Chapter 142 : "Ava escaped, she ran away."

Ibrahim offered a weak nod of acknowledgment. "Of course. I know You can handle it well. But why hasn't Farah update me about Ava yet? I told her to keep me about everything yet I haven't heard a word from last night."

Aliya shook her head ever so slightly, a request directed at Samir. Don't tell him yet. Not now.

Samir scrambled for an explanation. "M-Maybe there are some network issues, brother," he stammered, "Don't worry, she'll get in touch soon."

But the lie.failed to fool Ibrahim. His years of experience and his keen eye for detail had honed his ability to sniff out a lie a mile away. He noticed the subtle shift in his mother's posture, the tremor in his brother's voice, and the faint beads of sweat forming on Samir's forehead. 

Ibrahim's gaze, sharp as ever despite his weakened state, pierced through Samir's facade, "What is it?" he demanded, "It seems like you're hiding something. Tell me, what's going on?"

Samir swallowed hard. He knew his brother like the back of his hand, and hiding the truth from Ibrahim was akin to playing with fire.

Aliya desperately interjected. "Nothing's happened, Son. You just need to rest. You're worrying yourself unnecessarily."

Ibrahim's gaze flickered between them, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Don't leave me hanging like this, Mother. Tell me what is going on!"

Unable to bear the weight of the secret any longer, Samir blurted out the truth, "Ibrahim, the resort staff... they haven't seen Ava since this morning. She wasn't with the other students during the sightseeing trip either. Until now, no news of her whereabouts."

Silence descended upon the room. The silence was thick and suffocating. Ibrahim's world imploded in on itself. Time seemed to stand still. His heart seemed to stutter, then fall silent within his chest.

Did anyone hear the thunderous silence of his stopped heart? It wasn't really silence at all; it was a sound akin to thunder. Imagine the booming clamor of thunder echoing through an empty field, shaking the very foundations of the earth. The sound screamed so loudly that it seemed to reverberate through every fiber of Ibrahim's being.

He sat bolt upright on the bed and looked away from Aliya's face to Samir's averted gaze, searching for any shred of denial, any hint that his worst fears were unfounded, "What do you mean 'no news of her whereabouts'?" 

Samir explained, "Ava... she was last seen outside of her room when she was calling you. Then, she and Farah went back to their room. After you told the staff not to look ... So, We haven't heard anything about Sister-in-law from them since." 

Ibrahim's jaw clenched so tightly his teeth ground against each other. The veins on his hand stood out like blue rivers coursing beneath the surface of his skin.

His mind raced back to Ava's phone call - 

...."And there's a staff member keeping an eye on me from the moment I reached here. For him, I'm right by the bridge so that the staff can update you I'm enjoying."...

He cursed under his breath for listening to Ava. This was the first time he'd allowed her freedom and.....

The echo of Ava's voice echoed in his mind - 

..."I'll remember this gesture."... 

Had she been hinting at something? Trying to warn him? Had she been planning her escape that time? Was it escape? But Ava had seemed happy and everything was under his control. She couldn't have gone anywhere. Or maybe… maybe she was in danger. Ava couldn't disappear like this. He wouldn't allow it. Never. 

"Bring my clothes, Samir." he barked. 

He pushed himself off the bed, ignoring the sharp pang of pain that shot through his abdomen. 

Aliya tried to reason with him. "Ibrahim, please don't react like this. I'm sure Ava is safe. The tracker still shows her location at the resort. Just calm down. Please."

"If something happens to Ava," he snarled, "I'll burn this whole damn city to the ground! And you, Samir," he said, his gaze turning like a viper's to his brother, "you are trying to hide this from me!"

Cowered under his brother's menacing glare, Samir replied, "Mom, told me not to say anything." 

Ibrahim's eyes darted to his mother. He couldn't bring himself to yell at his mother like he did on Samir, but there was disappointment in his gaze, "I never expected this from you, Mother."

Aliya reached out and squeezed his hand. "You're not going anywhere, Ibrahim," she pleaded. "Don't do this. Don't become another Zainab. Don't you dare repeat the mistakes of the past."

"You and Samir are all I have," she continued, her words choked with tears. "Don't harass like this your old mother like this, son. I can't tolerate anything at this age. Send men to find Ava if needed. You....you need to take rest. But you don't go. Don't go.... Please. If something happens to you… I… I can't… I can't live anymore."

"And if something happened to Ava, Mother, I can't live either," he confessed in a murmur "I can't bear the thought of losing her. I can't. Please don't blackmail me emotionally."

Aliya watched him. She saw the flicker of fear behind his anger, the weakness he desperately tried to conceal. 

Ibrahim gestured towards Samir to bring his clothes. Samir brought them, his head bowed, unable to meet his mother's tear-filled eyes. 

After a moment both Rahman brothers left, leaving Aliya alone with her tears. She sank to the floor, her sobs echoing through the empty room. The losses she had suffered in the past were immeasurable. No matter how much her children grew up, they would always be her little ones in her eyes. Their lives mattered more to her than her own. She was a mother afterall. 

.....

The private jet touched down smoothly on the runway of Langkawi International Airport, kicking up a swirl of dust as it taxied towards the designated terminal. Ibrahim and Samir disembarked and wasted no time in securing a car.

The twenty-minute drive to Berjaya Langkawi Resort was fraught with tension. As they entered the resort lobby, they were met by the staff member Ibrahim had previously instructed to keep an eye on Ava. 

The staff began, "Sir ....."

 Ibrahim cut him off, "Where is my wife staying?"

Intimidated by Ibrahim's imposing presence, the staff simply pointed towards a specific resort chalet. With a forceful push that almost sent the staff stumbling back, Ibrahim stormed towards the chalet. The only thing that was working it was the Tracker. That meant Ava should be here. He couldn't think of the worst right now. 

He flung open the chalet door without any preamble, expecting to find Ava. Instead, he was met with the sight of Farah sitting alone on the edge of the bed, a smile playing on her lips. Unlike the other students, she hadn't gone for the sightseeing trip but had remained at the chalet, seemingly anticipating their arrival.

"Welcome, Rahman brothers," she greeted, "I was expecting you to show up more sooner. You're late, but I wasn't surprised."

Ibrahim and Samir exchanged a look. Samir murmured, "Brother, please be calm with Farah. Don't forget, she holds my heart."

Ibrahim then turned his gaze back to Farah, "Where is Ava? I entrusted you with a task, and you couldn't even do that! Why I didn't get any updates till now? Huh? What are you hiding?"

Farah rose from the bed and crossed her arms in front of Ibrahim, her posture radiating a confidence that seemed to unnerve even Samir. Her gaze met Ibrahim's, challenging him to face the truth, "Ava have escaped. She ran away."

The revelation drained the color from Ibrahim's face. Ibrahim lunged forward, his hand shooting out to grab Farah's throat. His grip tightened around her slender neck, cutting off her air supply. Her eyes widened in surprise, her playful demeanor replaced by a look of terror. She gasped. Her breath cut short, her face flushing a crimson red. 

Samir tried to pry Ibrahim's hand off Farah's neck, "Ibrahim stop! Please...." But Ibrahim's grip got tight with each passing second, his jaw clenched, the veins on his forehead bulging with exertion.

"For one night," he growled through gritted teeth, "I acted soft, and everyone seems to think they can do whatever they want! They forget who I am, what I'm capable of!"

He lifted Farah off the ground, her feet dangling helplessly in the air. Her struggles intensified, her body twisting and turning in a desperate attempt to break free. And Samir continued to stop Ibrahim...