Chapter 1

After spending what seemed to be most of her life in a deep, uneventful sleep, Zafirah was more than ready to live her life to the fullest. She had spent so long fighting to survive and now she wanted to live. She had forgone most of her earlier mantras.

The woman who had gone to sleep never really did wake up. The one who did, had a renewed soul and a zeal for seeking the thrills of life. This was a new life for her, a second chance at a new beginning and she was going to seize the day, 'Carpe Diem' as they say it.

Zach had been kind enough to wheel her to their father's room where she now was it was rather unusual for him to do something for her without any resistance. Her brother seemed to have a lot on his plate at the moment. Something seemed to be bothering him, a lot. But she couldn't put a finger on it.

Annette. Came an instant answer. Yes, she remembered her name and every word she had said to her when she came to visit. She had remembered everything. In her world of darkness, words were the only things that tied her to the reality that was outside her mind.

The woman was good for her brother. She had heard it in his voice and hers, love. They were undoubtedly and quite madly in love with each other. Upon prodding her brother, Zafirah uncovered the real reason behind his uneasiness.

Men and their unnatural and universal ability to misinterpret situations and jump to the most asinine conclusions.

She laughed as she thought of how foolish and blind her brother had been. She had smacked the back of his head, hoping to knock some sense into him as she told him to go to Annette. He'd better be back with her preferably with a ring around her finger or else she might just disown him.

He loved Annette, Zafirah could see it clear in his eyes. And she could understand where he was coming from but, she couldn't believe Annette would do such a thing. From what she had heard when Annette had come to visit her, she knew that the woman was incapable of being sly. The poor woman was crazy for her brother and she had gathered all of that just by listening to her talk about him.

Her brother would be an idiot of the highest kind if he’d let a love like that go. After dropping her off to their father's room, Zach almost ran out of the hospital. Zaphirah sent a silent prayer to God for her brother.

Shaking her head, she had looked up at her father lying on the hospital bed, it broke her heart to see him like that. He looked so pale and weathered down. So, this must be how they felt when they came to visit me each time. She mused. And God, what a horrid feeling it was. To see one's father, their unparalleled hero, lying there looking weak and dull.

Her father was sleeping. The word 'sleep' terrified her. She gently nudged her father awake. Almost in an instant his demeanour changed. Albeit, he still looked sick, but his face was lit up with happiness as he smiled looking at her. His gentle green eyes, which both the siblings had inherited were filled with unshed tears and unhinged happiness.

"Hi Pop's." She addressed her father as her vision blurred with tears of her own.

"Zafirah, my little Princess. I had prayed and prayed to God for this day. I’m so glad to be here to see this. Granted that I wasn't supposed to be in the hospital as well." He joked. There was the jovial man she called Pop's.

"I came back because of you. I wanted to see you. I missed you so much. All of you. I am sorry to have put you through all this." She hugged her father, gently as she sent a rueful smile to her tear eyed mother.

"I am sorry, Princess. I shouldn't have burdened you with all that work. You were only a child." His voice cracked with sorrow.

"No, Pop's. It was nobody's fault but mine. I should have managed my time more efficiently. I should have taken more care of myself. Please, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. Promise me that you will not do this to yourself. Promise me." She held out her hand.

"I promise, Princess. I am just happy to have you back. You don't ever need to go back to the world of business again. You can do whatever you want. Take a trip to Hawaii, go surfing, make friends, live your life. I will do anything and everything in my power to keep you safe." He said as he wiped the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

"But, what about the business?" Zafirah enquired.

"That's not your headache anymore. I have appointed someone who will take care of it. You just need to relax and enjoy." Mr Rodriguez dismissed her worries.

Zafirah did not like the idea, not one bit. But she had chosen to keep her mouth shut as of the moment. She couldn't just stand by the side-lines and watch someone else take the reins of the business she'd built.

She was still the heiress to the Rodriguez hotels, no doubt about that. But time had brought in a sea of changes along with which came the millions of apprehensions of her rightfully worried family members. Upon talking to her father, she’d come to know that he'd given her responsibilities to someone else.

Now, all their hotels were managed by one of her father's friend’s son. Theodore Winthrop, was his name and that was all Zafirah could get out of her father before he dismissed her, again.

The whole of the Rodriguez clan was dead set against her working that much was evident from just ten minutes of talking to her parents. She hated the fact that they now treated her like a porcelain doll. She wanted to do it right this time around. To prove it to herself and to the world that she wasn’t a failure.

Her parents had wanted her to 'live young and free'. Yes, those were their exact words. Zafirah knew she had a long battle ahead and waking up was just the start. She wanted to get back to work and set things right. It was her family's business, her family’s name that was on the line after all, she couldn't just let some outsider take charge of it.

The conversations flowed easily between the three, they had a lot of catching up to do. The conversations were effortless but she could see that the topics were mostly superficial. It was as if they were afraid to talk about anything real or from the past.

Mrs Rodriguez was running her hand through Zafirah's hair, just like she used to do when she was younger. There was happiness and contentment in the air. A very rare moment they were in. Yet the moment seemed to be too delicately put together.

They were all pleasantly startled when a flustered blonde rushed into the room and hugged Zafirah like her life depended on it, almost knocking down Zafirah from her wheelchair.

"Where is my hug?" Her father teased. It instantly clicked in Zafirah’s mind, this must be Annette.

"Well, you must be Annette. Right?" Zafirah couldn't hold in her laugh as she looked towards her mother who nodded in confirmation.

"How are you-" Annette's big blue eyes were rimmed with tears and she seemed to struggle to form a proper sentence. Annette was stunning, Zafirah commended her brother’s choice.

"Awake?" Zafirah aided the woman.

This woman was not just crying for her. Zafirah feared that her idiotic brother had messed up bad this time. She could see how much Annette loved him. It was written in her eyes too.

"Yes." Annette was clearly embarrassed.

"Well, Pop's here decided to visit the hospital on his own account and I couldn't bear the thought of not being there for him. So, I fought and fought and here I am." Zafirah looked at her father.

"I-you- I am so sorry. I am not usually so-" Annette looked for the right word but instead hugged Zafirah.

"Tear stricken?" Zafirah joked, trying to lighten the mood.

She was her father's daughter alright.

"Don't tease her, Zafirah. The poor girl looks like she's been through hell already." Mr Rodriguez said and continued-

"Tell me. My dear, what has that clueless son of mine done now?" Her mother looked at Annette pointedly.

Zafirah knew exactly what her brother had done. She had a strong urge to smack him in the head once more for

his foolishness. He needs to make up for it big time. She mused.

"He didn't do anything. It was all my fault. I-" Annette defended Zach.

"Are we talking about my idiot brother here? I mean, don't get me wrong, I do love him to bits but he can be rather daft at times." Zafirah cut her off.

"I think he hates me." Annette confessed while looking down at her feet.

"Oh dearie, that boy of mine has been in love with you since the day you stepped into his office. At this point, you could stab him and he’d forgive you. The real question is, how do you feel about him?" Mrs Rodriguez asked.

The playful glint in her mother's eyes told Zafirah that the woman knew exactly how she felt. Her mother’s gaze seemed to be focused elsewhere.

Looking away from Annette who had her back to the door, Zafirah saw a dishevelled and out of breath Zach standing by the door. His curiosity was evident as he leaned in to listen.

"Yes, because, if you don't like him, we could knock him out, kidnap him and get you two married." Zafirah

gave Zach a pointed look.

"I don't even know if he wants to see me right now, let alone like me and here I am, madly in love with him." Annette sighed as she spoke.

Zafirah could see her brother grinning like a fool who had won a lottery and he sure had.

"Well, that makes what I am about to do a hell lot easier, Sweetheart." Zach said.

After the tearful reunion and the beautiful proposal. The Rodriguez family opened their arms to their newest member. Zafirah instantly knew that she and Annette would be great friends.

Seeing her brother and Annette so madly in love made Zafirah's broken heart yearned for a love like that. But right now, she was happy with the chance at life she'd been given.