Suddenly, Ava heard the sound of the door locking behind her. Ava's head snapped around.
Then, light. Sudden, harsh light that flooded the room, momentarily blinding her. She squeezed her eyes shut, blinking furiously until the world around her came into focus.
And then she saw him.
Tall, imposing, with a dark suit that clung to his muscular build, stood Ibrahim Rahman.
Her husband. Her captor. Her nightmare.....
"Welcome back to the gang, baby girl." Ibrahim's hands were casually tucked into his pockets.
Her wide eyes locked into Ibrahim's face. It was as if she'd forgotten how to blink, the image of him burned into her retinas. His unexpected presence stole the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping like a fish out of water. Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined he'd find her so soon. This wasn't supposed to happen.
Meanwhile Ibrahim oozed a casual confidence that sent chills down her spine. His smirk wasn't a happy one, but a cruel twist of his lips, like a predator savoring the delicious taste of trapped prey. He took slow steps towards her, each footfall echoing ominously in the sudden silence. Stopping just inches away, he loomed over her.
Ibrahim leaned close and spoke directly into her ear, "See, Ava. I don't even need to touch you and you're already trembling. Isn't that pathetic?"
The nearness of him, the heat of his body, amplified Ava's fear. His dark and possesive gaze held her captive. It was a look that spoke – she was his property, no matter how far she'd run, no matter how desperately she'd tried to disappear.
He reached up and snatched the black mask from her face. Ava flinched at the sudden contact.
"Did you truly believe," he drawled, "that this little disguise could keep you hidden from me forever, Ava?"
"D-did you… d-did you do this?" she stammered, "Did you make all this happen? Lalana… Tanin…"
Her throat became tighter and narrower but she forced out a shaky question, "D-did you… d-did you do this? Lalana… Tanin… was it all… all a set up?"
Ibrahim took a deep breath, "Yes. The whole thing was a little play to lure you back to me..... Far more thrilling than simply snatching you off from the street, wouldn't you agree?"
Ava's feelings for Ibrahim grew worse because of his words. "Where are they?!" she demanded.
Ibrahim tilted his head. "Hmm," he mused, feigning surprise, "It seems you care more about them than yourself, how sweet." He gestured with a flourish of his hand. "Why don't you take a look behind you?"
"Behind?" Hesitantly, she turned. The sight that greeted her eyes stole the air from her lungs.
A large, rectangular glass tank dominated the back of the room. It was filled with a clear liquid that shimmered under the harsh light. A thick fog hovered above the surface. Her gaze traveled upwards, her blood turning to ice in her veins.
Tanin and Lalana hung suspended from the ceiling, their bodies secured by thick chains bound around their waists. The chains were secured tightly around their waists, held them precariously above the churning liquid.
The cousins were unconscious, their faces pale and clammy, their limbs limp. The scene reeked of a twisted horror movie.
And there Samir and Faisal stood beside the machine which was controlling the chains. Samir even waved a mocking "Hi!" in Ava's direction.
A cold hand clamped down on Ava's shoulder, the sudden touch making her jump. "They're alive... for now," Ibrahim whispered in her ear, "But how long that lasts depends entirely on you. See, this harmless-looking liquid? It may appear like water, but it's something far more… persuasive. Hydrochloric acid, Ava. Quite nasty stuff, wouldn't you agree? Melts right through human flesh like butter in a matter of seconds. A slow, agonizing way to go."
Ava spun around and stared at Ibrahim, "Why?! What have they ever done to you?!"
A vein throbbed in Ibrahim's temple, his jaw clenching so tightly Ava could hear the pop of his teeth grinding together. "Give me the phone," he growled.
She was caught red-handed. She was trying to switch on her phone to call Somchai secretly. But Ibrahim had already noticed.
He snatched the phone from her grasp before she could even react. Then he snapped it in two with his bare hands. The phone shattered into a useless mess of plastic and wires.
"Even now," Ibrahim sneered, you think you can outsmart me, Ava?"
He tossed the broken phone pieces dismissively into a corner, "Samir," he called out, "pull the chain."
She couldn't understand the mechanics of the machine but all she could see Lalana and Tanin were sinking lower towards the liquid. The chain which were holding their unconscious bodies groaned under the strain.
Ava lunged for Ibrahim and grabbed his arm, "Don't do this! They're innocent! Please, stop this!"
For a fleeting moment, his focus strayed. He barely registered the desperate pleas spilling from Ava's lips, the raw fear in her eyes. He didn't react to her words, his gaze fixed on the spot where her hand gripped his bicep.
Her touch held an undeniable allure for Ibrahim, drawing his focus more than her desperate cries and pleas. Even in this dire situation, her touch sent a surge of dark desire through him. It was like a sudden, powerful drug.
"Ibrahim, please!" she pleaded, her voice cracking with the strain of holding back the flood of emotions threatening to engulf her. "Do whatever you want with me. Hurt me, punish me, I don't care. But leave them out of this!"
He looked at her, "Punish you Now that's a phrase that brings back memories. The games we used to play right? Sounds tempting."
His voice dropped into a whisper, "You say you don't care what I do to you? Is that what you're offering, Ava? Anything I ask for?"
Ava blinked rapidly. What exactly did he mean by 'anything'? As if reading her thoughts, a slow, wicked grin spread across Ibrahim's face.
"Anything," he breathed, "Absolutely anything I desire, and you, my sweet Ava, will have to obey."
Her heart plummeted. Ava's escape plans were over. Ibrahim had found her, and there was no running now. And she wouldn't let her friends be sacrificed. She had to secure their safety, even if it meant sacrificing herself. Thailand was no longer an option for escape; she had to play along with him until they reached Malaysia. Only then could she even consider another daring move. For now, the only thing that mattered was getting Tanin and Lalana out of this horrifying situation alive.
She didn't even know what further anger lurked beneath the surface of Ibrahim's amusement. She darted a desperate glance at Lalana and Tanin – their bodies mere inches from the churning acid, Lalana's hand hanging limply, almost brushing the surface any moment.
"I said Stop that machine! Now!" Ava screamed at Samir. The force of her shout echoed through the dimly lit cottage.
Startled by sudden outburst, Samir flinched and hit the stop button. The machine whirred to a halt, suspending Lalana and Tanin precariously in mid-air.
Faisal muttered to Samir, "Looks like we're in for a lecture now."
"Sister-in-law is the god, and the god is sister-in-law," Samir mumbled while looking at Faisal, "Ava's the only one I take orders from today."
But both were wrong. The tension had drained Ava completely. The moment the machine lurched to a halt, her legs gave way, and she crumpled to the rough cement floor, her knees scraping painfully. Tears finally streamed down her face.
What else could she do? She was a woman at the end of her rope, with no strength left to fight. There were no defiant words left in her, no grand pronouncements of rebellion. She had lost. Back then, it had been her brother's life on the line, a threat that had forced her to marry Ibrahim. Today, it was Tanin and Lalana. She became Ibrahim's prisoner once more....