THE FACELESS SOUL

THE PROPOSAL

# THE FACELESS SOUL

## Chapter 5: The Proposal

Three months had passed since Victor went to prison.

Life was... normal.

And normal terrified Ayaan.

The Alina Foundation was running 18 shelters across Pakistan now. Aayat was in the office 10 hours a day. Ayaan was still CEO, but he left at 6 PM sharp. Every day.

People called it "The Faceless Effect."

Billionaire turns good.

Ayaan called it "Aayat."

---

**Friday. 7 PM. Alina Tower Penthouse.**

Ayaan was cooking. Badly.

Aayat came in, dropped her bag, and laughed. "What are you doing?"

"Trying not to burn the house down," Ayaan said, holding a pan with something black in it. "Dinner."

Aayat walked up and turned off the stove. "How about I cook and you set the table?"

"Deal."

They ate on the balcony. Lahore lights below. Stars above.

Aayat was quiet. Too quiet.

"What’s wrong?" Ayaan asked.

"Nothing." She smiled. "Just... tired."

Ayaan reached across and took her hand. "Talk to me."

Aayat sighed. "It’s Victor’s appeal. His lawyers filed it. They’re saying new evidence."

Ayaan’s jaw tightened. "What evidence?"

"That you coerced witnesses. That Faceless broke the law to get them."

Ayaan laughed, but it was cold. "He’s desperate."

"I’m scared, Ayaan." Aayat looked at him. "What if they let him out?"

"They won’t." Ayaan squeezed her hand. "I won’t let them."

That night, Ayaan didn’t sleep.

He sat in his office, looking at the box. The box with the mask.

Hamza called at 2 AM. "Boss, we found something. Victor’s been sending letters. From prison."

"To who?"

"To people on the outside. Telling them to 'finish the job.'"

Ayaan closed his eyes. "He’s not done."

---

**Two Weeks Later. Court Hearing.**

Victor walked in, in a suit. Smiling.

Ayaan and Aayat sat in the front row.

Victor’s lawyer stood up. "Your honor, we have evidence that Mr. Malik threatened witnesses. That his vigilante group operated outside the law."

The judge looked at Ayaan. "Mr. Malik?"

Ayaan stood up. "Yes, your honor."

"I was Faceless. And yes, I broke some rules. But I did it to save people that the law forgot."

The courtroom went silent.

"And if I have to do it again to keep Aayat Khan safe, I will."

Gasps.

Aayat stared at him. Tears in her eyes.

The judge banged the gavel. "We’ll review the evidence. Court adjourned."

Outside, reporters swarmed.

Ayaan blocked them with his body, pulling Aayat to the car.

In the car, Aayat was shaking. "You didn’t have to do that."

"Yes, I did," Ayaan said. "I’m done hiding."

---

**That Night. Murree.**

They drove up to the safehouse. No guards. Just them.

Ayaan built a fire. Poured wine.

Aayat sat next to him on the rug. "You scared me today."

"I’m sorry."

"Don’t be." She leaned on his shoulder. "I’m just... I’ve been running for so long. I don’t know how to stop."

"Then don’t run," Ayaan said. "Stay."

Aayat looked up at him. "Stay?"

"With me. Here. In Lahore. In the penthouse. In my life." Ayaan’s voice was rough. "I’m terrible at this. At feelings. At normal. But I’m trying. For you."

Aayat’s eyes filled. "Ayaan..."

"I love you, Aayat. I loved you 3 years ago. I love you now. And I’ll love you when we’re old and stupid."

Aayat laughed through her tears. "That was the worst proposal ever."

Ayaan frowned. "Was it a proposal?"

"It better be."

Ayaan got on one knee. Right there on the rug, in front of the fire.

"Aayat Khan," he said. "Will you marry me? Will you be stupid with me? Will you run the foundation with me? Will you let me be yours?"

Aayat stared at him. The billionaire. The vigilante. The man with no face who now had nothing but honesty.

"Yes," she whispered. "Yes."

Ayaan pulled her into his arms. "Yes?"

"Yes, you idiot." She kissed him. "Yes."

They stayed like that until the fire died down.

---

**One Month Later. Engagement Announcement.**

The news went crazy.

"BILLIONAIRE CEO ENGAGED TO FOUNDATION DIRECTOR."

The comments were all the same: *They deserve each other.*

Victor’s appeal was denied. New evidence of witness tampering. 20 more years added.

The threat was over.

---

**Wedding Planning. Chaos.**

Ayaan: "Small wedding. 20 people."

Aayat: "My mom wants 200."

Ayaan: "...Fine."

Ayaan tried to pick a suit. Hated all of them.

Aayat tried on 15 dresses. Cried in 3 of them.

Hamza was best man. He cried during the speech rehearsal.

Two weeks before the wedding, Ayaan got nervous.

He found Aayat on the roof at 3 AM.

"Can’t sleep?" she asked.

"No." Ayaan sat next to her. "What if I mess this up? What if I’m bad at being a husband?"

Aayat took his hand. "You were bad at being Faceless too. At first. But you learned."

Ayaan smiled. "Did I?"

"You did." She kissed his knuckles. "And you’ll learn this too. With me."

---

**The Wedding. Alina Gardens.**

White flowers. 300 people.

Ayaan in a black sherwani. Looking like he might run.

Aayat in white and gold. Looking like a dream.

When she walked down the aisle, Ayaan forgot how to breathe.

The vows were simple.

Ayaan: "I promise to choose you. Every day. Even on the bad days."

Aayat: "I promise to stay. Even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard."

They kissed.

Confetti.

Cheers.

That night, in their room, Ayaan held her and whispered, "Mrs. Malik."

Aayat smiled. "I like the sound of that."

---

**Epilogue: One Year Later.**

Alina Foundation: 30 shelters.

Ayaan: Still CEO. Still leaves at 6 PM.

Aayat: Pregnant. 6 months.

They were on the roof again. Same roof from 3 years ago.

Ayaan’s hand on her belly. "What if it’s a boy?"

"Then we name him after you," Aayat said.

"What if it’s a girl?"

"Then we name her after me."

Ayaan laughed. "Deal."

The baby kicked.

Ayaan froze. "Did you feel that?"

"Yeah." Aayat grinned. "He’s strong. Like his dad."

Ayaan looked at the stars. "I used to think I was a ghost."

"You were," Aayat said. "But ghosts can come back to life."

Ayaan pulled her close. "Thank you. For bringing me back."

Aayat kissed him. "Thank you for finding me."

Below them, Lahore was bright.

No more running.

No more masks.

No more faceless.

Just Ayaan.

Just Aayat.

And the family they built from the dark.

---

### THE END