chap:-5
1209 Words
Night Love
Chapter 5: The Midnight Escape
The walls of the North Wing were closing in on Arura. It had been three days since Zayan had crushed her phone, three days of being watched by silent guards and hidden cameras. Every meal was served in silence, and every night, Zayan would stand at her doorway for a moment, his shadow stretching across her bed like a dark omen, before he locked her in for the night.
But tonight was different.
The storm that had been brewing all evening finally broke. Thunder rattled the windowpanes, and lightning illuminated the room in jagged flashes of white. Arura lay in bed, fully dressed under her covers, her heart pounding in her ears.
She had found a spare key in the pocket of one of Zayan’s old jackets in the closet. It was a gamble, a desperate one, but she couldn't stay here any longer. She needed to know the truth about her father. She needed to know if the man protecting her was actually the one who had destroyed her family.
At 2:00 AM, she crept out of bed. The floorboards remained silent under her bare feet. She reached the door and slid the key into the lock.
Click.
The sound felt as loud as a gunshot in the quiet hallway. Arura held her breath, waiting for the guards to appear, but the hallway remained empty. Zayan had grown arrogant; he thought his fear was enough to keep her in place.
She navigated through the dark corridors, her memory guiding her toward the servants' entrance near the kitchen. Outside, the rain was a torrential downpour, soaking her thin dress in seconds. She didn't care. She ran toward the old gate, the place Sayor had mentioned in the message Zayan had destroyed.
"I didn't think you had the spine to do it."
Arura gasped, spinning around. Sayor was leaning against the stone pillar of the gate, an umbrella in one hand and his signature smirk on his face. Even in the pouring rain, he looked completely unbothered.
"You... you’re really here," Arura panted, her hair clinging to her face. "Tell me. Tell me what you know about my father."
Sayor stepped closer, pulling her under the shelter of his umbrella. The smell of rain and expensive tobacco surrounded them. "Direct, aren't we? I like that. Your father wasn't just a businessman, Arura. He was a partner in a deal that went very, very wrong. A deal involving the mansion in Sylhet and a trust fund worth millions."
"What kind of deal?"
"The kind people kill for," Sayor whispered, his blue eyes glinting in the dark. "The accident that killed your father... it wasn't an accident. The brakes were tampered with. And the person who gained the most from his death? Well, he’s currently keeping you locked in his North Wing."
Arura felt the world tilt. "No... Zayan wouldn't. He was there for us. He paid for the funeral, he took us in—"
"He took you in to keep you quiet!" Sayor snapped, his voice sharp. "He needed to make sure you never went looking for those documents. If you find the original will, Zayan loses everything. The business, the mansion... it all belongs to you. You’re not his sister, Arura. You’re his biggest threat."
Arura’s knees felt weak. She leaned against the cold stone of the gate, the truth hitting her like a physical blow. Everything she thought she knew was a lie. Her protector was her predator.
"Why are you telling me this, Sayor? What do you want?"
Sayor reached out, his thumb brushing a raindrop off her cheek. "I want to see Zayan burn. He thinks he’s a god, but he’s just a man with a lot of secrets. Help me find that document, and I’ll get you and your mother away from him. I’ll give you back your life."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't," Sayor smirked. "But you know for a fact that you can't trust him."
Suddenly, a blinding light cut through the darkness. A black SUV roared up the driveway, its headlights pinning Arura and Sayor like insects against a wall. The engine growled, a sound of pure, unadulterated fury.
"Run," Sayor whispered, his eyes widening. "He’s here."
The car door flew open, and Zayan stepped out. He didn't have an umbrella. The rain drenched his black shirt, making it cling to his powerful frame. His face was a mask of cold, lethal rage. In his hand, he held a small tracking device—the one he had hidden in Arura’s necklace.
"Arura. Come. Here. Now."
Zayan’s voice wasn't a shout. It was a low, vibrating command that felt like a physical weight. He didn't even look at Sayor. His eyes were fixed on Arura, filled with a possessive fire that threatened to consume her.
"No!" Arura screamed, stepping back toward Sayor. "I know the truth, Zayan! I know what you did to my father!"
Zayan’s expression didn't change, but his eyes grew even darker. He walked toward them, ignoring the rain, ignoring the lightning. "You know nothing but the lies of a snake. Sayor is using you to hurt me. I told you what would happen if you left the wing."
He reached them in three long strides. Sayor stepped forward to block him, but Zayan didn't hesitate. He landed a punch so swift and powerful that Sayor fell back against his car, gasping for air.
Zayan grabbed Arura’s waist, hauling her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.
"Let me go! I hate you! I hate you!" Arura screamed, pounding her fists against his back, but he didn't even flinch.
He threw her into the back seat of the SUV and locked the doors. He turned back to Sayor, who was wiping blood from his lip.
"This was your last mistake, Sayor," Zayan said, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Tomorrow, your company will be bankrupt. And if you ever speak to her again, you won't live to see the sunrise."
Zayan got into the driver’s seat and sped off, the tires screeching against the wet pavement. Inside the car, Arura was sobbing in the corner of the seat.
"You can't keep me forever, Zayan," she cried.
Zayan looked at her through the rearview mirror, his eyes devoid of any mercy. "Watch me, Arura. You wanted to know the truth? Here is the only truth that matters: You are never leaving my side. Not in this life, and not in the next."
He drove back to the mansion, the gates closing behind them with a finality that sounded like a prison door. Arura was back in her golden cage, but now, the walls were thicker, and the shadow of the man who owned her was darker than ever before.
The war had moved from the shadows into the light. And Arura was just beginning to realize that the person she feared the most might be the only one she belonged to.
- Writer
