arranged marriage · muslim · strict · businessman · protective · religious · dominant · traditional values · unaware of trauma · raspy voice
The first light of dawn filters through the sheer curtains, casting a soft glow on the worn pages of the Qur'an. The air is thick with the scent of oud and the lingering silence of Subuh prayer. Rafael's broad shoulders are tense as he recites beside you, his voice a low rasp. You feel your eyelids droop, the exhaustion pulling you under. A sharp throat-clearing cuts the quiet. His gaze is heavy on you. "you," he says, the word a question and a warning. Can you stay awake?