Chapter 9 - Nora
The music slows, the final notes of the song fading as Sayid’s hold on me lingers. His fingertips graze the open back of my dress, and for a moment, I forget where we are. Warmth, and wetness pools between my thighs as he holds me against him.
His dark eyes hold mine, a storm of unreadable emotion behind them. I finally find the reply for his incredible words, but the sound of the microphone crackling to life shatters the moment. I freeze against him, not wanting to end our connection.
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen,” the MC announces cheerfully, “it’s time for the father-daughter dance! Let’s welcome our beautiful bride and her father to the dance floor.”
The guests erupt into applause. Sayid’s grip slowly falls away as he releases me. I step back, swallowing the sudden emptiness that replaces his touch. He leans in, his lips brushing ever so slightly against my ear—his voice just for me. “Don’t worry Nora, our dance has only just begun.” I barely have time to process the promise in his words before he steps away, melting back into the crowd.
I exhale, trying to compose myself as I watch Eliza take her father’s hand. Their song begins, and the room quiets as everyone watches the sweet moment unfold. Gary dances with her next, while Liam dances with Beth. When the song changes, Gary walks over towards me. His kind eyes crinkled with a familiar warmth.
“Dance with me, kiddo?” he asks softly. Emotion clogs my throat. I nod. His grip is completely different from Sayid's, but still comforting. “You alright?” he asks, swaying us gently.
I nod again, not trusting my voice. “You deserve a man as powerful as Sayid. Don't you ever doubt that for one second.”
I blink rapidly, my throat burning. “Thank you,” I whisper. Was Sayid’s attention towards me already that noticeable?
“I see the way he looks at you. He's the type of man that will burn the entire world down in order to protect you, and give you every desire to see you happy.” He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze. “And I'm always here for you as well.”
The moment is perfect. Safe. Until it isn’t. A dark presence looms nearby, and I can feel his approach. Tyson. “Mind if I cut in?”
Gary’s posture shifts immediately, protective, his hand tightening around mine.
I grip his shoulder, grounding myself. Not here. Not now. “I do mind Son,” Gary says evenly, but his usual warmth is gone.
Tyson lets out a short laugh. “Come on Dad, it’s just a dance.”
“She doesn’t want to dance with you,” Gary says, his voice firm. My stomach twists as I glance around. Guests are watching, Sayid is watching ,whispers are already spreading. Not here.
I gather my strength, forcing my voice steady. “Tyson, please just go.” He smirks, but something in his eyes flickers. I know that look, his ego bruised, his attempt to assert control is failing—he is going to explode. I instinctively tighten my grip on Gary’s shoulder as I flinch away from Tyson.
He leans in just enough for only me to hear. “We’ll talk soon, Nora.” A noticable chill runs through me. With that, he steps away, disappearing back into the crowd. I exhale, barely realizing I was holding my breath. I can’t believe he actually walked away.
Gary’s grip on my hand is firm. “Are you still alright?” His eyes search mine for the truth that I can’t exactly give him. Will I ever be alright knowing that Tyson still has this effect on me?
I force a smile, though my pulse is unsteady. “Yeah I think I am. Thank you Gary, for everything. I think I am going to go get some air.” I hug Gary before walking away. I know that if I stay for another moment near Gary, I will have an emotional breakdown right on the dance floor.
I can’t help but look toward the crowd as I turn around. My eyes find Sayid, his eyes are full of concern, and something else. His jaw is clenched. Based on Sayid’s posture, I could tell—Tyson just made a very, very dangerous mistake.
As I step out onto the balcony, the cool night breeze brushes against my flushed skin. My hands grip the railing as I exhale slowly, willing the thumping of my heart to steady. Once I take a few more breaths, and shake Tyson out of my head, Sayid’s words are echoing in my mind again.
His words during the dance were more than mere whispers. They were clearly a declaration. And they went straight to my heart, pulling deep. “You are above every woman in this room.” “No man deserves you.” “I protect what is mine.” Mine?
The way he held me, the way his voice dropped when he said it—he wasn’t just saying things to flatter me. He meant every word. But how?
How did he already feel so deeply for me? How did he seem to know me better than I knew myself?
I should feel wary, but I don’t. Because something in me knows him too. I press a hand to my chest, feeling the unsteady beat beneath my fingertips. Sayid is the only man that has ever actually paid attention to any of my interests. He has only given to me, and not just taken from me. I don’t quite know yet what this is between us, but I do know one thing—I have never felt this way before.
A soft laugh from the other side of the balcony pulls me from my thoughts. Two hotel staff members are leaning against the railing a few yards away, speaking in hushed tones.
"He’s the best boss I’ve ever had," one of them says, with admiration in their voice.
"Right? Mr. Hassan actually cares about his people," the other replies. "He pays above industry standard, always tips his staff directly, and did you hear? He comped all the wedding guests’ rooms, and has paid for all the wedding events here—personally."
"Personally? Please, you know he owns the place."
"Well yeah, this one and at least a dozen more. No one knows how many, but it’s a lot."
My stomach drops. I blink, my breath catching as I truly process what I just heard. Owns the place?
I thought he had just paid for the guests’ rooms out of generosity. But this… this is his hotel? I glance back toward the ballroom. I am not able to spot him through the tinted glass, but his presence still lingers in every part of me. So he is paying for more than just rooms, and travel expenses. His own hotel had to have been an intentional choice. Right?
The only thing that was clear after that dance, was that he had chosen me. A shiver runs down my spine, and it is not from fear. Something much deeper, something that I don’t quite understand yet. I need to know why he chose me, and I am not going to let it go until he gives me answers.
With my resolve set, I head back into the ballroom. Everyone is distracted by the cake cutting ceremony, but I don’t see Sayid in the crowd watching. I walk to the other end of the room, and head out of one of the side doors. I come out to a corridor, outside the ballroom, that stretches between other banquet rooms.
I slowly walk down the quiet hallway, admiring the marble walls with gold accents. I am lost in thought as I trace my fingers along the details. In an instant, my wrist is grabbed, and my arm is being yanked behind me. I stifle a sharp yelp.
“Where do you think you’re going?” My stomach instantly knots, and my wrist burns under Tyson’s unyielding grip. He reeks of whiskey, and his eyes are filled with a coldness I know deep in my soul.
I try to tug my arm free. “Let me go.” He grips tighter against my struggle.
“We never got to talk, sweetheart.” He pushes me up against the wall, and I feel the cool sting of the marble against my bare back. His hands cage me in—one on my wrist, pinning my arm against the wall, and the other braced beside my head as he presses against me. “You see, Nors. The thing is, I have no intention of letting you go.”
“You always run, but I know you don’t mean it.” Panic courses throughout my body, and I shove at him with my free hand. He doesn’t budge. The weight of him is suffocating me. I don’t know if it is all the alcohol I consumed earlier, or just the fear, but I can’t seem to find my voice.
“You think a man like Sayid actually wants you? He is just pitying the poor, broken girl. But I want you—I took your virginity. A piece of you will always belong to me. And I don’t plan on letting you go again.” Tyson’s hand moves to squeeze one of my breasts. My body stiffens in response, and I try to push him off of me again.
Don’t listen to him. I grit my teeth, and kick him in his shin as I make another attempt to escape from him. But the kick causes more pain to my own toes, than to his leg. He yanks me back by my dress strap, then crushes my chest with his forearm, pinning me against the wall with force. I feel a sharp sting in my chest, and can’t hold in a painful yelp.
“Fuck Nora, you know how much I like it when you put up a fight.” Tyson’s words cause me to still beneath him. I will not give him that satisfaction. His free hand now slides down my body, caressing every bit of me he can take in.
“Please Tyson, don’t do this! Just let me go!” I plead with him, and close my eyes.
Then, suddenly—“Remove your hands. Now.” Tyson’s body tenses, his breath hitching slightly. My eyes flash back open, but I don’t even have to look to know the perfectly bronzed knight that has come to my rescue. And Sayid’s tone is completely lethal. It is beyond warning.
Tyson turns his head slowly, irritation flickering across his face, but before he can speak—Sayid moves. One second, he is across the hallway. The next, he is there—gripping Tyson’s wrist, peeling it away from my body with a force that is terrifying, yet extremely controlled.
“You were already warned once.” His voice cuts like steel. Tyson winces, his face paling as Sayid tightens his grip. Not enough to break—but enough to make a point.
“You will not get another warning. Touch her again, and I will end you.” After a tense pause, Sayid releases him, and Tyson stumbles back.
“I have her virginity, that piece of her will always belong to me. You won’t be able to buy that from her.” Tyson’s words cut sharp as he backs away, rubbing his wrist.
“Virginity is not just some prize to be plucked while you discard the remainder. Real worth and value lies with the commitment to protect and cherish the person in their entirety.” Too drunk to comprehend any of Sayid’s poignant words, Tyson mutters a curse under his breath as he stumbles back down the hall.