirmation.

Noah opened the file, and placed a picture of the same picture from before, a woman being brutally injured. "Do you know her?" it was impossible to identify the person, and James Wilson also told them that they used hypnosis on her to make her forget.

She really did not know who she was when  she first saw the picture. Later she got to know the identity. Still, it was a safe choice to confirm it with him.

She shook her head, telling him no.

"Your…." He felt a lump forming in his throat, "mother". First time in his life the word mother was so hard to speak.

Meanwhile, Carissa had no feelings. It was like her heart had started to become a rock. There were no emotions, her facial muscles were frozen but her beautiful eyes…. Were not able to tolerate it, the tears were trickling down on her face.

Noah started  to tell her everything. How they lured her into the den and with a heavy heart he showed her the video of her mother being killed too. What was she feeling? He could not tell.

Carissa used all of her patience and endured to listen to how brutally and ruthlessly her mother was killed. It was not a surprising thing, she expected this. In the past she heard Mrs. Zak and Jia talking about her mother. She expected such an outcome. That's why she once talked to Noah about the murder of her mother and he looked in this matter.

Noah was done explaining. Now, there were no tears in her eyes, in fact they were filled with hatred, with disdain.

"There is something more…." Noah said.

She smiled faintly, "So, something is still left. Tell me everything now. I don't think I will be able to listen more in the future".

"They used hypnosis on you." Noah pointed at the screen of the laptop, "the child crying here is you. You witnessed death".

Now, she was shocked. "Here are your hospital records". He opened another file to show her. There were records of psychological treatments she received.

Carissa blankly stared at every evidence.

Her reaction was not what he expected. He was getting more anxious. "Are you okay?"

"Murder, rape, bullying, forcing someone to commit a suicide, I have been through everything. This hypnosis does not scare me. Nothing can get worse. I am fine. Don't worry". She forced a smile on her face.

Noah hugged her, "You know, you are starting to become my inspiration".

She smiled, "A trash like me?"

He turned dark, "you are a gem. If someone wants to trade between my wealth and you I will choose you".

She knew it was an impossible thing. But his words were strangely comforting her. "Maybe you are more like a warrior".

Carissa pulled him away and looked in his eyes, "I am happy I did not give up. It feels like you are a reward after enduring hardships".