Chapter 9: Pure Possession
1281 Words
Flashback continue
Two nights later.
The hotel.
Zayd was on his way to the VIP floor, his men flanking him like shadows. His steps were sharp, his aura cold enough to silence the air around him. The corridor was quiet, lined with golden lights.
Then—
A body collided into him.
Small. Shaking. Clutching his shirt with desperate hands.
Zayd’s men tensed instantly, weapons halfway drawn.
Zayd’s eyes lowered.
And his world froze.
It was her.
Aliyana.
Her face streaked with tears. Her amber eyes swollen, trembling, pleading. Her clothes torn at the shoulder, wrinkled, stained. She looked… broken. Fragile. A bird with snapped wings.
“Help me…” Her voice cracked, so soft, so desperate, it was almost a whisper against his chest.
Zayd’s jaw clenched. A fire roared inside him. His hand gripped her trembling frame tighter, his teeth grinding.
What happened to you?
Behind her, footsteps echoed. Two men emerged from the shadows of the hall, their eyes widening the moment they saw her in his arms.
Their gaze flicked to Zayd. To the silent storm of his men lined behind him.
And they knew.
Death.
The two bolted, running in the opposite direction.
Zayd’s men didn’t wait for orders — they stormed after them, guns drawn, footsteps pounding like thunder down the corridor.
Zayd didn’t spare the cowards another glance. His attention was locked only on the trembling figure in his arms.
“Shh…” he muttered low, a whisper almost no one could believe came from him. He slipped off his coat and draped it around her shoulders, covering her torn clothes, shielding her from the world.
She trembled harder, a soft whimper escaping her lips, before her body went limp.
Unconscious.
Zayd lifted her as though she weighed nothing, cradling her against him, her hair dampening his shirt with tears. His eyes burned with a storm as he carried her into the VIP suite.
“Bring a doctor. Now. And women. She doesn’t wake up like this” His tone was sharp, deadly calm.
Within minutes, the room transformed. A doctor arrived, along with two women Zayd trusted to handle her with care. They whispered respectfully, taking Aliyana gently from his arms, dressing her in fresh clothes, tending to her until her breaths steadied.
Zayd stood in the corner, fists clenched, jaw tight, his hazel eyes burning holes into the floor. His coat still draped over her shoulders.
For the first time in years, Zayd — the monster everyone feared — felt powerless.
Zayd sat far from her, posture sharp, gaze locked on the fragile figure lying on the bed. He didn’t blink, didn’t breathe, as though his very presence was tethered to her rising and falling chest.
A faint sound broke the silence.
She stirred. Her lashes fluttered, lips parting slightly, and slowly her amber eyes opened.
Zayd rose immediately from the sofa, his steps measured but quick. His face was the first thing she saw — sharp features hovering over her, hazel eyes burning yet softened in that moment.
Aliyana stiffened. Fear flickered in her eyes. Her hand clutched the quilt tightly as she looked around, heart hammering.
“Don’t worry,” his voice was low, steady. “You’re safe here.”
Her breath steadied. Relief washed through her features as her gaze dropped to her hands. Softly, almost hesitantly, she whispered—
“Thank you.”
Zayd froze. The words hit him harder than any bullet. She had never spoken to him like this before — no venom, no coldness, no hmph.
He stared at her, shock flickering across his face, before a slow smile tugged at his lips.
“So…” he leaned slightly closer, eyes gleaming with mischief, “no hmph? No turning your face away?”
Aliyana blinked, startled. Her cheeks flushed instantly. She squeezed her eyes shut, hiding her expression like a child caught red-handed.
Zayd’s lips curved wider. He chuckled.
The sound echoed in the room, deep and unexpected.
Aliyana’s eyes snapped open, her mouth parting in disbelief. She stared at him, wide-eyed. “W-what?”
Zayd tilted his head, amused. “What?”
Her lips trembled, and then, with surprising boldness, she blurted—
“You can laugh too.”
Zayd blinked, stunned.
Then, slowly, a laugh slipped past his lips — low at first, then stronger, warmer, filling the room like thunder rolling across a stormy sky.
Aliyana gaped at him, cheeks flushed, torn between disbelief and a strange flutter inside her chest.
Outside the door, his men exchanged stunned glances. One nearly choked on air, the other pressed his hand to his chest. Their boss — the Zayd — was laughing.
Inside, Aliyana bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.
Zayd just looked at her, his eyes dark with something new.
For the first time, the beast felt alive.
A week passed.
Zayd was in his office, papers spread before him, his mind sharp as ever. Deals, territories, power moves — the world bent to his will. Until—
A knock at the door.
One of his men entered. “Boss… Miss Aliyana is here. She wants to meet you.”
For the first time that day, Zayd froze. His brows rose, surprise flickering across his face. Then, slowly, his lips curved into a smile.
“Let her in.”
The heavy office doors opened. Aliyana stepped inside.
She didn’t look at him. Not even once. Instead, she moved with quiet curiosity, her gaze roaming the lavish interior.
The office was dark wood and glass, shelves lined with books and trophies, a hint of leather and musk in the air. Power radiated from every corner. But Aliyana seemed to ignore all that.
She placed a small box carefully on the side table near the door, then drifted deeper into the room like a curious child.
Her eyes landed on a glass showpiece — a transparent sphere holding what looked like a captured moon. She lifted it delicately, her lips parting.
“Wow…” she whispered, awe softening her face.
Zayd leaned back in his chair, amused. Didn’t she come here to meet me? And yet… She had already forgotten about him. Every encounter with her was different, unpredictable. And somehow, that made her even more dangerous to his composure.
He rose from his seat, moving quietly until he stood just behind her.
“It is beautiful,” he said.
Aliyana’s eyes stayed on the glowing orb in her hand. “More than beautiful… it feels like the moon is in my palm. Look—” She turned instinctively to show him, her eyes bright with wonder—
And then reality struck her.
She was standing in Zayd’s office. Holding his possession. Showing it to him.
Her expression shifted instantly, panic replacing awe.
Zayd caught it, biting back a laugh. He almost smirked, but her wide-eyed shock was too pure. Too genuine.
“Yeah,” he murmured, eyes dropping to the showpiece cradled in her hands. “It feels like that.”
Her grip faltered. The moon almost slipped—
But his hand shot out, catching it effortlessly.
Aliyana gasped. “Oh, I’m… I’m sorry, I just… lost—”
This time, Zayd laughed. A low, rich sound that filled the room. “It’s okay. Come, sit.”
Embarrassed, Aliyana nodded quickly and made her way to the sofa. She sat, eyes glued to her hands, cheeks still warm.
Five minutes passed. Silence stretched between them.
Zayd leaned against his desk, watching her closely. He was patient, but every second of her quietness only deepened his curiosity.
She sat, fingers knotted together, as though summoning courage. Her lashes stayed lowered, her lips pressed tight.
- Writer
