Ava's heart pounded in her chest, and her breaths came in shallow gasps as she stood there, face to face with Ibrahim. She mustered the courage to speak, "Please, let me go Mr. Ibrahim. I won't tell anyone about you. Just please, let me go."
His response was chillingly matter-of-fact, "I didn't kidnap you with the intention of letting you go later, baby girl."
Tears welled up in Ava's eyes as she fought to maintain her composure. She couldn't let herself break down in front of him, "You can't do this to me. I have a family, a future ahead of me. How can you kidnap me and just lock me in a room?"
Ibrahim took a step forward and Ava instinctively moved backward, her heart pounding in her chest. "You're right, Ava. This isn't right. But I have an offer for you," he said, his tone almost nonchalant.
Ava found her voice again, "An offer?"
Ibrahim nodded, and his lips curled into a smile. "You can lead a normal life, Ava. But there's one condition," he revealed, his eyes locking onto hers. "You have to marry me."
Ava's world came crashing down in that moment. She stood there blankly. She was unable to understand the words that had just been spoken. Ibrahim's proposal left her utterly stunned. How could she even consider such a proposition?
She stammered, "You... You can't expect me to agree to this. This is... this is unthinkable."
Ibrahim's eyes bore on hers. He seemed almost indifferent to her refusal. "Ava, after marriage, you can have everything," he stated calmly. "Wealth, protection, anything you desire. I'll treat you like a queen."
Ava's frustration deepened as she shook her head vigorously. "I don't want your wealth, protection, or anything you can offer," she retorted, "I just want to go home, to be with my brother. You can't keep me here against my will."
Ibrahim didn't say. He never faced no for any answers. He belonged to a world where everyone agreed to his orders. But infront of Ava, he couldn't be too cruel. And the situation took a different turn, when Faisal and Samir had brought Kamir, who was now in their custody.
They both turned their gaze towards Kamir. Ava's heart sank as she realized that the guard who helped her, had been caught. His hands were bound by a rope.
Faisal wasted no time, "This man helped Ava escape from the mansion, Ibrahim."
She wanted to vouch for Kamir, to tell them that he had only helped her because she was in danger. But the words couldn't escape from her throat. She helplessly looked at Kamir.
Ibrahim's face remained stoic, "Ava, I can end this right now. All you have to do is agree to marry me."
She met Ibrahim's demand with a trembling voice, "I won't marry you. I can't."
Ibrahim's patience seemed to wear thin, and he signaled to Samir and Faisal. "If words won't persuade you," he said, "perhaps other methods will."
Before they proceeded, Samir took a piece of cloth and roughly placed it over Kamir's mouth to muffle his cries. Faisal and Samir flanked Kamir. Their faces didn't contain any kind of sympathy. Kamir was defenseless as the first blow struck, sending a shockwave of pain through his body. The muffled groans behind the cloth covering his mouth were the only proof to his suffering.
Ibrahim's voice cut through. "Ava, I've given you a choice," he said, "Accept my proposal, and this ends. Otherwise, you will witness the consequences."
Ava watched in horror. Her resolve remained unbroken, and she couldn't bear the sight of the man who had helped her being beaten. Desperation welled up inside her, and she attempted to move toward them, to stop the brutality, but Ibrahim swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm.
"You're not going anywhere," Ibrahim declared.
"Please, stop this," Ava pleaded with Ibrahim, her voice a trembling cry. "He helped me. He's innocent. You can't do this."
Faisal and Samir continued to beat Kamir and Kamir's muted groans of pain and the muffled thuds of each impact seemed to echo the empty street at the night.
Faisal, his voice laced with cruelty, taunted Kamir, "You should have known better than to cross Ibrahim, Kamir."
Samir, equally merciless, joined in, "Ava may have some pity for you, but it won't save you from the consequences of your actions."
Ava's tears flowed freely as she bore witness to the brutality. Her heart ached for Kamir who had risked everything to help her escape the mansion. She struggled to break free from Ibrahim's grip, but the more she resisted, the tighter his hold became. She was no longer willing to tolerate the pressure and manipulation that Ibrahim was subjecting her to. "How can you even think that I would marry you?" she spat out, "You can't force me into it by beating the guard infront of me. I'll never say yes."
Just as Ava voiced her defiance, Ibrahim issued an abrupt order, "Faisal, Samir, leave him."
Faisal and Samir halted in their tracks. The abrupt end to the beating was met with a heavy silence on the streets. Samir and Faisal, both stepped away from Kamir, their faces bearing the exhaustion of their ruthless actions. Kamir, on the other hand, was left battered and broken, unable to stand after enduring the relentless beating.
Ava hoped that Ibrahim had changed his mind, that perhaps there was a glimmer of humanity left in him. Her hope was short-lived as she turned her gaze toward Ibrahim. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw him retrieve a gun from his pocket. With one hand still tightly gripping Ava's arm, he raised the firearm with the other. The gun gleamed in the bright streetlight.
In an instant, Ibrahim fired, not once, but four times, each shot ripping through the air with a deafening roar. Kamir's body jerked with the impact of each bullet, and he fell to the ground. His lifeless form crumpled to the ground and a pool of blood forming around him.
Ava was paralyzed by the shocking violence. Horror gripped her as she watched the life drain from the man who had risked everything to help her. His eyes now stared lifelessly into the abyss.
Ibrahim forced Ava to face him, her red eyes locked onto his enigmatic gaze. She was frozen with fear and shock. He spoke, his voice calm, "You've seen what I'm capable of, Ava. If you don't agree to our marriage this time..." He paused "I can kill your brother, Elara, just as I killed Kamir."
Ava couldn't bear the weight of his threat. All the things were too much for her to bear. The world spun around her, and her vision blurred. Her eyes rolled back, and she slumped forward. A wave of dizziness washed over her and Ibrahim caught her before she crumpled to the ground.