Chapter 121 : Robinhood

Ava wasn't convinced. "Tell me the truth, Ibrahim. Rafi was saying you kidnapped his sons. Is it true?"

Ibrahim met her gaze head-on. "I don't even know what his sons look like. If you don't believe me, ask Samir."

Ava studies his face, searching for any flicker of guilt or deception. But Ibrahim maintains his facade, his expression carefully blank. She murmured, "I'll ask Samir. I will get to the bottom of this." 

Ibrahim watched her leaving the room. He reached for a shirt that lay on a nearby chair and hastily put it on, his bandaged hand causing him slight discomfort. He followed Ava followed closely behind.

They reached the dinning hall. Samir and Faisal, caught gossiping like schoolboys, flinched at Ava's arrival. From the last night both knew about this storm. 

Samir attempted a nervous smile, "Good morning, Sister-in-law, sit here." His hand gestured towards a nearby chair, but Ava remained standing. 

"I'm not here for pleasantries," she cut him off, her voice laced with ice. "I have a question, and I expect an honest answer."

Samir's smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of apprehension. He stole a glance at Ibrahim, whose expression remained unreadable. 

"Look at me, Samir," Ava commanded, her voice firm but not unkind. "Don't you dare deflect to your brother." 

Samir met her gaze. He gulped, "Y-Yes, sister-in-law." The weight of Ava's scrutiny felt suffocating. The dinning hall was looking like a courtroom.

"Where are Rafi's sons?" Ava's words boomed, "Who has taken them?"

Then, as if a dam had burst, Samir blurted out, "Taken? No one took the sons! They're with their mother, Sophia."

Ava's expression contorted in surprise. "What? The kids are with their mother?"

Faisal chimed in, "Yes, yes, Rafi and Sophia got divorced recently. They don't have the best relationship, so Rafi assumed Ibrahim had taken them. But trust me, Sister-in-law, the boys are safe with their mother."

On the other hand, Ibrahim leaned against the kitchen counter, arms crossed, a silent observer to the unfolding drama. 

Ava's eyes remained fixed on them. She still had confusion. She couldn't entirely believe them. The silence stretched. 

Sensing her skepticism, Samir told, "Let me show you proof!" He fumbled with his phone, his fingers trembling as he unlocked it. "This is Sophia's Pinstagram account. See, she's a model. She have a good fan following."

He extended the phone at Ava. She took it hesitantly. Pictures of Sophia, impossibly beautiful in designer clothes, graced the feed. Then, her gaze snagged on the latest post - a series of images depicting Sofia and two giggling boys - Omer and Harith, posing in front of the iconic Disneyland castle. Even the pictures had lovely captions, "Making magical memories with my little princes!"

But the pictures were posted 5 hours ago. 

Ava murmured, "These pictures were posted today." 

"Yes," Samir explained, "Sofia tends to post vacation pictures a day or two later, to avoid revealing her real-time location to fans."

Ava's skepticism remained. "But wouldn't it be strange for her not to inform Rafi about taking the kids to Disneyland?"

Faisal offered a cautious explanation, "After the divorce, Rafi got full custody of kids. He wouldn't let Sofia see the kids. Maybe... Sofia didn't feel obligated to inform him. And here, Rafi is searching for the kids everywhere." 

Ava sighed, the tension easing slightly. She returned the phone to Samir, her eyes lingering on Ibrahim's impassive face. She approached him. 

"I'll believe you this time," she said, "But remember, if I ever find out you had anything to do with harming those children, I won't hesitate for a second to throw those glass vases at you, Samir and Faisal."

Samir and Faisal exchanged nervous glances. Their eyes darted to the ornate glass vases perched on the tea table. Both gulped together, their throats suddenly dry, picturing them shattering against their heads.

Just then, Yasmeen, who was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, peeked her head out nervously. "Would you like me to pour you some tea, Ma'am?"

Ava's anger flared anew. "Tea? Pour it on my head then! God knows how people can drink tea after killing someone."

Ibrahim couldn't help but smirk. Ava's unpredictable nature and fiery temper never ceased to entertain him.

With a final venomous glare at the three men, Ava swept out of the dining hall, leaving the brothers in stunned silence.

Samir cleared his throat, "Where do you think she's going? Is she going to Elara's?" he asked.

Ibrahim sauntered towards the empty seat beside him, his movements languid and confident. "Nah," he replied without looking at Ava, settling back on the plush sofa. "She's just going to vent in the garden."

Samir and Faisal looked towards the window, peering out into the manicured expanse of the garden. They spotted Ava sitting on a wooden swing amidst the blooming roses, her shoulders tensed and jaw clenched. The morning sun cast long shadows over her, highlighting the turmoil within.

"There's no one who understands Sister-in-law better than you, Ibrahim," Samir remarked. "You always know what's going on in her head. Even in her rage, she's so predictable to you."

Faisal shuddered. "I almost fainted from her threats! Woman's got a spine of steel. I thought only my mother was scary. That threat about the vases almost gave me a heart attack."

"It's good she let off some steam," Ibrahim mused. "Honestly, after what happened last night, I was worried she'd be traumatized."

"That woman is something else," Faisal remarked, shaking his head. "I'm getting a helmet for next time she's around specially when she gets angry." 

Samir chuckled. "Here we are, bachelors scared of our angry sisters-in-law," he joked. "What will become of our future wives, eh?"

Faisal offered a sympathetic pat on his shoulder. "Only prayer, my friend, only prayer. And maybe some advice from Ibrahim on how to handle wife."

Ibrahim smirked. "The key is silence. When the wife is unleashing her inner lioness, sometimes the wisest move is to simply let her roar. Stay silent. It's the safest option, trust me."

Samir scoffed. "Even you get scared of your wife, Ibrahim? Come on, spill the beans!"

Ibrahim chuckled. "Name one, Samir. Just one man who truly isn't afraid of his wife. It's a universal truth brother, wives hold the power."

A moment of silence followed, punctuated only by the clinking of spoons against teacups. Finally, Faisal conceded, "Nothing to be done about it, I suppose."

"Samir," Ibrahim began, "tell Yasmeen to prepare a bowl of cereal for Ava. Take it to her in the garden."

Samir's eyes widened. "Me? No way! She might bite my head off after that outburst." He gestured towards Faisal. "Let him go."

Faisal, equally hesitant, stammered, "But why me?" He looked at Ibrahim, "Your wife, you should handle her." 

Ibrahim sighed. "I can't face her right now. You know she's not in the mood to see me."

Samir remained stubborn. "Nope, not happening."

"Fine," Ibrahim sighed, "If you go, I'll gift you any sports car of your choice."

Ibrahim knew how to push his brother's buttons. 

Samir's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"No reason to lie," Ibrahim assured him with a wink.

The offer was too good to refuse. "Deal," Samir agreed. 

"But don't come back until she's finished," Ibrahim added as an afterthought.

Samir nodded reluctantly and headed towards the kitchen.

...

The swing creaked gently as Ava watched Samir approach, the bowl balanced precariously in his hand. "Why are you here, Samir?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. "Did Ibrahim send you?"

"Uh, yeah," he admitted, awkwardly offering the bowl towards her, "Breakfast for you." 

Ava shook her head. "No appetite," she said curtly. Her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

Samir lowered himself onto the swing beside her, placing the bowl precariously on his lap. "Sister-in-law," he began cautiously, "are you... still upset?"

Ava's eyes flashed. "Upset?" she scoffed, crossing her arms tightly. "Do you think I should be skipping through rainbows after what I saw last night?"

Samir sighed, "I know it's not easy to process for you after seeing everything last night. But letting it consume you like this... it's not good for you."

Ava's jaw clenched. "Those two people… They didn't go home last night. What about their families? Do they even know that they're .... dead?"

Samir let out another heavy sigh. "Look, I know it seems harsh," he said gently, "but that's what we do. We…the Rahmans. We take care of things like this. We give them a proper burial, always. And Ibrahim… he always makes sure their families are taken care of financially. He helps the family to find jobs or gives them money for settlements. He's not doing it for glory, Ava. He believes in taking care of the consequences, even the messy ones."

Ava raised an eyebrow, a sardonic smirk playing on her lips. "So, change Ibrahim's name to Robin Hood, then," she said mockingly. "The noble outlaw stealing lives and playing the benefactor afterwards."

Samir chuckled. "Well, someone's gotta be the good guy, right? What about me? What nickname should I get?"

"You could be Little John. The legendary follower of Robinhood." Ava replied, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

But the smile quickly faded, replaced by a shadow of despair. "You Rahmans," she said bitterly, "you've never faced what it's like to have a dead body brought into your house, to tell loved ones they're gone... That's why it's all so easy for you."

Samir's smile faltered. "Who told you we haven't seen such things? Who told you a dead body hasn't entered this very mansion in the same way?"

A jolt of surprise ran through Ava. She stared at Samir, her eyes searching his face for answers. "Who… who are you talking about?" she stammered.

Samir's lips pressed into a thin line. "There's much you don't know, sister-in-law. We'll talk about it another time...."

He extended the bowl again, his voice gentling. "It's not good to skip breakfast, sister-in-law."

Ava hesitated for a moment, then took the bowl, her face unreadable. As she ate in silence, Samir reached for a nearby rose bush, its delicate blooms glistening in the morning sun. He plucked three roses, their crimson petals vibrant against the green foliage.

"For you," he said, extending them towards her. "I've seen lovers give roses, but never a brother to his sister-in-law. Consider this a first, from your favorite brother-in-law."

Ava's lips curved into a faint smile. "Both brothers are the same, aren't you?" she murmured, her gaze flitting between the roses and Samir. "Both know how to handle a situation."

She took the roses while balancing the bowl of cereal with another hand. A comfortable silence settled between them, broken only by the chirping of birds and the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze.

"Going to university today?" Samir asked. He was now standing near the swing. 

Ava pondered for a moment. Neither the university nor the mansion held any appeal right now to her. 

Seeing her indecision, Samir offered, "Maybe it's good to get out, clear your head."

Ava nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right."