A peaceful silence settled between them.
Elizabeth suddenly said,
"Will you take me to Russia?"
Takbir sat up straight.
"Why?"
Her voice was full of longing.
"I want to find Mom. I believe she's still alive."
Before Takbir could answer, a strange and harsh sound echoed from the sea.
Both of them looked toward the water.
Four large boats were rapidly approaching the shore.
Takbir's expression changed immediately. A bad feeling crept into his heart.
He quickly pulled Elizabeth behind him and stood protectively in front of her.
Today, he had rented the entire beach for privacy. No tourists were supposed to be here.
Within moments, the boats reached the shore.
Dozens of men dressed in black jumped out and rushed toward them. Their eyes were filled with hostility, and weapons glinted in their hands.
Fear gripped Elizabeth.
She grabbed Takbir's shirt tightly.
Suddenly, Takbir charged forward like a machine set into motion.
Within seconds, he knocked several attackers to the ground.
One after another, they came at him like waves, but Takbir fought them all with incredible skill and determination.
Blood stained the white sand red.
Yet he never stepped back.
With a thunderous roar, he shouted,
"You came to the wrong place!"
Elizabeth froze.
She had never seen this side of Takbir before.
This wasn't the gentle man she knew.
This Takbir was fierce, terrifying, and fearless.
The number of attackers slowly began to decrease.
At the airport immigration area, Richard and Lucas were preparing to return to Italy.
Suddenly, a red alert flashed on Richard's watch.
His face immediately darkened.
Without saying anything, he dropped his luggage and rushed toward the exit.
Lucas shouted in surprise,
"Boss! Where are you going?"
"Danger."
That single word was enough.
Lucas instantly sprang into action.
Back on the beach, Elizabeth suddenly screamed.
Takbir turned around immediately.
One attacker had grabbed Elizabeth by her hair.
She winced in pain.
Takbir's eyes filled with fury.
Picking up a broken glass bottle, he smashed it and threw the sharp piece with deadly accuracy.
The glass pierced the attacker's hand.
The man cried out and released Elizabeth.
Takbir immediately ran to her side.
But the attackers kept coming.
Five or six men surrounded them.
Takbir positioned Elizabeth behind him and continued fighting.
Then another attacker rushed toward Elizabeth with a knife.
She screamed and covered her face.
But no pain came.
Slowly opening her eyes, she saw something horrifying.
Takbir had grabbed the knife with his bare hand before it could reach her.
Blood poured from his hand.
Ignoring his injury, he kicked the attacker away.
Moments later, another knife struck Takbir's arm while he was protecting Elizabeth.
His shirt quickly became soaked with blood.
Still, he continued fighting.
Then disaster struck.
A wooden stick hit Elizabeth's head.
Blood began flowing down her neck.
Takbir's world stopped.
Seeing her blood terrified him more than all of his own injuries.
He pulled her tightly into his arms.
But his body was weakening.
His vision blurred.
Finally, both of them collapsed onto the sand.
Even then, Takbir used his own body to shield Elizabeth from every attack.
The attackers continued beating him relentlessly.
The setting sun slowly disappeared beyond the horizon.
Darkness crept into Takbir's vision.
His eyes finally closed.
Just then, hope arrived.
A helicopter appeared over the ocean.
Its blades cut through the air as it approached the beach.
The helicopter landed smoothly on the sand.
Standing at the door was a tall, powerful man.
Richard.
Without wasting a second, he pulled out two guns and opened fire.
His movements were precise and deadly.
One by one, the attackers fell.
No one even had a chance to fight back.
Bodies quickly covered the beach.
Takbir watched in disbelief.
While shooting, Richard briefly glanced at him and shouted,
"Stop staring at me, idiot! Get her into the helicopter!"
The words snapped Takbir back to reality.
He picked up the unconscious Elizabeth and rushed toward the helicopter.
Meanwhile, Richard's ammunition ran out.
One attacker was still alive.
Without hesitation, Richard threw himself at the man and attacked him with his bare hands.
The violence in his eyes was terrifying.
Takbir laid Elizabeth inside the helicopter.
The pilot couldn't wait any longer.
He took off with Elizabeth and Takbir onboard.
Until the helicopter disappeared from sight, Takbir kept looking back at Richard, who was still consumed by rage.
The helicopter landed at a private hospital near the island.
Lucas had already arranged everything.
Doctors and nurses rushed forward with stretchers.
Elizabeth was immediately taken inside.
Though seriously injured himself, Takbir followed closely behind.
Throughout the entire flight, he had pressed his hand against Elizabeth's wound to stop the bleeding.
And he cried.
He cried without shame.
The hospital corridor felt cold and lifeless.
Inside, doctors fought to save Elizabeth.
Outside sat a desperate lover.
Takbir's hair was messy.
His eyes were swollen red from crying.
Every few moments, he tried to enter her room.
Each time, nurses stopped him.
Eventually, a doctor came out.
Takbir immediately stood up.
"My wife...?"
The doctor sighed.
"She's alive, but she's in a coma."
Takbir grabbed his own hair and leaned against the wall.
His voice trembled.
"She's alive?"
"Yes. Pray for a miracle."
Takbir closed his eyes and released a long breath.
"That's enough for me... As long as she's still alive."
Elsewhere, inside a dark basement beneath a casino in Las Vegas, several prisoners sat tied up with ropes.
Fear filled the air.
Standing before them was Richard.
A gun hung from his hand.
His eyes burned with rage.
Lucas approached him.
"Boss, someone killed Alex and left the body in his mansion."
Richard's expression became even darker.
Without another word, he raised his gun.
Moments later, screams echoed throughout the basement.
Back at the hospital, Elizabeth finally regained consciousness.
The first thing she saw was Takbir.
He looked exhausted, injured, and completely broken.
The moment their eyes met, all the strength left his body.
He dropped to his knees beside her bed.
Holding her hand tightly, he pressed it against his forehead.
Tears fell uncontrollably.
Elizabeth gently touched his hair.
"Why are you crying? I'm okay."
Takbir remained silent.
Only tears answered her.
"I'm okay, good man."
Still no response.
Finally, she asked softly,
"Do men cry like this too?"
Takbir slowly looked up.
His eyes were red and trembling.
"Do you think men don't cry?
Have you ever seen a man cry openly in a crowded hospital?
I cried... only because of you."
Elizabeth lost her words.
Her heart trembled.
Takbir sat beside her and said quietly,
"I don't want immortality in this temporary world.
I only wanted to spend whatever time I have with you.
One day or a hundred days—it doesn't matter.
Every moment with you feels complete.
I've lost myself in you.
If I lose you, I'll have nothing left."
Elizabeth looked at him silently.
Every time he spoke, she felt speechless.
Then she suddenly remembered something.
"How do you know how to fight like that?"
Takbir smiled faintly.
"For you, war can begin anywhere and at any time."
Meanwhile, Richard and Lucas drove through Las Vegas.
Everything felt suspicious.
Who attacked Takbir?
Who killed Alex?
How did Alex's men learn about Elizabeth?
Too many mysteries remained unsolved.
Lucas showed Richard a hospital video.
It was footage of Takbir crying desperately for Elizabeth.
Richard frowned.
"Why is he crying so much? That's strange."
Lucas smiled slightly.
"That's called love, Boss.
When someone truly loves another person, they're terrified of losing them."
Before Lucas could finish talking about his own sweetheart—
SLAP!
Richard smacked him immediately.
Later that night, inside the Red Wine Night Club, Richard stood alone in a dark room.
Again and again, he punched a heavy bag.
Each punch carried anger, jealousy, and pain.
He refused to surrender to his feelings.
Nearby, Lucas sat quietly with a bandaged leg.
Suddenly Richard shouted,
"When is the next flight?"
Two men.
Two completely different paths.
One followed love and peace.
The other followed anger and darkness.
Yet both were moving toward the same destination.