Flawed Hearts

Chapter XX: Confessions

The thin Emirati model walked down the ramp expertly, flashed a smile at the crowd then walked back the way she came, paused and looked over her shoulder with a mind-blowing smile for effects as the crowd went wild, applauding the performance.

Lale stood by the side and watched as the last of the models walked backstage and smiled, knowing it was time for her to walk the ramp.

It felt good, she felt good being the star of the show and despite herself, she couldn't help the empty feeling that enveloped her heart in a twisted grip but her smile never wavered as she took the stage, flashing them her expensive smile. She bowed at the crowd, waved at the camera, accepted the bouquet of flowers as she was whisked away by the reporters.

Her pieces were fabulous and her models had done an excellent job, the theme of her show unique and her fashion house even more so.

Earlier, she had given an interview with the Turkish Women's magazine and now, other reporters and news agencies were clamoring to get an interview with the new owner of CMG Fashion house.

As she looked around the hall pulsating with Turkish modern music and filled with friends and family, some of whom have worn her previous designs, she felt proud of achieving yet another one of her dreams.

{••}

The SUV stopped at the entrance of Sadek Holdings and the bodyguards stepped down to open the door of the vehicle for them.

Najmah stepped down after Aslan, placing her hand on his outstretched hand as he helped her climb onto the pavement. She glanced at the glittering skyscraper in awe, studying its exquisite architectural design.

Everything around her screamed of money and she took quite a moment to absorb it. The light tug of her hand was what brought her out of her reverie as she realised that Aslan had begun walking. Flashes of camera light greeted them as they neared the lobby, and Najmah swallowed a lump that clogged at her throat, taking in deep breaths as she tried not to lose her calm.

She glanced at Aslan to see him calm and collected despite the thick tension between them and the number of questions the paparazzi were throwing his way.

Throughout the drive, he had chosen to ignore her presence and concentrated hard on his phone. She tried to start up a conversation but the tension between them was too thick that it had begun to suffocate her so she opted to wind down the window and enjoy the fresh air before they arrived their destination.

As the reporters kept throwing questions their way, she wished she was back in the car with the suffocating tension as company; she'd rather that than the enormous paparazzi around.

Aslan forced a smile on his face as he faced the reporter who asked about the identity of the woman beside him.

He placed a hand on the small of her back, drawing her closer to him. "This is my...my wife, Najmah."

"When was the wedding?" one of the reporters asked. "Was it love at first sight? Why are we only meeting her now?"

″Where did you guys meet?″ another asked.

Najmah's head buzzed with all the questions and Aslan sensing her distress, smiled at the cameras one last time before gesturing to the bodyguards that it was time to go in.

{••}

The foyer opened up to what could be described as an eighteenth-century ballroom, scattered with glistening chandeliers and tables loaded with different varieties of Turkish delicacies and flowers spilling out of vases with waiters in white waistcoats, walking around the room and serving the guests from their trays.

The doorman who escorted them announced their arrival, making almost every head turn towards their direction and whispers began to spread around the room.

"Mr and Mrs Sadek junior," he stated, his voice ringing through the hall.

Najmah would have found it extremely funny if not for the fact that she was almost passed out from all the eyes staring curiously at her.

Aslan glanced at her and his brows knitted together before he dragged her off to the buffet table. "Wait here, I'll be right back."

She could only nod as she watched him walk back through the throng of people they passed. 'Damn my anxiety, I'm now left alone in an unfamiliar place.'

Aslan came back with a bottle of water then hand it to her without uttering a word. She reached for it then uncapped the bottle, feeling the earlier tension beginning to resurface. She took a large gulp before setting the bottle down, closing her eyes as she breathed in and out slowly.

When she finally got everything under control, she kept the bottle on the table then whirled around to face him.

A smile was plastered on his face though she could see that it didn't reach his eyes. There was only sadness and a little bit of anger hidden behind his orbs and she for once felt it, the strange underlying pull towards him.

She saw his jaw twitch and she wondered what he was thinking. Najmah knew he wanted to talk about what happened but she had rejected him so callously that it angered him. She had no idea why she did it but she was hoping he could give her a chance to explain herself, the silence between them was killing her.

"Aslan I didn't know you were hiding such a gem at home." A voice intercepted, bringing an end to their tension-filled atmosphere.

"Erol," Aslan gave the man a light pat on the back before turning to the woman beside him. "Aliye."

"Merhaba," Aliye waved at Najmah,offering her hand for a light shake then smiled at Aslan.

He introduced the duo to Najmah as his business partners before they delve into a discussion about the event.

"Why don't we exchange our spouses for a while, I'll have Najmah acquainted with the people around," Aliye suggested, putting her hand around Najmah's waist.

Najmah almost retracted from her touch as it was still a little bit foreign to her though she had realised that Turks were a bit touchy-feely when it came to friends.

"Of course," Erol pecked her on the lips then dragged Aslan away from the buffet table. Najmah's eyes widened as she stared at Aslan's retreating form, sighing in defeat as she listened to Aliye's discussion about who was who.

{••}

"I did not get an invite." A voice spoke behind her.

"I know," she responded, setting her glass down on the table as she assessed him. "I didn't find it necessary to invite you."

"Did you now?" he c****d his eyebrow, sitting down on the stool next to her. "Why if I might ask?"

She shrugged her shoulders, staring ahead at the masses of people present.

"Well then my congratulations are in order CEO," he uttered, handing her a bouquet of tulips.

She arched an eyebrow before gesturing for him to take them away from her. "I'm aller...allergic to tu...tu...tulips," she uttered in between sneezes.

"Forgive me, I didn't know." He handed the bouquet to a waiter with an order to dispose of the flowers. "A tulip who is allergic to tulips," he muttered amused.

"It is not funny," her nose flared as she crossed her arms.

"What are you doing here Asil?"

"Why did you change the name?" he queried, snubbing her earlier question.

Her brows snapped in confusion, wondering about what he meant. "Your company," he elaborated. "I thought it was Basic why did you change it to CMG Franchise?"

"Last minute plans," she shrugged.

"Hmm," he nodded, staring at his vibrating phone.

His jaw clenched and his posture went rigid as he stared at the screen of his phone. The change in his demeanor did not go unnoticed to Lale but she chose to ignore it and let her gaze wander around, setting on the couple she was looking out for since she stepped into the ballroom; Aslan and Najmah. A smile formed on her lips as she watched them disappear around a corner.

"So what does CMG mean?" Asil queried, bringing her out of her reverie.

"Chic, modest and glamorous," she responded gazing back at him.

"Interesting name," he mused.

"I know, that is why I picked it," she bit back clearly unnerved by his presence. His phone began to ring again before he could reply her and again, his whole demeanor changed.

"Are you not going to answer your phone?" she questioned, her eyes falling on his clenched fists. "You do not want to keep her waiting."

An emotion flickered through his eyes and in a blink, it was gone and replaced with a smile. Lale could've sworn she saw anger there but she couldn't be sure.

"Maybe I don't care," he shrugged.

She narrowed her eyes at him before excusing herself to join other guests.

{••}

"Excuse me Aliye, can I borrow my wife for a moment?" Aslan questioned, catching the women by surprise.

"Of course, of course," she waved them off animatedly with a knowing smile.

Aslan nodded, placing his hand on her waist as he guided her out of the ballroom. They rounded another corner and Aslan pulled the door open, ushered her in, closing the door behind him then switched on the lights.

Najmah walked to the windowsill, desperate to get away from the growing tension but she knew it was futile as they were alone in the room.

"Is there something wrong?" she questioned, watching him closely.

"Shouldn't  I ask you that?" he scoffed, crossing his arms against his chest.

"I'm perfectly alright as you can see," she rolled her eyes, pushing herself off the windowsill. "If you don't have anything to say, I'll head back to the party. I don't want to miss the auction."

"When are you going to stop pretending and see what is right in front of you?" he queried, grabbing her arm then pulled her close to him.

"What do you mean by that?" she uttered, pulling away from him.

"You damn well know what I am talking about," he stated, fixing an accusing glare on her.

"If...if you are talking...talking about...about the other night," she stuttered swallowing a lump in her throat. "...then you should forget about it. It was a mistake, you shouldn't get yourself too worked up about it."

"A mistake? A mistake you say?" he stalked towards her, his eyes blazing with fury. "Do you not care about me at all?"

"It wasn't what I was implying," she responded, stepping backwards.

"Well then tell me, what are you implying Najmah? Because if you don't, we will stay here all night until you decide to talk. I am so tired of assuming."

"Aslan," she warned, moving towards the door but he was quick to intercept her movement and lock the door instead.

"Seems like we have got a long night ahead of us," he stated, walking towards the recliner. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable hmm?"

She watched him tentatively, setting down on the recliner farthest away from him.

"Aslan we can't do this," she shook her head. "Nothing can come between us."

"Why Najmah? Give me one good reason why we can't," he implored.

"Because...because I have SPD and..."

"Not a good reason," he cut her off.

She stood up and began to pace around the room trying to come up with a good reason.

"I am an unfeeling person Aslan, I don't care about people. I'm...I'm... I'm depressed, I'm cold, I prefer solitude. I don't like being around people, you can't possibly care about me. You said it yourself we were forced into each other’s lives and we're not perfect for each other."

"Things changed," he replied, his posture rigid.

"What changed Aslan? Why are you doing this? I was fine with just being friends with you and now...now you are confusing me. I dunno what you want from me."

"There is nothing confusing about this Najmah. I care about you," he blurted, shoving a hand through his hair.

"I care about you," he enunciated stalking towards her. "I didn't mean to but I do and I know that you care about me too."

She gulped, taking a step backwards till she hit the wall and became trapped.

"Stop fighting it Najmah," he rasped, trailing a finger down her face.

She gazed into his eyes, seeing the different emotions that flashed through them before focusing her gaze somewhere else. "I don't care about you," she deadpanned, forcing herself not to tear up.

"Don't you now?" he laughed humorlessly, backing away from her.

"There's no you and I Aslan, we can't be together. I just wish that you'd see what I'm tryna tell you. You can't be happy with me, I have mental issues Aslan. I feel so stuck..."

"Is that how you see it? That you are stuck? No one is forcing you to do anything Najmah! For God's sake, you are not the only person with mental issues okay? Stop making everything about you. Stop being selfish!"

"I'm selfish? Looking out for you is called selfishness?" she queried, bitterness etched to her tone.

"That is not your decision to make, being with you was my decision. You don't want to be with me, that is fine. I will respect your decision. We had a deal, we shall part ways three weeks from now. You have nothing to worry about, I will stay out of your way till it is time to let you go." And with that, he was gone leaving her behind for the second time in a week with a broken heart. She slid down the wall, placing her head in her palms as she began to sob silently.

'What have I done? Why does it hurt so much?' she screamed in her head wishing she could tell him that she cared about him too.

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