Chapter 6 : Meeting with Ibrahim.

"Hello." Ava said with a low tone.

On the other end of the line, there was a brief silence, almost as if the caller were judging her. Ava's heart raced as the deep voice on the other end of the line finally spoke. "Ava!" The voice paused momentarily before continuing, "I was waiting for your call."

 Ava's fingers toyed with the edge of her nightshirt as she asked the question that had been haunting her from the previous day, "Are you the one who's been sending those bouquets? Why did you give me those flowers?"

The man took a deep breath,"Mmm..m" and Ava could hear the sound of his inhale over the phone. She took small, measured steps and sat on her bed, awaiting his response.

"I sent those bouquets to get your attention," he admitted.

Ava's brows furrowed as she asked, "My attention? Why?"

The man's voice held a hint of amusement as he replied, "I saw you at Mia's wedding, and I couldn't help but become interested."

Ava leaned back against her pillows, still confused. "But how did I make you interested in me?"

A faint, almost amused chuckle filtered through the line. "Perhaps I should be asking that question, not the other way around."

Ava shook her head, "I really haven't done anything to garner anyone's attention."

The man playfully prodded, "Are you getting nervous, Ava?"

Ava quickly retorted, "No, I'm not nervous. But I'm puzzled. I didn't even meet you at the wedding.

The man explained, "You might not have seen me, but I certainly noticed you... enough."

Ava gripped the phone tightly, her curiosity growing by the second. She hesitated briefly before asking, "Are you a friend of Mia's?"

The man clarified, "I don't really know Mia well. I'm more of Amir's friend."

Ava nodded in understanding. "I see. So, what's your name?"

The man paused for a moment before revealing, "You want to know my name? It's Ibrahim, Ibrahim Rahman."

Ava processed the name, repeating it in her mind. Her mind was racing as she heard the name 'Ibrahim Rahman' before. She placed the call on speaker mode and pulled up her phone's browser to search for Ibrahim Rahman. 

Ibrahim on the other end of the line sensed her actions. "Are you searching my name on the internet?" he asked. 

Ava was momentarily taken aback. How could he possibly know what she was doing? "How do you..." she started, but he interrupted her.

 "Okay, go ahead and do your search.", Ibrahim encouraged her.

Ava directed her attention to the search results displayed on her phone screen. The search revealed that Ibrahim Rahman was indeed a well-known and wealthy businessman in Kuala Lumpur. Her eyes widened as she read about Ibrahim Rahman, a renowned and wealthy businessman in Kuala Lumpur. The search results painted a picture of a man deeply involved in various legitimate enterprises, from real estate to technology companies. However, the internet was silent about his shadowy underworld activities.

Ava's curiosity drove her to click on image results, and a series of photographs of Ibrahim appeared on her screen. He was captured in various settings, from formal events to candid moments. He had a sharp jawline, his hair immaculately styled with gel, and brown eyes that seemed to penetrate through the camera lens and his attire was always perfectly tailored.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a voice startled her, "Have you completed your search, Baby Girl?" It was the same voice, but this time it didn't come from her phone. Her eyes widened as she looked up in alarm.

There, near the glass door leading to her balcony, stood Ibrahim Rahman. Startled, Ava who had been lying on the bed, quickly sat up on her bed, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her surprise was palpable, and her voice trembled as she questioned him, "How did you... How did you get into my room?"

Ibrahim casually placed his hands in his suit pockets. His voice was smooth as he responded, "Through the balcony."

Ava's mouth fell open in sheer disbelief. She stammered, "But... how can you come through the balcony?"

Ibrahim's smile remained. He had clearly enjoyed the element of surprise he had brought into her. His tone was casual as he explained, " It wasn't too challenging to enter into a second-floor balcony, and your door was unlocked, Ava. All it took was a simple turn of the handle."

Ava's eyes shifted uneasily to the glass door as she realized the mistake she'd made, leaving her balcony door unlocked. She felt a lump in her throat as she looked back at Ibrahim, her voice quivering as she protested, "You can't just enter someone's house like that."

Ibrahim spoke her name, "Ava" he paused briefly before adding, "I can do many things."

His gaze remained fixed on her as he took slow steps into the room. Ava automatically edged back. She implored, "Don't... don't come near me."

Ibrahim, however, didn't heed her plea to stay away. He calmly moved closer, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Ava's eyes widened with fear, and she moved back even further. She clutched a pillow as a shield defensively, ready to protect herself if necessary. Though they were separated by the width of the bed, the tension was palpable.

Ibrahim couldn't suppress a low chuckle at her defensive posture, which made her clutching a pillow all the more surreal. He leaned closer and said, "I'm here because of you, Ava."

Ibrahim took a deep breath and revealed his true intentions, "I want you, Ava. I really like you."

Ava's eyes widened in disbelief. She stammered, "Wh...What do you mean?" Her mouth hanging open as she struggled to process the shocking revelation. But her surprise was abruptly interrupted by the doorbell's chime, causing her to jump. She mumbled, "Elara must be here."

Ibrahim's reaction was a muttered curse, "Shit." Ava worriedly asked, "What should I tell him if Elara asks why you're here?" 

Ibrahim reassured her with a confident smirk, "Don't worry, baby girl. Your brother won't see me." With that he rose from the bed and strode toward the balcony. 

Ava also trailed behind him, her eyes wide with curiosity and anxiety. She questioned, "How will you leave?"

Ibrahim halted on the balcony. Then He turned to face Ava and replied, "Think about my proposal, Ava. I'll call you tomorrow."

Without further explanation, he made his way onto the balcony. Ava followed, concern etched on her face. She asked, "But how are you going to leave?"

Ibrahim didn't answer her verbally. Instead, he resorted to a daring method. Ibrahim climbed over the balcony railing and began his daring descent. He clung to a downspout pipe, a crucial part of the building's rainwater drainage system.

Ava was left speechless, her eyes following his every move as he started his descent down the pipes. Her heart pounded as she watched him. Ava couldn't help but worry about his safety. As Ibrahim reached the ground floor, he silently bid Ava goodbye, vanishing into the obscurity of the night. Left alone on the balcony, Ava could only murmur to herself, "What just happened? What kind of person is he?" 

Back inside, the doorbell continued to ring insistently, jolting Ava from her reverie. With a racing heart, she hurried to open the door. Ava quickly opened the door to her brother, Elara had been waiting outside. He looked visibly tired in his navy blue police uniform, an indication of the long and demanding day of work. As he stepped into the dining room, he inquired, "Where were you, Ava? I've been ringing the doorbell for ages."

Ava offered a quick explanation, "I was in the bathroom." She moved aside to allow Elara to enter, and he removed his shoes. He observed the faint sheen of sweat on Ava's forehead and noted her nervous behaviour, "Why do you seem so on edge? Did something happen?"

Ava moved a strand of hair behind her ear and took a moment to collect her thoughts - from the mysterious white bouquet to her unexpected encounter with Ibrahim Rahman. She shook her head, attempting to maintain a façade. "Nervous? Me? No, it's just that I forgot to turn on the AC," she replied, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple.

Little did Ava know that her decision to withhold the truth about her encounter with Ibrahim would be the first in a series of fateful choices that would alter the course of her life.

Elara reached out to pat her lightly on the head and inquired "Did you take your dinner? 

She nodded and confessed, "Not yet, I made sandwiches."

Elara reassured her, "I'll join you after I freshen up," and then made his way to his room. As Elara made his way towards his room, he suddenly detected the unmistakable scent of a luxurious perfume wafting through the air.

 Pausing in his tracks, Elara followed the alluring scent, which grew stronger as he approached Ava's room. Elara had a keen sense of smell when it came to perfumes, and this fragrance was undoubtedly from a high-end brand. And the aroma was not that of a typical women's perfume; it was undoubtedly a men's fragrance.

Ava had followed her brother, her heart racing with anxiety. She questioned herself internally, wondering if Elara would discover that Ibrahim had been in her room earlier. She couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong, brother?"