Chapter 178 : "Put the g-gun down."

Samir spoke first. "Sister-in-law, just in time! Everything's ready for breakfast. Come, sit down."

But Ava wasn't there for breakfast. In a move that silenced the room, she ripped the gun from behind her back and pointed it, not at any one person in particular, but at the three of them collectively, "Give me my passport. Now. Or I shoot."

They froze.....

Samir stammered, "W-what are you doing, Ava? Put the g-gun down." 

Faisal darted a silent question towards Ibrahim with a flick of his eyes. Where in the world had Ava found a gun?

Ibrahim already knew the answer. Damn it. He'd forgotten to take the gun back last night. The way Ava held the weapon, her finger hovering near the trigger..... 

One wrong move, one hair out of place, and this situation could explode. Faisal took a cautious step forward, his voice calm and measured. "Ava," he began, his hands raised placatingly. "Let's talk. We'll listen to you. Just put the gun down, alright? It's loaded." He replaced the accusatory tone with a gentle plea, aiming to de-escalate the situation. "There's no need for this. We can work things out."

"Don't play me for a fool," Ava spat, "Do you all think I'm a naive girl to be kept here forever? Give me my passport. Now. Otherwise..." The gun in her hand wavered slightly. 

Now Ibrahim took a step forward. "Otherwise what, Ava?" he challenged, his voice tight. "Where do you think you'll go with that passport?"

Ava flinched at his approach. And she was also surprised by his audacity. Did he not understand the danger he was in? Wasn't he afraid? Maybe he didn't care. Maybe he was that confident she wouldn't use it.

Ava mirrored his step back, "Kuala Lumpur. To my brother."

Faisal interjected. "Ava, put the gun down. We can talk about this....."

Ibrahim continued his slow approach, ignoring Faisal's pleas. Ava's finger twitched on the trigger. "Stay where you are, Ibrahim," she warned, "I'm not bluffing."

Ibrahim's voice cut through the air, cold and hard. "Shoot. Shoot me. Then go wherever you want. Back to KL, back to Elara, doesn't matter to me. Isn't that what you want? Freedom? Then take it. I'm giving you what you want."

Samir and Faisal shouted at Ibrahim to stop. They could see the fear shaking Ava, how badly she wanted to run but was trapped. But Ibrahim, well, he was Ibrahim. He wasn't backing down.

Her grip on the gun tightened, her hand trembling like a scared rabbit. Deep down, she knew she couldn't shoot him. Ibrahim knew her better than she knew herself, and he was using that to his advantage.

Tears streamed down her face as a choked whisper escaped her lips. "I can't shoot you. Y-you know that. That's why you're so confident." she stammered, "but..."

She lifted the gun..... and pointed towards her own forehead, "I... I can kill myself."

It was a threat but it seemed to be the only leverage she had.

And Ibrahim froze..... 

Ofcourse this wasn't the script he'd envisioned. "Don't even think about that, Ava," he bellowed, his voice filled with a desperate fear she hadn't heard before. He'd never imagined she'd turn the gun on herself.

Ava, her vision blurring with tears, held the gun unwavering. "Give me the passport," she rasped. "Give me what I want."

"Ohkayy .... I'll give it to you," Ibrahim stammered, his voice thick with urgency. "I'll take you to KL myself. Just give me the gun."

 "Liar!! I don't believe you." She shook her head. Her gaze darted towards Faisal and Samir, who stood a tense distance behind Ibrahim. Faisal... Yes, him! He could be her ticket out. He was the key. He was an agent of Malaysia. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. An agent wouldn't harm a Malaysian citizen....The Rahman brothers held no sway over her anymore.

Ibrahim saw the shift in her focus. It was his chance. With lightning speed, he lunged forward, grabbing for the gun. Ava's eyes widened in shock as she felt his grip on the weapon. She tightened her hold, desperately trying to keep it away from him.

"Let go, Ava!" Ibrahim growled.

"Noooooo!" Ava shouted. She twisted her body, trying to wrench the gun free from his grasp. Her heart pounded in her chest as she fought with everything she had.

But Ibrahim's strength was overwhelming. He used his superior leverage, pushing Ava back against the wall. Their bodies crushed together, her back pressed hard against the rough wood. He pried at her fingers, trying to break her grip on the gun.

Ava kicked at his shins and clawed at his arms, refusing to let go. Her fingernails scraped across his skin, leaving angry red marks, but Ibrahim didn't flinch. He twisted her wrist painfully, forcing her fingers to loosen. Their struggle was intense. Ava felt his breath hot against her face as they wrestled for control. She pushed back with all her strength, trying to use her body weight against him, but Ibrahim was like a unmoving rock.

In the midst of their struggle, a sudden loud BANG echoed through the room. Both froze momentarily, the gun firing unexpectedly. The bullet lodged itself harmlessly in the wooden wall behind them, the smell of gunpowder filling the air.

Taking advantage of Ava's momentary shock, Ibrahim gave one final, forceful yank. The gun slipped from her grasp and into his. Ava stumbled back, her hands shaking from the adrenaline. Her ears were ringing from the sudden explosion. Her eyes, wide with shock, darted between the smoking hole in the wall and Ibrahim, who stood panting, the gun now firmly clutched in his hand.

"Have you gone MAD, Ava?!" he roared, his voice a guttural growl that seemed to vibrate the very floorboards beneath them, "What were you thinking? Do you have any idea what could have happened? What if that bullet had hit you? You could have KILLED YOURSELF! You could have easily ended your own life in a fit of childish defiance! What the hell were you thinking? Do you have any idea how reckless that was?" 

Each syllable dripped with a terrifying mix of anger and something else – a hint of fear, perhaps, that he desperately tried to mask. Ava flinched under his gaze, the fight momentarily draining out of her. She had been desperate, yes, but the accidental discharge of the gun was a reminder of the deadly game they were playing.

Faisal and Samir rushed forward. Faisal reached Ibrahim first, placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Ibrahim, calm down. Let's step away from her. She's terrified."

Ibrahim's eyes were wild with anger. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be guided away from Ava, though he kept glancing back at her with a mix of rage and worry. "I can't believe she did this," he muttered, his grip on the gun tightening momentarily before he reluctantly handed it over to Faisal.

Meanwhile, she sat on the floor, her hands still trembling. The adrenaline coursing through her veins made it hard to steady her breathing. Samir knelt beside her, "Ava, are you okay?"

Her lips quivered, but no sound emerged. The image of the gun firing, the deafening crack in the small space, replayed in her mind. 

Where Ibrahim was panicking, thinking of the bullet that could have hit Ava. At the same time, she was consumed with worry about the bullet possibly hitting him.... 

Yes, she was angry at him, hurt by his betrayal. But the thought of harming him, of taking a life – even his – had never truly crossed her mind. 

If the bullet had hit him... Ava squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the weight of that thought. She never would have forgiven herself. Despite their conflict, they both cared more for the other's safety than their own. Love, it seemed, had a stubborn way of lingering, even in the face of betrayal.

Taking a shaky breath, Ava reached for the glass of water Samir offered. After taking few sips, she set the glass down. She stood up slowly, her gaze fixed on Ibrahim, who was still locked in a tense conversation with Faisal inside the kitchen. She knew what she had to do.

Enough was enough.

Slowly, using the doorway for support, Ava pushed herself to her feet. Her gaze locked onto Ibrahim's broad back, still turned towards the kitchen where Faisal's calming voice rose and fell. Then, she spoke, 

"I want Divorce."