Jenna tightened her robe around herself, and tiptoed down the hallway towards Hudayfah's office. All of the boys were downstairs, including Hudayfah and Rami, Rana had gone to bed early, and she was going to do something that she knew was risky.

She was going to search Hudayfah's office.

Yes she knew it was wrong.

But she had to do it.

As she approached his office door, she glanced back and forth down the hallway, before pulling on the handle, and slipping inside. She had only been in there a couple of times before, mostly when she came to tell him dinner was ready, but as he wasn't there and she was sneaking around, she felt a little bit...scared.

She stepped hesitantly towards his desk, smiling slightly at how orderly it was. Hudayfah was very neat and organized, and she admired it about him as she could sometimes be a little bit disorganized. She stepped around the desk, pulling open one of the drawers, her hand trembling slightly. The first drawer held pens and pencils and post it notes, and other such supplies. There was even a tape dispenser shaped like a smiley face, and she shook her head, almost positive it had been from Rami.

The second drawer held papers, both lined and printer, and she shuffled slightly through them, a few seconds later concluding they were all blank. The third drawer however held files, each labeled neatly, and as she spotted a file labeled 'Muhsin', her eyes widened, and she plucked it out of its place. As she opened it, and began to rifle through its contents, her jaw dropped. There were checks written to this Jamaal guy, dating back from two years ago on behalf of her brother. The further she got into them, the larger the amounts became. She couldn't believe Hudayfah had continued to bail out her brother like this. The last check was written a month before their wedding, and it was in the amount of fifty thousand dollars.

Fifty thousand dollars!?

She had no idea Muhsin was in this deep. No wonder he kept calling for money. She couldn't even give an estimate of the amount of money Hudayfah had poured into her brother, but it was well into the millions. Why had he done it?! Why had he kept it up? And it couldn't have been because of Jenna, they hadn't even known each other two years ago. There was something bigger going on than Muhsin had told, and she wondered if she even wanted to know what it was.

As she put the file back in place, there was another one behind it, and when she read the label, her heart began to pound.

Marwa

She hesitated, staring at it for a good five minutes before she reached for it and pulled it out. It sat on her lap as she was suddenly too scared to open it. A few minutes later, before she lost her nerve, she slowly opened it, her breath leaving her. There was a picture of Hudayfah and who she assumed to be Marwa laying on top of a pile of papers. They were sitting at a restaurant, and Hudayfah was gazing at her adoringly. She was absolutely stunning. She had long, really long brown hair, and piercing blue eyes that were heavily lined with Kohl and mascara. Her smile showcased two rows of perfect white teeth, and Jenna couldn't help but think how handsome of a couple they made.

Under the picture was what looked like a marriage license, and as she inspected it further, she found she was right. It was a marriage license! Muhsin had said they were just engaged...

Underneath that was what looked like the conditions for their marriage, things like the Maher, which Jenna couldn't help but think smugly was a lot lower than hers. But then she realized she didn't know if that was a good thing or not. Other papers contained things like receipts for a wedding hall, flowers, a catering bill. This wasn't just an engagement, this had been serious. She next came upon a folded up piece of paper that said 'Hud' on the front with a series of hearts, and she felt her own heart constrict.

She knew she shouldn't read it, this whole thing was wrong, but she couldn't stop now...

She unfolded the paper, and began to read,

My dearest Hudayfah,

I am counting down the minutes until we can be together. It seems like it has been years since I last saw you, and my heart aches for you. The only thing getting me through this is knowing that you are mine forever just as much as I am yours. Imagine, only a month left until I can be in your arms, finally feel your lips against mine, finally be able to call myself Mrs. Sulayman.

Allah knows the torture I am going through not being with you. I wish we could speed things up. I wish we were getting married tomorrow. I wouldn't even need a big wedding party. Just a small ceremony in the Masjid is all I would want if it meant I could be with you. I know you are trying to save up money because you want to give me a big wedding, but I don't need it. All I need is you.

I am unable to continue writing because I find myself so emotional. But know my heart is yours, and I love you with all of my being.

Love you more than life itself,

Marwa

As Jenna finished reading, she realized that she was crying. As she glanced down at the bottom of the page, there, taped to it, was an engagement ring. She fingered it, not wanting to rip the tape off, and the tears came faster. So it was true. He had had a love before her. Someone that he wanted to be with. And he had to let her go because of Jenna and her stupid brother. She closed up the letter, and put her face in her hands, crying harder. After a few minutes she dried her tears, and started to read the paper under, only getting through about two lines, when she heard the door handle begin to open, and she hurriedly shoved the file back in place, wiping her eyes and standing up as quickly as possible. To her surprise however it was not Hudayfah who appeared, but Jafar. At first he did not see Jenna, as he was looking anxiously down the hallway before closing the door behind him, and when he turned around and saw her he came to a halt. They stared each other down, before he bowed his head at her.

"Salaam." He said in his quiet rough voice, and she nodded as well.

"Walaikumasalaam. What are you doing in here?" she asked after a moment. He hesitated a second before his face became blank.

"Hud asked me to get a book for him."

"I see."

He did not ask her what she was doing in there, after all it was her house too, but he merely stared at her suspiciously.

"Well I should get going." She said after another awkward few moments had passed, and he opened the door for her as she passed him. As she hurried towards her room, she couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine as she could still feel Jafar watching her. She managed to get to her room, before changing into her pajamas, climbing into bed, and just sobbing hysterically.

*** "I don't know what it is Rami. This is the fourth night in a row she won't sleep next to me, and I can't sleep without her! If I miss another day of sleep I'm going to look like a zombie!" Hudayfah whispered to his friend, raking a hand through his hair in frustration and Rami chuckled.

"Is she talking to you at least?"

"Barely. Unless it's absolutely necessary, she isn't saying a word. Actually to anyone, not only me. You didn't notice?"

Rami put a hand to his chin thoughtfully.

"Now that you mention it, yeah I have noticed she has become quieter. Did you do something to piss her off?"

Hudayfah shook his head.

"Not that I can tell." He sighed. "I mean at first I thought she was angry at how open I had been in my affections, but then she got snappy when I suggested that was the problem. I can't help but think it has to do with Muhsin coming." He said glancing over at where his brother in law was sitting at the dining room table scarfing down pizza. Aside from the breakfast she had made, Jenna had refused to make dinner, and so Hudayfah had ordered pizza for everyone. After a month of eating good homemade food, the pizza was hurting his stomach, so he had only managed to get down a slice.

"Why would Muhsin be the problem? Unless she is homesick?" Rami asked.

"I didn't think about that honestly." Hudayfah said with a shrug. He eyed his brother again.

"Unless he told her something."

"Like what?"

Rami shrugged.

"I don't know. There are a lot of things you are keeping from her Hudayfah."

Hudayfah rubbed a hand over his jaw and sighed.

"It's for her own safety Rami. You know that."

"You know Hud, I've gotten to know her over the past month, and I think she could handle it. I think you need to be honest with her. About everything." He was silent for a moment. "Have you told her about Marwa yet?"

Hudayfah's eyes flashed, and he turned away from his friend, putting a hand over his heart as if he was in physical pain.

"No."

Rami didn't say anything, and just put a hand on his friend's shoulder. They were silent for a few moments before Rami sighed.

"Do you think Muhsin told her about Jamaal being after her?"

"Oh my God I didn't even think about that!" he exclaimed rising slightly from his seat. "But why would she be angry with me? I am protecting her!"

"Yes but you weren't honest with her." Rami said gently. "Especially if he told her I know everything."

Hudayfah winced.

"That's it isn't it? He told her?"

Rami nodded.

"Probably."

"I need to talk to her. Tonight."

Rami smiled.

"That would be a good idea."

Unfortunately for Hudayfah his men didn't leave until two in the morning, so by the time he got up to his bedroom, Jenna was asleep.

On the sitting room couch.

Again.

He stood over her, watching her sleeping form, missing the feel of her next to him. Missing the warmth of her body. He watched her for another few seconds before he bent, and scooped her in his arms.

Immediately her eyes flew open in a panic.

"What are you...?! Put me down! Put me down right now!" she shrieked, and he shook his head, tightening his hold as she tried to slide out of his grasp. "What are you doing?!" she cried, and he waited until he had placed her on the bed before speaking.

"You are my wife, and you will sleep in our bed next to me!" he exclaimed and she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at him.

"Are you ordering me?!" she demanded, and there was a beat of silence before he dropped to his knees in front of her.

"No. I'm begging you." He pleaded, and her eyes widened.

"Why?"

"Darling I miss you. I miss you so much. It's only been four days, yet it feels like a lifetime. I can't stand your silence. I can't stand not having you next to me. It's killing me!" he cried and though she was just staring at him, he could see her face softening slightly. "Tell me what it is. Did Muhsin tell you something? Is that what it is?" he asked, and when her eyes widened slightly, he knew he had figured it out. "What did he tell you?" he asked and there was a beat of silence before she pulled her arms around her body.

"He told me that you had to marry me because some guy named Jamaal is after me." She paused. "Is that true."

He was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

Her face paled and her grip tightened.

"He said that you have no feelings for me. That I am just business to you."

Hudayfah's eyes widened, before he scowled, his hands fisting at his sides.

"Why would he say something like that!?" he demanded, and Jenna shrugged, her eyes welling with tears.

"It's true though isn't it? If you married me to keep me away from this Jamaal guy then I am just business to you!"

She threw the covers off of her body, and got out of the bed, moving to stand near the window, trying to will herself not to cry. However she couldn't stop it, and soon sobs were escaping her, and she leaned against the wall, her whole body shaking.

A few seconds later she felt Hudayfah's arms come around her and as he turned her around, she threw herself into his embrace, burying her face into his chest, crying her heart out. He didn't speak, but held her close to him, running a hand through her hair, the other cupping her waist. He himself felt his own eyes prickling as this was the first time she was letting him touch her in days, and he had missed her.

Oh he had missed her so much.

He pulled away from her to kiss her on the forehead, letting his lips linger, and reveling in the fact that she was still holding onto him. Once her tears had subsided slightly, she pulled back from him, and he wiped her cheeks with his thumbs before skimming his hands down her arms, and holding her hands.

"Come sit down." He said pulling her with him, and she followed him sitting down next to him on the bed.

He ran a hand through his hair, before letting out a long breath through his lips.

"I need you to tell me what's wrong. Why you are upset. Is it just because I didn't tell you about Jamaal?"

She shook her head.

"You lied to me about Rami."

He winced.

"I did. I'm sorry."

She turned her tear stained face up to him.

"Why did you?"

"I thought that if you thought we had to put up a front for him, the fake affection would eventually turn into real affection. And that's all I wanted from you." He put a hand on her cheek. "I just wanted you to be happy with me. I wanted us to be happy." He sighed. "I know it was stupid, and I am so sorry for doing it."

"I understand why you did." She said softly. "I was so horrible to you. I pushed you away, I treated you like you had kidnapped me. And you didn't push me at all. You didn't make me do anything."

He peered earnestly into her face.

"I still shouldn't have mislead you. I wanted you to want me. I wanted you to take pleasure in being in my company and being with me. I would never want you to fear me."

"I don't." she whispered, and he pushed her chin up, kissing her forehead.

"Is there anything else?"

"Why did you pay off Muhsin's loans? Why were you the one who married me? It's like you took responsibility for my brother's mistakes."

He sighed.

"It's complicated. But I'll try to explain. I feel like it's my responsibility, because I introduced Muhsin and Jamaal."

Her eyes widened.

"What?"

He nodded.

"I've known Jamaal since high school. I met Muhsin in college. One day Muhsin and I were hanging out, and Jamaal happened to stop by. I had lost contact with him after," he hesitated, "after some things went down, so I was surprised to see him. He was in with bad crowds, gambling and stuff like that, and I didn't know that from that day on, Muhsin started to get involved with him until one day, Muhsin came to me, terrified. Saying he owed Jamaal a thousand dollars, and if he didn't pay it, he would be in deep trouble. I of course gave him the money, made him promise he would get out of the game and thought that was the end of it."

She sighed knowingly.

"It wasn't."

He shook his head.

"Not even a little bit. Things began to get worse and worse. Every time I would tell him I wasn't going to give him any more money, but my guilt of introducing them, kept me doing it."

"How long have you been paying his debts?" she asked, even though she knew.

"Two years."

"Why did Jamaal want me?"

Here he sighed deeply.

"This is going to be hard for me to tell you." He paused to kiss her hand. "I went to Hajj last year, and made Muhsin promise up and down that he wouldn't do anything while I was gone. That he would stay away from Jamaal and his friends and all of the things associated with him. He promised me, but of course couldn't stick to it and he got in deep. Fifty thousand dollars deep. I was overseas so I had no clue about this, and I wasn't going to be back in time to help him pay during the time frame Jamaal wanted. So he struck a deal."

Jenna felt her blood run cold.

"What kind of deal?"

"Jamaal apparently had seen you when he was dropping off Muhsin one day. So he agreed to give Muhsin more time, in exchange for you."

She gasped and he steadied her arm as she swayed slightly.

"My brother gambled me away!?"

*** Jenna stared at Hudayfah in horror, praying that she had heard him wrong. Her own brother wouldn't have struck such a deal would he!?

"What happened after that?!" she asked in disbelief, and he sighed.

"I came back home, and when I heard about what had happened, I knew I had to do something. Jamaal is not a nice guy. In the slightest. If he got his hands on you..." he paused to swallow deeply, and closed his eyes for a moment and as if the thought was too much for him to bear he pulled her tightly against him. When he pulled back, he gave her a small smile. "I had never felt guiltier about the two of them meeting through me. So when Muhsin told me about his deal, I knew I had to get you out of there and fast. So I offered to marry you." He gave a slight shrug. "It was the only way to keep you safe. I paid off Muhsin's monetary debt, but in Jamaal's eyes, he still owes him, as he doesn't have you."

"So it was a business deal?" she asked a bit tearfully and he put his hands on her cheeks.

"It was never a business deal. It was to protect you. And while it started out as a job, it's so much more now." He kissed her nose. "So much more." He kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, and both of their breathing hitched as he paused poised over her lips, but at the last second he pulled away.

Much to her disappointment.

"Promise me darling. Promise me that if anything ever upsets you again, even if it is something trivial, you will tell me?" he asked. "Promise me."

She nodded.

"I promise." She said softly. "Why did you let Muhsin into the house?"

He smiled.

"He's still your brother."

"How can I look at him again knowing what he did?" she whispered, and he pulled her into his lap.

"If you want him gone, he will be before you wake up in the morning. Just say the word." He said stroking a hand through her hair and she sighed.

"I don't know yet."

He nodded.

"Think about it."

They sat in silence for a few moments both enjoying the closeness.

"Is there anything else that was bothering you?"

Ask him.

Ask him about Marwa.

"No." she said with a shake of her head, before she stretched up and pressed her lips to his cheek. He smiled, and leaned his forehead against hers.

She couldn't tell him she had gone through his office.

She couldn't ask him.

She didn't want to know if he had loved anyone before her.

She didn't want to know if he had left the love of his life to save her.

Because she was beginning to fall for him.