Chapter 145 : "I need my Ava back."

Ibrahim and Samir returned to Kuala Lumpur from Langkawi that day. Despite Samir's invitation, Farah declined to accompany them, choosing to return with her fellow students and even refused Samir's assistance in dressing her wound in forehead. 

Back in Kuala Lumpur, Ibrahim wasted no time. He assembled a team and launched a full-scale manhunt for Ava. Langkawi proved to be a challenging search ground being a tourist place. And Ava's escape under the cover of night had made it nearly impossible to track her movements.

Adding another layer of complication, Elara had also vanished. Ibrahim believed Elara might have aided her escape, reasoning that they were likely together wherever they were hiding. Thus, the search expanded to include both Ava and Elara.

Four days had passed since Ava's disappearance, and with each passing day, Ibrahim's frustration grew. He lost his appetite, often refusing to eat the meals which Aliya prepared for him. His health, already strained from his recent surgery, suffered further due to his irregular sleep patterns and constant chain-smoking.

Giving up smoking had been a promise he'd made to Ava. But with her absence, Ibrahim found himself back in the familiar embrace of the acrid smoke stinging his throat.

Their room remained untouched. He wouldn't allow anyone to enter. Even the maids who normally cleaned had to stay away. He wanted to preserve the essence of Ava, the faint scent of her lavender perfume. He wanted everything to stay exactly as it was, like a snapshot in time before she disappeared.

He missed Ava's smell more than anything. It still lingered faintly in the air, a bittersweet reminder of her presence. Sometimes, he'd spend hours just sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the only painting she had ever made. It was as if he was trying to hold onto a piece of her.

Sometimes he'd pick up her pillow and clutch it to his chest, inhaling the faint scent of her perfume. It was a small comfort, a way to feel close to her even though she was gone.

Ava had taken Ibrahim's sleep with her too. In the four days since she vanished, Ibrahim hadn't closed his eyes for a single second. All he could think about was his "baby girl," as he called her, and finding her.

Even now, Ibrahim stood before the dressing table, the silence broken only by his ragged breathing. In his hand, he held Ava's perfume bottle. He could almost see her reflection in the mirror, the way she used to tilt her head and dab the fragrance on her behind her ears and on her wrists before going out.

A soft tap on the door shattered the scene, pulling him back to the harsh reality of his empty present. He placed the perfume back on the table with a sigh and opened the door to find Samir waiting patiently.

"Ibrahim," Samir started, "are you alright? You don't look well. You haven't even stepped out of your room since morning."

Ibrahim came outside of the room and began walking towards the mansion's grand dining hall. Samir followed closely behind. Both settled on the plush sofa. 

And Ibrahim ran a hand through his hair, his voice rough with exhaustion as he spoke. "Exhausted I'm. Totally exhausted. Without Ava these days... days and nights pass, but they are not spent. It's hard to believe, four days have gone by since she vanished, and I still have no clue where she could be. I only ever gave her the best of me, the best version of myself I could be, and yet… Yet, she left me feeling like I had been the worst husband she could have ever wished for."

Samir let out a heavy sigh. "Usama manipulated her, Ibrahim. He played the cards well. What you feared would happen, had happened."

Ibrahim shook his head, "She should have talked to me. She should have asked why I did all that. Did running away solve anything? Is causing me this pain the answer?" When I help people, and they call me a hero. But now, in my own story, I'm the villain."

Samir didn't shy away from the harsh truth. "You are the responsible for that. You should have told her everything before it reached this point specially about her scholarship. To be honest, her reaction probably wouldn't have been much different regardless of who told her.... but maybe, just maybe, it could have been handled differently if she only knew about the scholarship and not about Adam."

Ibrahim's face fell silent. Samir had shown him the reality. He had been so focused on controlling the situation, protecting his own interests, that he had failed to see the impact it would have on Ava.

Breaking the silence, Samir asked, "Have you thought about Usama? Are you planning to do about him? Or..."

Ibrahim leaned back on the couch, his shoulders slumped in defeat, "Why are you asking? You know as well as I do that I'm powerless against him. If I truly wanted to do something, I would have acted years ago."

The name 'Prof. Usama Syed' wasn't a name uttered lightly within the Rahman household, and when it was, it was spoken of in defeat and limitations.

These two Rahman brothers were like men bound by invisible ropes, their hands tied, their options limited when it came to Professor Usama Syed.

"If anyone can do something, it's Farah," Ibrahim finally said.

Samir's eyes widened in alarm. "Ibrahim, are you suggesting we make Farah a murderer? Absolutely not! As your younger brother, I've always followed your lead without question, but I won't drag Farah into this mess. It's one thing for us to be tangled with Usama, but involving her is not a good thought. I don't like to cross the line."

"It's Usama who crossed the line with Farah, Samir," Ibrahim countered, "Did you even stop to think why she asked you to send men to Jessica's room?"

Samir shook his head slowly. "No, she just told me to do it, and I did."

"Usama rapëd Farah's three roomates by blackmailing with some videos. And guess who placed those hidden cameras in their apartment? Jessica." Ibrahim's voice dropped into a low growl, "That's why Farah reacted the way she did. She's already halfway down the criminal path, thanks to Usama's machinations."

Samir's eyes widened in shock, "I had no idea about these all. How did you know all this?"

Ibrahim tapped his fingers rhythmically against the armrest, his gaze distant beyond the window, "I may have lost my heart in love not my brain. It's is still sharp and working damn well. Don't let your affection for Farah cloud your judgment. Don't turn a blind eye to whatever Farah tells you to do. Investigate, question, and be cautious before acting."

He paused, his voice hardening slightly. "And," he continued, "I still don't feel guilty about hurting Farah that day. To me, she will always be Hashim's daughter first. If the day comes when she becomes your girlfriend or wife, then I will apologize to her. I am not a man who shies away from apologizing to those who deserve it."

Samir felt a blush creep up his cheek. He hadn't expected Ibrahim to bring up Farah in such a way, especially mentioning her as a wife.

Oblivious to the cause of his brother's sudden flustered, Ibrahim asked, "Why are you blushing suddenly?"

"Nothing," Samir quickly changed the subject, hoping to divert his brother's attention. "There's still no news about Elara. But Faisal managed to get details of all the cars that passed through the Berjaya forest Highway."

Ibrahim sighed, shaking his head dismissively. "Car details won't help us. We can't possibly check every car through CCTV footage and guess if Ava was in one of them. It's a pointless. We need a more targeted approach."

He leaned forward, "Tell our men to focus on the passenger lists of ferries traveling between Langkawi and Malaysia. Additionally, discreetly inquire with the locals if any fishing boats or small vessels made the journey from Langkawi on the night of December 5th. Regardless of her destination, Ava had to cross the sea to get back to mainland Malaysia."

Langkawi Island is located off the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, separated by the Strait of Malacca. Since there are no bridges connecting the island to the mainland, ferries and boats are the only way to travel between Langkawi and Malaysia.

Samir nodded, "I'll get right on it."

A sudden thought struck him, causing him to pause. "Wait," he said, "where's Ava's passport?"

Ibrahim, who had been lost in thought, blinked as if brought back from a distance. "It's here, with me. Why does it matter?" he replied automatically.

Samir held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, I understand you're on edge, but hear me out. What if Ava..." he trailed off, "...what if she went another country, using a fake passport?"

A doubt crossed Ibrahim's face, but he quickly dismissed it. "It wouldn't be possible. Fake passports take time to prepare. They can't be made overnight."

"But what if Elara already had one?" Samir countered, "He could have easily obtained one beforehand, knowing Ava might need it someday."

Despair washed over Ibrahim like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in its depths. He ran a hand over his face. The possibility that Ava had vanished not just from his life, but from the country itself, clawed at his sanity. He didn't think of it previously.

"Samir," he started, "we need to expand the search. Immediately."

He straightened up, his posture regaining a semblance of its usual authority, "Airport security footage. I want you to contact the airport authorities immediately. I need to scour every frame of security footage, every record of departing flights, from the day Ava went missing. No passenger, no matter their destination or appearance, should escape our scrutiny. Look for any sign of Ava, any glimpse, any hint that she might have boarded a plane. Look for anyone who might be even remotely connected to them."

Ibrahim took a deep, shuddering breath, willing himself to stay focused, to remain the pillar of strength he always strived to be. "And don't stop there, Samir. Scour Malaysia, every inch of it, if that's what it takes. Leave no stone unturned, no corner unexplored. I want my search teams to be relentless. I need my Ava back. I want my wife. And for that, if I need to kill more 60 people, I won't hesitate."